Tea
has been produced in Yunnan for 1700 years, according to ancient
records of her Dai nationality, people of the same ethnic stock as
the Thais in nearby Thailand. Yunnan Black derives its name Dianhong
(Dian Black) from Dian, another name for the Yunnan area. As noted
earlier, in Chinese "black" tea is called hong (red) tea.
The
tea plant itself is often considered a native of Yunnan, for 260 of
its total 320 varieties are found there, including some
extraordinary ancient tea trees. Tea is grown all over Xishuangbanna,
an many others of China's minority nationalities. Well known for
centuries have been the Six Tea Mountains in Xishuangbanna and the
Simao prefecture to its north.
The Yunnan blacks are produced from a strain of ancient native
Yunnan Dayeh (broad-leafed) tea tree used for the famous medicinal
Pu-erh tea. Such trees grow along the Lancang River in the
Xishuangbanna autonomous prefecture in the far south of Yunnan
province. They have a longer lifespan, earlier and stronger buds,
fat shoots, and thick, soft leaves.
Yunnan Black, or Yunnan
Congou, processed from these since 1939, has become one of the fine
teas on the international market. It has long been sold in quantity
to the soviet Union and Eastern Europe and is now also marketed in
Western Europe, North America, and other areas. The bulk tea
consists of the leaves accompanied by a profusion of fat golden
buds.
Also exported to these areas is Yunnan Broken Black,
produced since 1960 and said to be on a par with the finest of the
Indian Assam teas. It is characterized by its aromatic flavor and
brisk or spicy flavor. The most famous kind is Flowery Broken Orange
Pekoe (F.B.O.P.). Broken Black can be distinguished from Congou by
its broken leaves, as distinguished from strips.
