Shangnan Tea

Shangnan Tea

Shangnan Tea is an agricultural product with geographical indication status.

　　     Shangnan Tea uses one to two leaves along with a bud picked around the Qingming Festival as raw material. It features a tightly rolled, elegantly curved or flat and straight appearance with visible white pekoe. The tea liquor is tender green, clear, and bright, while the leaves at the bottom are yellow-green and bright. It is highly resistant to brewing, sweet aftertaste, has a fresh and refreshing taste, and boasts a rich and long-lasting chestnut aroma.

　　Internal Quality

　　Shangnan Tea contains 172mg to 355.3mg of iron per kilogram, 45.5mg to 54.6mg of zinc, water extract content reaching 44% to 46.7%, tea polyphenol content of 17.2% to 18.2%, total sugar content of 2.4% to 2.6%, and a fragrance formed by the stable combination of 24 kinds of organic substances.

　　Natural Environment of the Growing Region

　　The production area of Shangnan Tea is located in the southeastern part of the Qinling Mountains, the northernmost part of China’s western tea region. It enjoys distinct seasons, ample sunlight, and abundant rainfall. The annual average temperature is 14°C, with an average annual precipitation of 803.2 millimeters, sunshine duration of 1973.5 hours, and a frost-free period of 216 days. The area is densely crisscrossed with rivers and valleys, featuring over 2,200 rivers of various sizes. The water quality is of medium hardness and slightly acidic in pH. The terrain is predominantly low mountainous hills, characterized by “eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland.” The soil exhibits clear horizontal and vertical zonality in geographical distribution; it is fertile, rich in organic matter, and abundant in trace elements essential for the human body such as iron, selenium, and zinc.

　　Tea Garden Management

　　Shangnan Tea gardens are mostly located below 1,000 meters in altitude, on sheltered, sun-facing slopes with gradients under 25 degrees. The ideal soil types are oily sandy soil, hemp bone stone soil, and sandy loam, all slightly acidic with pH values between 5.5 and 6.0, and showing no significant lime reaction or heavy metal pollution. The soil layer is relatively deep (over 40 cm), well-drained, and situated on hillsides or terraces. The locations are chosen for their convenient transportation, access to electricity, and availability of labor. Due to large day-night temperature variations, low temperatures, and relatively low rainfall, pests and diseases that typically affect tea plants are rarely widespread. Therefore, the production of Shangnan Tea avoids pesticide use. Instead, pest and disease control relies on timely harvesting, tree height management, deep plowing and field sanitation, manual trapping, and manual weeding to disrupt the living environment of pests. Every two years, 0.7% lime semi-quantity Bordeaux mixture is sprayed on the leaves once a month before spring harvesting, and 0.5-degree Bé stone sulfur mixture is applied in autumn for prevention.

　　Fresh Tea Picking and Processing

　　Due to large day-night temperature differences, low temperatures, and limited rainfall, tea growth in Shangnan is slow. Harvesting mainly focuses on spring teas such as Maojian, with very little summer tea picked. To ensure the quality of the following year’s spring tea, autumn tea is never harvested.

　　Tea processing factories are usually located more than 100 meters away from main traffic roads and industrial or mining enterprises. The sites are spacious, well-equipped, clean, and tidy, with good ventilation and lighting. Processing equipment does not use materials such as lead, lead-antimony alloys, lead bronze, manganese brass, cast aluminum, or aluminum alloys for any parts that come into contact with tea. All utensils and tools are clean, non-toxic, and free from contamination. Processing follows national standards. Product grading and physicochemical qualities comply with the national standards for green tea. Packaging and hygiene indicators also meet required standards.

　　Shangnan Tea

　　Geographic Range

　　The production area of Shangnan Tea is located in the southeastern part of the Qinling Mountains. Its geographical coordinates are longitude 110°24'–111°01' and latitude 33°06'–33°44', covering 13 towns including Chengguan Town, Fushui Town, Qingshan Township, Shimasi Town, Qingyouhe Town, Dangma Township, Guofenglou Town, Taijihexi Town, Liangjiawan Town, Xianghe Town, Bailang Town, Zhaochuan Town, Shiliping, and Shuigou Township. These areas include 60 administrative villages, with a total production area of 10,000 hectares and an annual yield of 5 million kilograms.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　a. External Sensory Characteristics: Shangnan Tea uses one to two leaves along with a bud picked around the Qingming Festival as raw material. It has a tightly rolled, elegantly curved or flat and straight appearance with visible white pekoe. The tea liquor is tender green, clear, and bright, while the leaves at the bottom are yellow-green and bright. It is highly resistant to brewing, sweet aftertaste, has a fresh and refreshing taste, and boasts a rich and long-lasting chestnut aroma. b. Internal Quality Indicators: Shangnan Tea is rich in internal substances. Testing shows that it contains 172 mg to 355.3 mg of iron per kilogram, 45.5 mg to 54.6 mg of zinc, water extract content of 44% to 46.7%, tea polyphenol content of 17.2% to 18.2%, total sugar content of 2.4% to 2.6%, and a fragrance formed by the stable combination of 24 kinds of organic substances. c. Safety Requirements: Shangnan Tea complies with NY5017-2001 Standards for Non-Polluted Food Tea; NY5018-2001 Production Techniques for Non-Polluted Food Tea; NY5019-2001 Production Techniques for Non-Polluted Food Tea; and NY5020-2001 Environmental Conditions Standards for Non-Polluted Food Tea Production Areas.