Yandang Mao Feng Tea

Yandang Mao Feng Tea

　　Yandang Mao Feng tea is a specialty of Yandang Mountain in Yueqing City, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Its quality is characterized by an elegant, slender, and tightly rolled appearance, tender leaf texture, emerald green color, bright light green liquor, refined aroma, and mellow taste. There is a saying about it: "one sip and three sniffs."

　　"Yandang Mao Feng" is also known as "Yandang Cloud Mist." It is a type of roasted green tea that must be harvested between Pure Brightness (Qingming) and Grain Rain (Guyu). The tea is made from plump, tender buds and leaves—either one bud with one leaf or one bud with three leaves at early development. It features a vibrant green color, rich fragrance, and delicate flavor. Since the Ming Dynasty, it has been listed as one of the "Five Treasures of Yandang Mountain." The *Oujiang Yizhi* (Miscellaneous Records of Ou River) once stated: "Among teas in the Ou region, those from Yandang rank first"—a praise well deserved. Yandang tea was designated as an imperial tribute during the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties; in 1954, it was selected as a national famous tea, earning nationwide renown.

　　Yandang Mao Feng is produced in high-altitude areas of Yandang Mountain such as Longqiu Back, Dou Shi Shi Cave, and Yandang Lake Ridge, all at elevations of around 800 meters. Among these, tea from Longqiu Back is especially prized. Longqiu Back is a north-south valley, shielded to the north by high mountains. The valley slopes consist mostly of deep, fertile alluvial gray soil. Tea trees here grow year-round under the nourishing mist, producing robust and vigorous buds and leaves. Some tea trees even grow in crevices along cliffs. Legend says ancient monks trained monkeys to climb the steep cliffs to pick tea leaves, which were then called "monkey-picked tea."

　　In addition to the superior quality of fresh leaves, Yandang Mao Feng's processing is distinguished by three key aspects: meticulous selection of raw leaves, refined processing techniques, and proper storage methods. Tea leaves are picked during the Qingming and Guyu periods, with standards ranging from one bud and one leaf to one bud and two leaves just beginning to unfold. After harvesting, the leaves are first spread out to wither, then pan-fired by hand in a flat pan with roughly 0.5 kg of leaves per batch. When steam rises in the pan, someone fans it away. Once firing reaches the right level, the leaves are transferred to a large round tray for gentle rolling, then undergo initial drying. The partially dried leaves are cooled before undergoing final drying. After drying, broken pieces and tea dust are removed, and the tea is promptly packed and sealed to prevent aroma loss or discoloration. The tea’s qualities include an elegant, slender, and tightly rolled appearance, tender texture, emerald green color with hidden buds and fine hairs; bright light green liquor, refined fragrance, mellow taste, and tender, evenly shaped leaf bottoms. When tasting, first enjoy the rich aroma, then the fragrant scent, and finally the lingering tea fragrance. The taste is intense on the first brew, mellow and refreshing on the second, and still carries a touching tea charm on the third.

　　The tea of Yandang Mountain is excellent, and so is its water. "Yandang tea, Longqiu spring" has been famous since ancient times. Chen Chao Feng of the Qing Dynasty once brewed Yandang tea with water from Longqiu Spring and found it incredibly flavorful, prompting him to compose a poem: "The tender buds atop Yandang peaks are fresh; best paired with water from Longqiu Spring. Even the prime minister once enjoyed such elegance, wishing to plant tea fields here." True to the poet’s sentiment, hundreds of acres of new tea gardens have now been developed in the area, with extensive tea cultivation in producing regions such as Dou Shi Shi Cave and Longqiu Back, filling the hills with fragrance.