Junshan Yinzhen is considered one of, if not the, rarest, best, and most luxurious of the Chinese yellow teas. It is known for its sweet taste with nutty undertones and its consumption dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), where it has been said to be exclusively available to royalty. It is even believed that Junshan Yinzhen was Chairman Mao Zedong’s favorite tea.
Only the highest grades, and “true” iteration of Junshan Yinzhen tea, hails from Junshan Island, a small island that’s not even a mile across, and is situated on Dongting Lake in the Hunan province. The summer floodwaters provide the island with rich and fertile soil, and a yearlong hovering mist adds to the pristine tea-growing conditions. Another important factor in its quality is the use of a very rare local cultivar which is recognized by its slender buds.
Another factor that contributes to the tea’s prestige is that as a yellow tea Junshan Yinzhen undergoes quite a labor-intensive production process. First off, the harvesting season is really short, from the end of March to early April. Furthermore, only the most perfect, undamaged buds are hand-picked. Interestingly, the leaves are also only picked during agreeably weather. If it’s too cold, rainy or windy
After picking, the leaves undergo a withering process on bamboo sheets in the shade for about 5-6 hours, after which they are fried for about 5 minutes. After the frying process, small quantities of leaves are bundled and left to lightly oxidize, after which they are packaged and stored in a cabinet to let them slowly oxidate. The packages are opened at very specific times, to roast them for short periods. After about 40 to 50 hours the leaves will have taken on their golden color and specific aroma. The final step is making sure to remove any broken leaves by hand. This entire process is overseen by a highly skilled tea master, who continuously checks that the highest quality is maintained.
Because this process is so extensive, it is no surprise that only a limited amount of the highest quality Junshan Yinzhen is produced each year, about 500 kilograms, making the tea not only rare, but also quite expensive. Considered to be a AAA quality tea, in China this means that it has often been used as a national gift during diplomatic missions.
