A Chronicle Of Ripe Pu'er Tea Featuring Prominent Figures, Historical events, And Renowned Tea Factories(3)

Xiaguan Tea Factory: 7663 (1975), Tuocha Sold to France(1976)

Founded in 1941, Kangzang Tea Factory-the predecessor of Xiaguan Tea Factory

In 1952, all companies within the China Tea Company system uniformly used the "Zhongcha" brand. Xiaguan Tea Factory began producing Seven Sons Cake Tea. Entering the 1960s, due to raw material allocation plans and the division of labor in processing products, Xiaguan Tea Factory focused on Tuocha and compressed tea as its main products, producing only a small amount of round tea, with the majority planned for Menghai Tea Factory.

Early Xiaguan Tuocha 

In 1953, through experimentation, the tea factory changed the method of kneading tea cakes from being rolled into round shapes in cloth bags and then pressed with 18-kilogram lead cakes to directly steaming and pressing them in aluminum steamers.

Trademarks of Xiaguan Tuo from different periods.

In 1955, with the approval of the provincial company, the compressed tea specification changed from a heart shape to a brick shape. Ten tons were initially produced for trial sales in Lijiang and other places to solicit consumer feedback. In the same year, the provincial company notified the tea factory to conduct artificial post-fermentation experiments on exported compressed tea. The shape of Xiaguan Tea Factory's Seven Sons Cake Tea changed from a concave bottom to a flat bottom.

In 1958, a successful experiment with high-temperature, rapid artificial post-fermentation shortened the fermentation cycle and reduced costs.

In 1973, the Kunming Tea Factory adopted the principle of pile fermentation for compressed tea from the Xiaguan Tea Factory, further accelerating the process with high-temperature, high-humidity artificial post-fermentation to produce the Yunnan Pu'er tea (ripe tea) we know today.

In 1975, trial production of Pu'er Tuocha (ripe tea) was conducted. In 1976, bulk exports of Tuocha (7663) were made specifically for Hong Kong's Tian Sheng Hang, which then exclusively sold it in the French market.

In 1976, the provincial company held a province-wide Pu'er tea production conference, requiring the Kunming, Menghai, and Xiaguan factories to increase production of Pu'er tea (pile fermented ripe tea) and deciding on tea product markings. Xiaguan Tea Factory's markings began with 76 and ended with 3.

In 1978, the provincial company assigned the production plan for Xiaguan Tea Factory's small-volume round tea (Seven Sons Cake Tea) to the Menghai Tea Factory for processing.

Kunming Tea Factory: 7581 Pu-erh Ripe Brick (75 Years)

In 1973, personnel from four tea factories visited Guangdong Province to study pile fermentation technology. The Xiaguan Tea Factory completed the initial ripening process, while the Kunming Tea Factory further humidified and heated the process to complete the established wet pile fermentation technique, which is what is now known as ripe Pu-erh tea. Historical records indicate that the initial experimental tea was known in the market as "Jujube-scented Thick Brick," while the mass-produced tea was "73 Thick Brick."

73 Thick Brick

The 7581 Kunming Ripe Brick was the mainstream ripe brick tea on the market before 1994, with its peak production period being from 1988 to 1994.

During this period, the Kunming Tea Factory primarily exported tea under the brands Jixing and Jinji. Jixing Golden Melon Tribute Tea and Jinji Tuocha were well-known teas of this period, although production was limited.

The most important process in processing ripe Pu-erh tea: Piling (渥堆)

Those unfamiliar with tea might not even know the pronunciation of "piling," but seasoned tea drinkers know it's the most crucial part of the ripe Pu-erh tea processing. It directly affects the taste of the finished tea and carries a certain risk; a mistake can ruin the tea.

The piling process seems simple—after the fresh leaves are withered and dried to form raw tea, they are piled into a small mound, sprinkled with water, covered with a cloth, and allowed to ferment. Experienced tea masters will periodically turn the tea leaves and sprinkle water to control the temperature of the pile and the fermentation environment.

