Pan’an Yunfeng

Pan’an Yunfeng

Pan’an Yunfeng is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Pan’an has a long history of tea production. During the Tang Dynasty, the “Wuzhou Dongbai Tea” produced in Pan’an was one of the tribute teas for the imperial court. In 1979, the trial production of the famous Pan’an Yunfeng tea was initiated and achieved instant success. The product is sold across the province and to major cities nationwide, and was even test-marketed in Japan, receiving high praise from consumers and merchants.

　　[Product Name] Pan’an Yunfeng Tea   [Origin] Zhejiang Province   [Type] Green Tea

　　History

　　　　A rising star among Zhejiang’s famous teas, Pan’an Yunfeng began development in the 1970s and has topped provincial and municipal tea quality competitions since the 1980s. In 1986, at the Ministry of Commerce’s Famous and High-Quality Products Evaluation, it won the national famous tea title for its beautiful shape, emerald color, high aroma, and mellow taste — known as the “three greens and one fragrance.”   Yunfeng tea is produced in the Dapan Mountain area of Pan’an County, Zhejiang Province. This region features high mountains, clear waters, dense forests, heavy fog, murmuring springs, and the fragrance of wild orchids. With an average annual temperature of 16.1°C, effective accumulated temperature of 5,030°C, annual rainfall of 1,573 mm, fertile soil with deep layers (50–100 cm thick), and organic matter content of 3.5–14.8%, the unique natural environment provides ideal conditions for forming the quality of Yunfeng tea.   Yunfeng tea is picked from the tender shoots of the local high-quality tea variety — the Muhuo species. The picking time varies depending on the altitude of the tea garden. Generally, tea gardens below 600 meters above sea level are harvested in mid-to-late April, while those above 700 meters start in early May. For Grade 1–2 Yunfeng tea, the picking standard is one bud with one leaf or one bud with two leaves just beginning to unfold. For grades below Grade 3, it’s one bud with two leaves, with bud and leaf length not exceeding 3.5 cm and leaf opening angle not exceeding 40 degrees. After fresh leaves enter the factory, they are spread out for 3–5 hours to lose about 5% of their moisture.

　　Craftsmanship

　　　　The pan-firing technique of Yunfeng tea draws on the essence of famous teas such as West Lake Longjing, Taiping Houkui, and Emei E’rui. The main processes consist of three steps: fixation, shaping, and drying.   Fixation: Performed in a slanted wok. When the wok reaches about 160°C, about 150 grams of spread-out leaves are added. Using a bamboo or palm-fiber turner, the leaves are stirred and tossed evenly and continuously until they are vividly green but not overdone, cooked but not yellow, and the stems remain unbroken. Then they are taken out to cool.   Shaping: Done in a flat iron wok at around 80°C, using 150–200 grams of fixed leaves. The techniques of shaking, pressing, and straightening are employed. More shaking is used for tender leaves, less for older ones; no pressing for young leaves, but heavier pressing for older ones. These three techniques are flexibly mastered and alternated. Once the buds and leaves become tightly straight and strip-shaped, they are taken out to cool.   Drying: Consists of initial drying and final drying. The goal is to evaporate moisture, fix the shape, and enhance aroma. Initial drying is done at 100–120°C. When the moisture content reaches about 30% and the leaves feel prickly to the touch, they are taken out to cool. Final drying uses a slow, low-heat method to ensure uniform dryness and full aroma release. When the leaves can be crushed into powder by hand, with moisture content around 6%, they are removed from the dryer, cooled, sifted, de-stemmed, and inferior leaves removed before packaging and storage.   Yunfeng tea comes in large and small packages. Large packages use aluminum foil-lined kraft paper boxes with two 1 kg packets of quicklime placed inside. The tea is stored around the edges of the box, kept in a dry, odor-free, and non-direct sunlight warehouse.

　　Tea Appreciation

　　　　In general, it embodies the “three greens and one fragrance” — tight and slender strips, emerald color, bright green liquor, green and glossy leaves, and a lasting, high aroma with hints of orchid fragrance. To taste Yunfeng tea, a glass cup is ideal. Brew with water around 85°C. Once infused, the leaves unfurl and release their fragrance, standing upright and bobbing up and down vividly like orchid petals. Savoring it leaves a fragrant aftertaste, refreshing the mind and lifting the spirits.

　　Honors Received

　　　　From 1986 to 1988, Pan’an Yunfeng tea was rated as a first-class premium tea by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture for three consecutive years. In 1986, it was awarded the title of “National Famous Tea” by the Ministry of Commerce. In 1989, it received the “Zhejiang Famous Tea Certificate.” In 1991, it was named “Cultural Famous Tea” at the Hangzhou International Tea Culture Festival in China. Later, it won multiple “Gold Awards” at the China Premium Tea Expo, Zhejiang Agricultural Expo, and Zhejiang Green Tea Expo. During the 2007 Zhejiang Green Tea Expo, the Tea Quality Supervision, Inspection and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture tested Pan’an’s tea. Results showed that the water extract content reached 47%, 11 percentage points higher than the national standard of 36%. No pesticide residues were detected among the 13 tested items, and lead content was 0.74 mg/kg, far below the national pollution-free tea standard of 5 mg/kg — demonstrating the typical quality characteristics of premium mountain-grown tea.