Black tea is a kind of fully fermented tea with a fermentation degree of 80℃~ 90℃. In the production process, tea polyphenols contained in tea are oxidized into thearubigins by direct withering, kneading and complete fermentation, thus forming a unique dark black tea and black tea soup.
2. The geographical scope of Qimen black tea production
According to the division of tea areas by China Agricultural Encyclopedia and 1952 by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the explanation of the regional scope of Qimen black tea production by Anhui Agricultural Committee in 2007, the regional scope of Qimen black tea production is limited to Qimen, Shitai, Guichi, Dongzhi and Yixian.
3. The main varieties of tea in Qi Hong.
There are eight main tea varieties in Qi Hong, namely Castanopsis eyrei, Wan No.3, Wan No.7, Willow, Big Leaf and Early Bud, among which Castanopsis eyrei, Wan No.3 and Wan No.7 account for 69.5%. Sweet Castanopsis eyrei, Wan No.3 and Wan No.7 are well-known at home and abroad, which are the main raw materials for making Qi Hong Kung Fu. This species belongs to the middle bud species of sexual shrub mesophyll, with neat germination, high yield, strong adaptability and cold tolerance; It is rich in aroma and flavor components, which is the material basis of Qi Hong mellow. 1984, the National Tea Variety Examination and Approval Committee approved Castanopsis eyrei as "National Tea Variety".
4. Qi Hong raw material selection criteria
The picking standards in Qi Hong are very strict. High-grade tea mainly has one bud, one leaf and two leaves. Leave leaves several times in batches, and collect 6-7 batches of spring tea, 6 batches of summer tea, and little or no autumn tea.
5. Tea-making technology in Qi Hong.
Qi Hong's processing technology is divided into two major processes: primary processing and refining. The primary processing includes wilting, rolling, fermentation, drying and other processes. Refining includes screening, shaping, evaluation, selection, grading and stacking. At the same time, in order to improve dryness, maintain quality, facilitate storage, further develop tea fragrance, reheat and blend it, and become a finished tea with good appearance and quality.
6. Fermentation is a unique process of making black tea.
Fermentation is a unique stage of black tea production, and it is the key to determine the quality of Qi Hong. The light in the fermentation room should be dark, the humidity should be high, and the temperature should be controlled below 30 degrees. After fermentation, the color of leaves changed from green to red, forming the quality characteristics of black tea, red leaves and red soup. The mechanism is that the cell membrane structure of tissues is destroyed under the action of leaf rolling, and the permeability is increased, so that polyphenols are fully contacted with oxidase, and oxidative polymerization occurs under the action of enzyme, and other chemical components also undergo profound changes accordingly, which makes green tea turn red and forms the color, fragrance and quality of black tea. Moderately fermented black tea has red tender leaves, uniform color, red and blue old leaves, no grassy smell and a strong aroma of ripe fruits.
In the process of black tea fermentation, theaflavins showed regular changes. At the initial stage of fermentation, with the extension of time, the content of theaflavins increased, the accumulation of theaflavins reached a certain peak, and theaflavins were transformed into thearubigins.
Modern research has proved that theaflavins are an important factor in the brightness, freshness and strength of black tea soup, and thearubigins is the main body of black tea soup. The contents of theaflavins and thearubigins are important biochemical indexes that determine the quality of black tea, and they are positively correlated with the quality of black tea. It is also the main physiological active substance in black tea, which has antioxidant effect and can neutralize oxygen free radicals harmful to human cells.
The research results of authoritative organizations at home and abroad show that black tea has many physiological functions, such as anti-cancer, anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-diabetes, anti-aging and improving immunity, due to the anti-oxidation and anti-free radical effects of oxidation condensates such as theaflavins and thearubigins.
7. "Baking" is one of the essences of Qi Hong craft.
Baking is drying, which is the process of roasting fermented tea blank at high temperature and quickly evaporating water to achieve high-quality drying.
Baking technology is an important link in black tea processing, which has three purposes: quickly inactivating enzyme activity at high temperature and stopping fermentation; Evaporating water, reducing volume, setting, keeping dry and preventing mildew; Most of the low-boiling grass fragrance is emitted, and the high-boiling aromatic substances are strengthened and retained, and the unique sweetness of black tea is obtained.
Black tea baking is divided into two stages: primary baking stage and secondary baking stage. The primary baking stage is mainly to prevent enzyme fermentation and stabilize the quality of black tea; The redrying stage changed, especially after the fermentation became lighter, and the baking was strengthened, which reflected the inheritance and development of Qi Hong technology.
Tea shops buy wet green bodies, dry them and refine them into Kung Fu black tea. All tea brands in history have registered as "bakers", which shows the social status of bakers in Qi black tea area.
