The cypresses and pines remain evergreen at Yang’ai

Evergreen Cypresses and Pines of Yang’ai

　　The Evergreen Cypresses and Pines is a newly developed specialty flat-shaped green tea from Yang’ai Tea Farm in Guizhou Province, first created in 2000.

　　 The raw materials for processing Evergreen Cypresses and Pines tea come from the early-sprouting, small-to-medium leaf variety known as "Shi Li Xiang" (Ten-Mile Fragrance) from northern Yunnan. This variety begins its spring harvest about eight days earlier than surrounding tea plants. Its shoots have robust buds and leaves, dense branching, strong budding ability, and high quality. The processing technique for Evergreen Cypresses and Pines tea is meticulous, requiring fine craftsmanship. Every year around the Qingming Festival, tender single buds are handpicked as raw material. These must have tender green leaves, neat buds and leaves, no pest or disease spots, and a bud length of approximately 1.5–2.0 cm. The freshly picked leaves are spread thinly indoors for 4–6 hours until they lose about 15% of their moisture before processing. The production process of Evergreen Cypresses and Pines includes fixing, straightening, shaping, firing, and drying. The fixing pan temperature is controlled at around 110°C, and the initial technique mainly involves grasping and shaking the leaves. Once the leaf texture becomes soft, the color darkens, the green grassy aroma fades, and a fresh fragrance emerges, the pan temperature is gradually reduced to 90°C. At this point, techniques such as pressing, shaking, and pinching are used to begin preliminary straightening, giving the tea leaves a roughly flat and straight shape. In the later stage of straightening, the pressure gradually increases from light to heavy, pressing the leaves into a flattened form. When the leaves are about 70–80% dry, they are taken off the pan, spread thinly to rest for about 50 minutes before the firing process, which occurs at 70°C. Initially, straightening remains the primary technique, with more shaking and less pressing. Gradually, techniques such as pressing, flattening, pinching, combined with alternating pressure and tossing, are employed. When the tea reaches about 90% dryness, the temperature is reduced to 60°C for low-temperature slow drying until fully dried. After drying, the tea is left to rest briefly, then sifted and sorted to remove impurities before being packaged and stored.

　　 Built upon traditional characteristics, the Evergreen Cypresses and Pines tea features a flat, smooth, and straight appearance with hidden silver tips; a bright, fresh green color; a delicate, high, and long-lasting aroma; a refreshing, sweet, and mellow taste; and a tender, even leaf base that stands upright like bamboo shoots at the bottom of the cup, offering high visual appeal. Since its successful launch, the product has seen strong sales momentum across regions including Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Beijing, winning widespread popularity among consumers. In recent years, the annual production and sales volume of this tea have increased year by year: 5,000 kg in 2001, 6,000 kg in 2002, and an estimated 7,500 kg in 2003. The Evergreen Cypresses and Pines tea is another successful creation by Yang’ai Tea Farm following the success of the Yang’ai Mao Feng tea.