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Yunnan boasts a diverse landscape of mountains, rivers, plateaus, lakes, snow-capped peaks, and gorges, traversed by six major river systems: the Yangtze, Pearl, Yuan, Lancang, Nu, and Daying rivers. The ancient tea tree resources of Pu-erh tea in Yunnan cover a total area of approximately 3.29 million mu, with a total of 1.038 million trees, accounting for one-fifth of the country's total, ranking first in China.
In Yunnan, Pu-erh tea has three core production areas: Lincang, Xishuangbanna, and Pu'er. Each region's Pu-erh tea has distinct flavors and characteristics. Lincang tea is known for its good fragrance, obvious sweetness, and lasting aftertaste. Xishuangbanna tea is strong, with a lingering aftertaste, high tea energy, pervasive aroma, deep flavor, and moderate bitterness. Pu'er tea, in general, has a lighter taste, noticeable astringency, and a soft mouthfeel, with some areas having unique fragrances. Even within the same production area, the micro-ecological differences can result in varying tea tasting profiles, leading to detailed classifications such as main tea areas, micro tea areas, and ultra-micro tea areas. This means that tea from different areas and mountains will have different flavors, embodying the concept of "one mountain, one flavor."
Why does "one mountain, one flavor" occur?
"One mountain, one flavor" describes the regional flavor of Pu-erh tea. The unique geographical environment and varieties result in different aromas and tastes for tea from each mountain. Historically, since the Ancient Tea-Horse Trade Route, the names of mountains have been used to define specific Pu-erh tea flavors.
Soil
Pu-erh tea trees thrive in loose, deep, well-drained, and aerated soil with a slightly acidic PH of 4.5 to 5.5.
Sunlight
Different altitudes and terrains lead to varying sunlight intensity for each mountain. With some shading, tea leaves increase in amino acid content, reduce in tea polyphenols, and enhance their freshness.
Temperature
The ideal temperature range for tea trees is 20-25°C, although different Pu-erh tea varieties have varying temperature preferences. For example, small-leaf tea trees are more resistant to cold and drought than large-leaf varieties.
Moisture
Pu-erh tea trees thrive in environments with an annual rainfall of 1500mm and monthly rainfall of over 100mm during the growing season. The best soil moisture content for tea trees is around 80%, and an air humidity of over 80% significantly improves tea quality.
Tea Tree Varieties
Yunnan is the only place in the world with continuous ancient tea gardens. Yunnan tea trees can be classified into ancient tree tea, large tree tea, and terrace tea based on cultivation type. They can also be categorized into wild ancient tea trees, transitional wild ancient tea trees, cultivated tea trees, and terrace tea. Different tea tree varieties have varying levels of aromatic substances, amino acids, tea polyphenols, and sugars in their fresh leaves. Even with the same processing techniques, the resulting tea's aroma and flavor will differ.
These factors collectively contribute to the unique aromas and flavors of Pu-erh tea from different mountains. This diversity is the charm of Pu-erh tea, offering endless flavors in every brew, varying tastes in each sip, and a lasting fragrance year after year.
