Beyond Fame: In Pursuit of Teas with a Long-Lasting Aftertaste
Since 2010, we have been traveling to Yunnan Province each year (with the exception of the years when entry to China was restricted due to the pandemic), staying for nearly two months to manage the sourcing and production of Pu-erh tea on-site. Over the past decade, we have spent more than 500 days in total in Yunnan Province.
In fact, we were not experts in Pu-erh tea from the start. Prior to 2010, our knowledge came primarily from books, the internet, and learning from Pu-erh tea enthusiasts in Southeast Asia.
Initially, we had no idea which regions produced good tea, so we assumed that famous regions would naturally have better tea. Each year, we chose a specific region to focus on and visited multiple areas in Yunnan known for producing famous tea. We have traveled to places such as Yiwu, Bulang Mountain, Lao Banzhang, Jingmai, Kunlu Mountain, Mengku, Bingdao, Xigui, Mang Fei, Ma An Shan, Yun County, Baoshan City, Shuangjiang, Fengqing, Baiying Mountain, and more. By directly visiting producers and local wholesalers, we were able to build good relationships and establish a network for sourcing tea from these renowned areas.
The tea gardens in Xigui, developed along the Mekong River.
However, after visiting numerous famous regions and sampling their teas, we noticed a few key facts.
1. Tea from renowned regions tends to be full-bodied: Similar to famous wine regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy, the tea from famous areas tends to be full-bodied. For example, teas from regions such as Lao Banzhang, Yiwu, Bulang Mountain, Mang Fei, Ma An Shan, and Xigui are typically full-bodied. A strong body is a characteristic in its own right, and for those who enjoy this style, teas from famous regions are a very attractive choice.
2. What we prioritize is aftertaste and clarity: While teas from famous regions tend to have a strong body, they often fall short in the area of aftertaste and clarity of flavor, which we consider the most important quality indicators. We value a long-lasting aftertaste and clean, transparent flavor over a full body.
Tea Quality Determined by Aftertaste and Clarity, Regardless of Region or Type
Whether it's Phoenix Dan Cong, Wuyi Yancha, Zhengshan Xiaozhong, Taiwanese tea, or Darjeeling, aftertaste and clarity are important quality indicators for raw tea leaves regardless of region or type.
The aftertaste is called "huigan." In English, it is also expressed as "aftertaste" or "finishing." This criterion applies not only to tea but also to a wide variety of foods, including wine, whiskey, spices, vegetables, and fruits.
Tea quality is often considered subjective, but by using aftertaste as a criterion, we can more accurately assess quality. Regardless of origin, aftertaste is an important indicator of tea quality, and prices tend to correlate with it. We additionally consider clarity of flavor as another key quality criterion.
It is worth noting that aftertaste is easily confused with body or mouthfeel. Body refers to the sense of fullness and presence in the mouth, while mouthfeel refers to texture. Aftertaste, by contrast, refers to the lingering fragrance, sweetness, and the sensation that permeates the body after swallowing. Even experienced tasters can sometimes confuse these sensations. When trying our teas, we encourage you to focus on the sensations that remain in your throat and body after swallowing.
The Impact of Rising Tea Prices and Increased Production
Since 2000, the rapid economic growth in China, along with improvements in roads and airports, has caused tea prices to soar.
For example, the popularity of Bingdao, a famous production area in Lincang, was fueled by improved road access and a feature on China's national television, leading to a tea boom. The extremely limited size of the Bingdao tea gardens made price inflation particularly easy to occur. What once cost less than USD10 per kilogram now sells for around USD1,500–2,000/kg.
In general, as tea prices rise, the use of fertilizer and year-round harvesting tend to become more common in production areas. As production increases, the growth rate of tea leaves speeds up, and the aftertaste and clarity are lost. Furthermore, new tea trees are planted on any available land, increasing the proportion of young trees.
As is the case with vegetables, fruits, and all other agricultural products, slow growth is essential for enhancing aftertaste and quality. As a result, yield naturally decreases. In other words, there is an inverse relationship between production volume and quality.
It is worth noting that animal manure is often not considered a fertilizer by farmers, as it is seen as a natural substance. However, it is a nitrogen source for plants and has the same effect of accelerating growth. The same applies to plant-based organic fertilizers such as oil cake. Regardless of whether it is chemical or organic fertilizer, an increase in nitrogen supply raises the growth rate and ultimately causes the loss of aftertaste and clarity.
