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White tea is mainly produced in China. It is neither fermented nor
rolled. It is processed by drying only; plant varieties are
numerous.
Chinese tea used to be sold by a single organisation: The
National Native Produce and Animal By-Products Import and
Export Corporation of the People’s Republic of China. Their
stranglehold on the market is now less rigid, but tea
purchase in China is fraught with pitfalls and anecdotal
reports continue to suggest pesticide residue.
The major tea producing provinces are detailed below:
a) Anhwei. It has been famous for its tea since the 7th
century when teas were exported to the rest of China as well
as abroad. Keemun, the “red tea of China” from Chi-men is
especially famous.
b) Huang-shan is practically synonymous with tea, for here
the leaves are processed from such well known nearby
producing areas as Ch’i-men, Hsiu-ning, and She-hsien in
Anhwei and Ching-te-chen and Wuyuan in neighbouring Kiangsi
province. In this area some 60% of the population is engaged
in tea production. Tea from Huang-shan is exported all over
China, as well as abroad. Since 1949 an extensive
tea-processing plant has been established there.
c) Yunnan. The tea bushes in Yunnan produce thick, broad and
glossy leaves. Most of the teas are cultivated in altitudes
between 3,000 and 7,000 ft. |
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