1 the natural environment of Yihua tea area
The suitable black tea area is located at east longitude 109- 1 12 and north latitude 29-3 1'. It is a famous tea-producing area with a long history in China. As early as the Western Jin Dynasty in the 3rd century, there was a record of "tea production in seven counties of Wuling" in Jingzhou. In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu's Tea Classic contained: "Bashan Xiachuan embraced each other" and "Shannan, Xiazhou".
1. 1 climate
It has a subtropical climate with an annual average temperature of 14 ~ 18℃. The annual average temperature in Yichang is 16.9℃, the frost-free period is 283 days, the growth period of tea trees above 10℃ is 248 days, and the effective active accumulated temperature is 540 1℃. The annual average temperature in Enshi is 16.3℃, the frost-free period is 280 days, the growth and development period of tea trees above 10℃ is 247 days, and the effective active accumulated temperature is 5 17 1℃. Changde is close to 29 north latitude, and the annual average precipitation is 1200 ~ 1600 mm, which is mostly concentrated in March to September when tea trees grow and develop.
1.2 soil and topography
The soil is composed of yellow brown soil, red soil, yellow soil and acid purple soil, and the parent rocks are mostly gneiss, sandstone, shale, slate and granite. The pH value is mostly between 4.5 and 6.5.
Suitable black tea is produced in Wuling mountain range and Daba mountain range, in which Wuling mountain range is the most widely distributed, with an altitude peak of 2000 ~ 3000 m, and tea trees are mainly distributed in low mountains and semi-high mountains with an altitude of 300 ~1000 m. The producing areas of high-quality black tea are mostly between 400 ~ 1000 m above sea level, such as flower picking in Wufeng, Dengcun in Yichang and Zouma in Hefeng.
1.3 variety
Tea tree species resources unique to black tea area, such as Yichang big leaf species, Poinsettia, Enshi big leaf species, Hefeng moss tea, Enshi moss tea, Badong moss tea, Wufeng big leaf species, Wufeng willow leaf species, etc.
2 The birth of Yi black tea
Many scholars believe that China black tea originated in the middle of17th century. When exactly did Yi black tea originate? 1953, the author began to collect information and conducted an interview in Yihua tea area. 1982 The author wrote an article "A Preliminary Examination of Suitable Black Tea", which mentioned: "The records of Banning County, Hunan Province in the Qing Dynasty recorded that in the twenty-third year of Daoguang foreign trade (1843), many people spent a lot of money to make black tea, and farmers enjoyed benefits. Sun exposure, reddish color, hence the name black tea. The Qing Dynasty's "Ningxiang County Records" (1867) records: "People widely sell black tea and come to their hometown according to Grain Rain, which is not conducive to rain and sunny, and needs to be exposed without baking, so the hometown garden will benefit a little. "According to the analysis of Mr. Wu Juenong, a famous tea scientist in China," at that time (referring to19th century), there was black tea in Hunan, and Hubei was adjacent to Hunan. During this period, the method of making black tea may have spread to Hubei. " Hubei tea trade records: "/kloc-After the 9th century, a large number of Guangdong businessmen went to southern Hubei to collect and export black tea, which further promoted the development of tea production in southern Hubei. On the eve of the Opium War, Yang Lou Cave became not only a famous frontier tea area in China, but also a famous black tea export area. At the same time, tea in southern Hubei is booming. As Guangdong tea merchants went to Hefeng and Wufeng to reform black tea, it also promoted the development of tea production in western Hubei. The suitable black tea produced in Wufeng, Hefeng and Changyang is deeply loved by British businessmen and has become a famous export black tea product in China. " "/kloc-After the 9th century, the foreign trade of our province has developed greatly, and the export trade of black tea has also flourished. During Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, Guangdong tea merchant Jun Dafu led Jiangxi technicians to teach black tea harvesting technology in Wufeng Yuyangguan, and set up a village to buy refined black tea and transport it to Guangzhou for export. "
"Hefeng County Records" (revised edition in the 11th year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty): "Bing Zi Nian (note: Qing Yongzheng changed the American toast to Liu, and built Hefeng House) Yi Zi Guang Shang Lin came to Zhou to buy black tea. Taihe and Shen Qian 'an set up Wu Liping in Zhuangben City to transport black tea to Hankou for exchange, which foreigners call high quality. "
1962 In May, the author visited Mr. Gong Meishan, an old tea man and tea critic, at Taipingxi Tea Station of Yichang County Tea Company. He said: "In the first year of Guangxu (Yihai Year, 1875), Lu Xian, a businessman from Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province, opened a mine in Hefeng and lost. Seeing a lot of tea in Hefeng area, I opened a tea shop in the muddy area of Hefeng and Shimen County, Hunan Province to teach tea farmers to make black tea. In the first year, seven or eight thousand Jin of black tea was produced, and the first batch was exported from Hankou to Guangzhou. Due to the good quality of tea, the price per box is as high as 160 Liang (silver), which is twice as high as the price of black tea on the market at that time. "
The signboard of "Baoshunhe" Teahouse unearthed in Caihua Township, Wufeng County has a history of 100 years, indicating that black tea was made in all parts of Wufeng at that time.
To sum up, according to historical documents and the legend of an old tea man in a dark tea area, it can be inferred that a dark tea was born around the middle of19th century. In the second year of Guangxu reign (1876), after the unequal treaty Yantai Treaty was signed between the Qing government and Britain, a large number of black teas were exported abroad, and Yichang was turned into a trading port. According to the data of China Tea Company, in 1876, China's tea exports reached 2132,000 tons, of which black tea exports1709,000 tons, accounting for 80 16% of the total tea exports. At that time, Hankou exported 574,000 tons of tea, including 478,000 tons of black tea, accounting for 83.2% of the total export. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the peak of tea export trade in China was 1886. At that time, China's tea exports reached 2.682 billion tons, including 2 million tons of black tea, accounting for 74.6% of the total exports, which brought 6.365438 billion+silver dollars to China.
1949 China's tea exports were only198,400 tons, of which black tea exports were only16,500 tons, accounting for only 0.825% of 1886. Yihua tea almost completely stopped production. Before the Anti-Japanese War, there were more than 10 tea factories in Wufeng Yuguan, the black tea purchasing and processing distribution center, and 1949 all closed down.
3 the rebirth and development of Yi black tea
1 949 65438+1October1,People's Republic of China (PRC) was established. At that time, the Soviet Union first established diplomatic relations with China, and then signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance and the Sino-Soviet Trade Agreement. China's black tea was exported to the Soviet Union in exchange for much-needed materials for China's construction, which gave black tea a market and would be exported to Eastern European countries in the future.