8. Geographical environment of Qi black tea area
Qi black tea area is located at 29-30 degrees north latitude and117-118 degrees east longitude. The central areas of Huangshan Mountain and Jiuhuashan Mountain range are mostly yellow soil, distributed at 700- 1 100 m, with thick and stony soil layers. More than 90% of the mountains in the Qi black tea area are about 600 meters above sea level. With the elevation from high to low, the clay content in soil gradually increased. The content of organic matter in soil surface layer ranges from 5.5% to 7.0%, and the highest can reach 12.3%, and the content of total nitrogen ranges from 0.25% to 0.30%. Qi black tea area is located in the north subtropical zone, which belongs to the humid monsoon climate, with the characteristics of mild and rainy, four distinct seasons. The annual average sunshine hours are about 1800h, the annual average temperature is 14- 16, the frost-free period is 2 10-236 days, the annual average precipitation is 1650-2000 mm, and the precipitation is mostly concentrated in March-August. These superior natural conditions are very suitable for the growth of tea trees.
9. The birthplace of Qimen black tea
In the first year of Guangxu (1875), yi county native Yu Ganchen resigned and returned home from Fujian. Seeing that black tea was selling well in Dolly, he came to Du Yao Street, Zhide County, Chizhou (now dongzhi county) to open a tea shop in Du Yao Street, and successfully planted black tea. Dongzhi county Du Yao Street Tea Shop became the birthplace of Qi Hong. 195 1 April, the historic Du Yao Street Tea Shop was nationalized and transformed into the Guichi Tea Factory of China Tea Company and the Du Yao Street Processing Factory. In order to further protect the holy land of Qi Hong and promote the culture of Qi Hong, in April 20 10, Guorun Tea Industry expanded "dongzhi county Tongchun Tea Industry Co., Ltd." in the original site of Tongchun Processing Factory of Guichi Tea Factory of China Tea Company. Tongchun Tea Shop is also an old brand in Qi Hong left by Yu Ganchen, the founder of Qimen Black Tea. During the Japanese invasion, more than half of it was destroyed, but the ruins of the tea shop still exist. A large gray-white Huizhou high-rise building has experienced many years of vicissitudes, telling the story of Qi Hong. 195 1 year, Tongchun Tea Shop was taken over by Guichi Tea Factory and transformed into Qi Hong Handicraft Workshop.
10. Why does traditional Qi Hong look so broken?
1933165438+1October, famous tea experts Mr. Wu Juenong and Mr. Hu Haochuan put forward the quality requirements and processing specifications of Qi Hong in their reports to the Ministry of Industry of the National Government, which are also world-class standards for black tea. Until today, the traditional processing technology in Qi Hong is still used. After careful appreciation, you will find that the length of traditional Qihong strips is between 0.6 and 0.8 cm, and the front seedlings are compact and beautiful, even and moist, which is the symbol of high-grade black tea and the requirement of national standards. Why? There are three reasons:
(1), after Qi Hongchu gave birth, the technical term was "Hongmao tea", and the branches and leaves of Hongmao tea were generally complete. However, Qihong is the royal tea in Britain. According to the royal standards, it must be compact, beautiful and uniform in appearance. Therefore, the production of "Qi Hong" absorbs the strengths of a hundred schools of thought and strives for perfection. After a series of complicated refining processes, it perfectly presents the unique and beautiful appearance of Qi Hong. The traditional Qi Hong, which we often see today, is unbroken in appearance and even in appearance. It solves the standardization problem of black tea as agricultural and sideline products by artistic means.
(2) Foreign tea drinking habits. As we all know, Qimen black tea was mostly used for export in the past, while the habit of drinking tea abroad was to make tea and make drinks. In order to release the substances in tea better, the cut and screened Qimen black tea just meets the tastes of foreign consumers.
(3), caused by transportation costs. In the natural shape of black tea, the rope is loose and the volume is large, but the export is mostly by sea, so the volume must be considered in sea transportation. If the volume is large, the transportation cost is high, and the volume of tea leaves becomes smaller after being chopped, which directly reduces the transportation cost.
1 1. Innovation of quality characteristics in Qi Hong.
The overall quality level of Qi Hong changed from bulk black tea to high-grade black tea, and the innovative Qi Hong products showed a trend of excellent, fragrant, delicious and diversified shapes. The performance is: the shape of refined black tea has changed from traditional to compact, complete, fresh, beautiful and even, the aroma has obvious sweetness or the sweetness of flowers (fruits and honey), the taste is fresh, sweet, delicate and elegant, and the bottom of leaves has become complete, even and soft.