Meitan Cuiya

Meitan Cuiya

Meitan Cuiya is a protected geographical indication product.

Meitan Cuiya is a certified geographical indication trademark.

Meitan Cuiya is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　"Meitan Cuiya" tea is produced in Meitan County, situated in the northeastern part of the Guizhou Plateau, a region known as the "Little Jiangnan of Yunnan and Guizhou." The natural geographical environment here is especially suitable for tea tree cultivation and the production of top-grade tea, making it the leading tea-producing county in Guizhou with characteristics such as "high altitude, low latitude, limited sunshine, frequent fog, and rich zinc and selenium." The county currently boasts 600,000 acres of high-quality ecological tea gardens. The Classic of Tea, written by Lu Yu—the tea sage of the Tang Dynasty—states: "In central Guizhou, including Si Prefecture, Bo Prefecture, Fei Prefecture, and Yi Prefecture... tea is often obtained there, and its flavor is excellent." This ancient Yi Prefecture refers to Meitan. The Guizhou General Annals of the Qing Dynasty records: "The misty mountain tea of Meitan is renowned, and Meitan’s eyebrow-tip tea was all tribute tea." This "eyebrow-tip tea" is the predecessor of "Meitan Cuiya." In 1939, the Central Experimental Tea Farm of the Republican government was established in Meitan, and in 1940, Zhejiang University relocated to Meitan and operated there for seven years. A large number of elite educators and scientific experts gathered, and the convergence of Zhejiang University and the Central Experimental Tea Farm further elevated the material and spiritual culture of "Meitan Cuiya" tea.

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　The tea has a flat and smooth appearance, resembling sunflower seeds, with sparse visible fine hairs. Its color is green and glossy, and its aroma is fresh and pleasant. It offers a strong millet fragrance with hints of fresh floral notes. The taste is mellow and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste. The tea liquor is bright yellowish-green, and the leaf base is tender, green, and uniform.

　　Cultural Anecdotes

　　Meitan has a long history of tea cultivation. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu, in the world's first monograph on tea, The Classic of Tea, noted that not only could tea be produced in Meitan, but the tea also had a very pleasant flavor. During the Song Dynasty, there are records of tea being offered as tribute. Today, Meitan is home to nationally renowned large-scale tea farms and numerous scattered rural tea gardens. It also hosts the Guizhou Tea Research Institute, established in the late 1930s.

　　Meitan has a long history of tea cultivation. As recorded in The Classic of Tea, the world’s first specialized tea monograph by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty, Meitan not only produces tea but also produces tea of exceptional flavor. Meitan tea has been recognized for its quality and served as a tribute to royalty throughout various dynasties.

　　Meitan Cuiya is grown among high mountains shrouded in clouds and mist. Meitan County is located in northern Guizhou, featuring a mild climate, many foggy and rainy days, fertile soil with loose structure and abundant mineral content—all of which are highly beneficial to tea tree growth and tea quality.

　　Meitan Cuiya features a flat and smooth appearance, resembling sunflower seeds, with sparse visible fine hairs. Its color is emerald green, and it emits a refreshing and pleasant aroma with a strong millet scent and fresh floral notes. The taste is mellow and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste. The tea liquor is bright yellowish-green, and the leaf base is tender, green, and uniform. It contains rare anti-aging substances, making it beneficial to health when consumed regularly.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The protected geographical area for Meitan Cuiya includes 15 towns: Meijiang Town, Yongxing Town, Fuxing Town, Tiancheng Town, Xinglong Town, Chaole Town, Huangjiaba Town, Gaotai Town, Maoping Town, Xinnan Town, Shilian Town, Yuquan Town, Xima Town, Mashan Town, and Xihe Town. The geographical coordinates are: longitude 107°15′36″–107°41′08″, latitude 27°20′18″–28°12′32″, covering an area of 1,864 square kilometers. The tea planting area of Meitan Cuiya spans 400,000 acres, with an annual output reaching 10,975 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　External Sensory Features: The tea leaves are flat, smooth, and shaped like sunflower seeds, with sparse visible fine hairs. The color is green and glossy, the aroma is fresh and pleasant, with a strong chestnut fragrance and hints of fresh floral notes. The taste is mellow and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste. The tea liquor is bright yellowish-green, and the leaf base is tender, green, and uniform. This product possesses the typical quality characteristics of flat green tea from the Guizhou Plateau. Internal Quality Indicators: According to analysis by the Guizhou Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Testing Center, Meitan Cuiya is rich in nutrients, containing 25–29% tea polyphenols, 5.0–7.0% caffeine, 1.5–2.5g/100g theanine, 0.2–0.3g/100g glutamic acid, 0.05–0.1g/100g tyrosine, 0.3–0.5g/100g arginine, and 2.0–3.0g/100g asparagine, among others. The production of Meitan Cuiya strictly follows the technical regulations for tea standards in Guizhou Province and the comprehensive tea standard system of Meitan County.