Yunnan is a renowned tea producing region in China, home to the oldest wild tea tree and the oldest cultivated tree. Yunnan tea is known for its unique malty and peppery flavor and comes in various types, colors, and aromas, with some having medicinal properties.
Yunnan has been one of the best tea producing regions for nearly two thousand years. In fact, you’ll find China’s oldest wild tea tree here, which is around 1700 years old. Moreover, it remains the oldest cultivated tree, a relative of the wild one. For over 800 years, this tree has been a major source of Yunnan tea products.
The tea may also be known by other names, such as Chinese black tea, aboriginal tea and wild tea. Chinese tea species from Yunnan are often called large-leaf or large-leaf tea. Due to the unique cultivation environment, the tea leaves in Yunnan are much larger than in other tea growing areas. Indeed, the high altitude and mountain mists are believed to protect the plants from excessive sunlight. This is believed to create ideal conditions for tea leaves and buds to develop.
Initially grown as a tribute to emperors and named for the southern Chinese province where it is grown, Yunnan tea was highly regarded for its unique malty and peppery flavour. It would be another 200 years or more before tea made its way into the foreign export trade. Even today, the Yunnan crop remains a common Chinese export. Specialty teas can also be expensive, as much of the cultivation and harvesting from Yunnan province is still done by hand.
Yunnan tea comes in disc-shaped flat cakes; compressed rectangular bricks; and form of loose leaf tea. Various types of Yunnan tea are also available, all featuring distinctive colors and aromas. Also, tea is usually classified based on its color or scent. For example, Green Toucha has a greenish-yellow color with a rich, smoky taste.
Yunnan Pure Gold is actually one of the first black teas in the province, much darker in color. Yunnan Pu’er tea is black or brownish-red in color with a sweet and mellow taste. A popular variety of scented teas include Yunnan Jasmine, which is infused with the sweet scent of jasmine. Yunnan White Orchid tea is made from delicious orchid flavours. There are also smoked tea varieties available.
Some Yunnan tea varieties, such as Toucha, have also been renowned for their medicinal properties. With names like slimming tea, beauty tea, and healthy tea, they are thought to help the body shed fat and reduce weight. Also, some teas from Yunnan can help strengthen the body and stimulate the metabolism. Tea may also be responsible for balancing and regulating cholesterol levels.
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