Tonggu Ninghong Tea

Tonggu Ninghong Tea is a specialty of Tonggu County in Yichun City, Jiangxi Province. In 2019, it was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture as a national agricultural product with geographical indication protection, attesting to its premium quality.

The production method of Tonggu Ninghong Tea is highly meticulous. Starting with the plucking process, only the freshest buds along with the 2–3 leaves just below them are selected — this is referred to as “one bud and two leaves” or “one bud and three leaves.”

After plucking, the leaves must immediately undergo withering, where they are spread out flat to allow the moisture in the tea leaves to evaporate, making them soft.

Once withering is complete, the next step is rolling. The tea leaves are placed into a rolling machine to break down their cellular structure and roll them into slender strips.

Next comes fermentation, where the rolled tea leaves are spread out in a warm and humid environment to allow the tea polyphenols to oxidize into theaflavins, turning the leaves red.

The final step is drying. The fermented tea leaves are baked at high temperatures to halt fermentation and thoroughly remove moisture.

Tonggu County has a long history of tea cultivation and is one of the birthplaces and major production areas of the renowned Chinese tea, Ninghong Tea. In the northwestern part of the county, in Qiping, Youju, and Gangkou, teas such as Ninghong Taizi and Quangang Longzhua were considered tribute teas during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

External sensory characteristics: Tonggu Ninghong Tea features tightly twisted strips, visible golden tips, and a dark lustrous color; it emits a sweet and rich aroma, with a mellow, smooth taste; the liquor is bright red; and the leaves at the bottom are tender and red. Internal quality indicators: moisture ≤7.0%; total ash ≤6.2%; water extract ≥36%; tea polyphenols ≥15.0%; free amino acids ≥3.0%; theaflavins ≥0.29%; thearubigins ≥3.0%.