Mojiang Yunzhen Tea

Mojiang Yunzhen Tea

　　Mojiang Yunzhen Tea is produced in Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, Yunnan Province. Quality characteristics: the appearance features tightly rolled needle-like strips that are oily and hairy, with an ink-green color. The inner quality boasts a rich and fragrant aroma, a mellow and refreshing taste, bright yellow-green liquor, and tender, even leaves.  　　

　　Named for its fine, tightly rolled needle-like shape, Mojiang Yunzhen is one of Yunnan's famous teas. It is produced in Mojiang County, Yunnan Province. In 1945, technology was introduced from Japan, and the tea was processed using the technique of Japan’s “Gyokuro tea,” hence it was originally called “Yulu Tea.” In 1958, the processing method was improved by changing from steam fixation to pan firing, which enhanced the quality and altered the flavor profile. In 1975, it was renamed Yunzhen Tea, and for three consecutive years, it was rated as a regional high-quality product. In 1984, it was listed as one of the province’s six famous teas.   　　

　　The picking standard for Yunzhen Tea mainly consists of one bud and one leaf, accounting for 60% of the weight, supplemented by one bud and two or three leaves, making up 40%. The processing method involves manual fixation, mechanical initial rolling, hand shaping, and drying until fully dry. The main processes include fixation, initial rolling, shaping (including straightening and rolling, pressing and rolling, and tumbling), drying, sieving, and refiring—six key steps in total. Among these, shaping is the crucial step in forming the tea’s structure, while drying is the distinctive feature of its dehydration process. Shaping is performed after the initial rolling of the fixation leaves, once the tea has begun to take on a basic strip shape. It is divided into three processes: straightening and rolling, pressing and rolling, and tumbling. The purpose of straightening and rolling is to align curved buds and leaves and roll them into tight strips. Pressing and rolling aims to ensure that over 80% of the tea strips become fine, straight, and tightly rolled. Tumbling further promotes tight, straight, needle-like tea leaves and achieves a smooth, oily surface. When the shaped leaves reach over 90% dryness, they are taken off the pan for drying. Drying involves evenly spreading the shaped leaves flat on a bamboo tray until fully dry, with the moisture content of fully dried leaves being around 7%. The entire process of pan-firing Yunzhen Tea—from fixation to drying—takes approximately six hours.   The dried Yunzhen Tea then undergoes refining, including sieving, sorting, removing coarse and fine tea particles, and eliminating impurities before undergoing refiring. After cooling and packing, it becomes the final Yunzhen Tea product.   　　

　　The quality characteristics of Mojiang Yunzhen Tea include tightly rolled needle-like strips that are smooth, oily, and hairy, with a dark green color. It offers a richly fragrant aroma, a mellow and refreshing taste, bright yellow-green liquor, and tender, bright, even leaves. It is a uniquely outstanding tea among Yunnan's famous varieties.