Production of Pu-erh tea, white tea, and black tea in Yunnan 2024

Since March 24, we have been sourcing and producing tea in Yongde and Zhenkang counties, located in the southwestern part of Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China. Yunnan Province has some of the world's finest tea materials. However, production management is often inconsistent. This makes it very difficult to obtain ideal quality tea by simply purchasing finished products. To address this, we stay on-site throughout the spring season. We work closely with producers to decide which tea gardens to source from, determine processing methods, monitor daily weather changes, and manage production conditions. Our focus is on creating tea together with local producers. We plan to stay in Yunnan Province until May.

Excellent Quality Tea in 2024

This year has been very dry since the Chinese New Year, with little rain overall. As a result, tea plants are growing slowly, which leads to very high quality. Starting around the last week of March, evening showers have occurred almost daily, providing ideal moisture to the tea gardens. This week, tea at around 2,000 meters elevation has reached optimal harvest time. However, ancient trees over 300 years old grow much more slowly even at the same elevation. Harvesting these trees will begin next week or later.

Tea Season Begins with White Tea Production

From March to early April, temperatures remain low, which is ideal for white tea production. We are currently focusing all our efforts on producing white tea. The quality of white tea depends heavily on weather conditions. When the weather is poor, we must use methods such as air circulation to prevent a musty smell from developing. The window for producing ideal white tea is very limited. We believe the next week will be critical.

Reviewing the Pan-Frying Method for Pu-erh Tea

For Pu-erh tea, we plan to use old trees from high-elevation tea gardens that will reach optimal harvest time from mid-April onward. However, during the COVID period, some producers' processing techniques became inconsistent. We are currently reviewing and adjusting the pan-frying method. Soon, tea from excellent gardens such as Mingfeng Mountain, Tangjia, and Dachalin will be ready for harvest. We aim to stabilize the pan-frying conditions before that time.

Experimenting with Processing Methods So Small-Scale Farmers Can Produce Black Tea

This year, we are conducting various experiments with black tea production. The Yunnan black tea we have sourced in the past was produced by specialized black tea manufacturers. However, we want to develop black tea using the same raw materials we use for Pu-erh tea and white tea. To do this, we need to adopt simple processing methods that small-scale farmers can implement. We are experimenting daily to develop a black tea processing method that differs from traditional methods commonly used in Yunnan Province. If successful, we will be able to produce black tea with an intense aftertaste comparable to Pu-erh tea.