Seeking Long-Lasting Aftertaste and Clarity in Lesser-Known Regions
Rather than being fixated on famous regions and brands, we seek teas with a long-lasting aftertaste and clarity. This is why we frequently visit Yunnan, staying for extended periods, walking through remote mountainous areas in search of the ideal tea to source.
Several factors contribute to slower growth, but the most important are "no fertilizer," "tree age," and "altitude." These are the elements we prioritize when selecting tea gardens.
While aftertaste is determined by all three of these factors, clarity depends decisively on the absence of fertilizer. In very high-altitude gardens, aftertaste can be long even when fertilizer is used, but clarity will be lost. To obtain tea with both a long aftertaste and clarity, high altitude alone is not sufficient — the absence of fertilizer is essential. It should be noted that "no fertilizer" here refers not only to chemical fertilizers, but also to organic fertilizers such as animal manure and oil cake.
About Tree Age
Tree age is an important factor affecting quality. The older the tree, the more slowly it grows, producing tea with a long aftertaste and clarity. However, this only holds true when the trees are grown without fertilizer. No matter how old a tree is, if fertilizer is applied, growth accelerates and the quality benefits of age are no longer reflected in the tea.
Tea gardens in Yunnan typically contain a mix of trees of various ages. As trees die, farmers plant new seeds for the next generation, continually renewing the tea gardens. Therefore, unless it is single-tree tea, the concept of tea from a specific tree age is not realistic.
The Value of Old Trees Only Realized Without Fertilizer
Old trees do not necessarily produce tea with a long aftertaste and clarity. On multiple occasions, we have encountered teas from trees hundreds of years old that surprisingly had a short aftertaste. Even when examining tea leaves directly from old trees, the same can be true.
One reason for this is that as tea prices rise, fertilizer use increases, raising the nitrogen content in the leaves and accelerating growth. As a result, polyphenol and mineral content decreases. No matter how old a tree is, a high nitrogen environment causes the loss of aftertaste and clarity.
The longer aftertaste and greater clarity of old trees compared to young trees is only achieved when they are grown without fertilizer. Old trees grown without fertilizer, taking time to grow slowly, produce teas with a long aftertaste and clarity.
In Search of Quality Tea in the Southwestern Mountains of Lincang
While tree age often attracts attention in Pu-erh tea, altitude is equally important and has a significant impact on quality.
High-altitude tea gardens benefit from thinner air and larger temperature fluctuations between day and night. During the day, photosynthesis is active, and at night, the low temperatures slow down the metabolism of the tea trees. This slow growth produces tea with a rich flavor and a long aftertaste.
In southern Yunnan, including the Xishuangbanna region, many of the production areas are at relatively low altitudes, with most major regions located at 1,200–1,500 meters. Lao Banzhang, with an altitude of around 1,800 meters, is one of the higher regions. Due to its southern latitude, the climate is subtropical, and the trees grow extremely large.
In contrast, the tea gardens of Lincang are generally at higher altitudes, with the ancient tea gardens in the southwestern part of the region located at altitudes of 1,800–2,400 meters.
The southwestern areas of Lincang, such as Yongde County and Zhenkang County, are near the Myanmar border and are among the most remote parts of Yunnan. Development in these areas has been slow, and road infrastructure was lacking until recently. The distance from nearby cities and the low recognition of these areas as tea-producing regions have prevented the rapid price increases seen elsewhere. As a result, many of the tea gardens have been maintained without fertilizer, and walking through these regions, one can find teas with both a long aftertaste and clarity.
The Golden Tea Gardens
When people think of tea gardens, they usually imagine green leaves, but the tea gardens we prefer to source from shine golden in the spring, much like ripe rice fields. In tea gardens grown without any fertilizer and in harmony with nature, the leaves can turn yellow.
This occurs because the nitrogen content in the leaves decreases, slowing the growth of the tea trees. As a result, the need for photosynthesis decreases, and the chlorophyll content is reduced.
In fully natural tea gardens, there is an abundance of insects like leafhoppers. Tea leaves that have been sipped by these insects turn even more yellow, and when processed, they develop a distinctive honey-like fragrance known as "mi xiang" in Chinese.