Piling

Generally, piling lasts about a month. However, in recent years, some manufacturers have modified the process to reduce the musty smell and improve the flavor, using low temperatures, frequent small amounts of water, and longer fermentation times, sometimes reaching up to three months.

Piling

Pu-erh tea that has undergone piling has a clear, reddish-brown color and a mellow, sweet taste. Unlike raw Pu-erh tea, ripe Pu-erh is very mild, with very little stimulation to the body. Long-term consumption can even have a stomach-nourishing and bowel-regulating effect. However, if the processing techniques are not sophisticated and the tea masters lack experience, the fermentation process itself carries risks. The most common problem is burning the pile, where excessively high temperatures cause the tea leaves at the center of the pile to turn black and carbonize, rendering them undrinkable.

Besides this, an immature fermentation process can also have negative effects on the tea. If the tea leaves are extremely dry and scorched like firewood, it's likely that the center was burned during fermentation; if the leaves are too soft and crumble easily, it's probably due to poor moisture control during fermentation, resulting in too much moisture. Furthermore, the burnt or musty taste found in some ripe Pu-erh teas is also highly likely to be caused by negative effects during fermentation. Therefore, tea factories typically employ experienced masters to oversee the fermentation process.

The End

A Chronicle Of Ripe Pu'er Tea Featuring Prominent Figures, Historical events, And Renowned Tea Factories(1)

Pu-erh ripe tea has only existed for about 40 years since its inception. I've always wanted to write an article about its origins, but unfortunately, I lack sufficient research materials. Fortunately, I recently came across the article "Lu Zhuxun: The 'Godfather of Ripe Tea' Who Never Produced a Single Cake," which mentioned Mr. Yang Kai's research on the history of pu'er ripe tea, and I was deeply inspired. After organizing Mr. Yang Kai's articles and books on the historical research of pu'er ripe tea, I clearly saw the trajectory of ripe Pu-erh from its inception to the present day, the important turning points, and the factories, people, and events that have left their mark on the chronology of Pu-erh ripe tea: Lu Zhuxun, a representative of Pu-erh ripe tea; the Menghai Tea Factory that produced the legendary 7452 and 7572; how Macau, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Yunnan, and other places promoted the transformation from raw Pu-erh to ripe pu'er tea… I will use three blog posts to clearly explain the origins of Pu-erh ripe tea, its development history, important turning points, and processing techniques—in other words, this is a chronology of Pu-erh ripe tea, vibrant with figures, historical events, and famous tea factories.

Lu Zhuxun

The Budding Stage: The Precursor of Ripe Pu-erh Tea – Red-Soup Raw Pu-erh

The concept of ripe Pu-erh tea was actually only truly established around 1975. Before that, Pu-erh tea, by today's standards, was all raw Pu-erh tea. Records of Yunnan compressed tea's materials, production, and packaging in works completed before the founding of the People's Republic of China all similarly mention that the raw Pu-erh tea of ​​that time had a "red soup color." This red-soup Pu-erh was the precursor to ripe Pu-erh tea.

Red-soup Pu-erh

The reasons for the red-soup Pu-erh can be summarized in three points:

1. Due to the Processing Technology

Referring to descriptions of Pu-erh tea production processes at that time, it can be found that the production process of Pu-erh tea then was the same as that of raw Pu-erh tea today. Sun-drying was used during drying, and coupled with the relatively rudimentary production conditions at the time, the finished tea inevitably underwent "micro-fermentation," resulting in a "pale red" soup color. Later, the "tea-building" process, where the tea was allowed to dry naturally after being moistened with water, further intensified the "fermentation" of the tea leaves.

Local people and tea farmers pick tea leaves, stir-fry them in a wok to wilt, then repeatedly knead them on bamboo mats before sun-drying or air-drying them—this is the initial processing of tea. It is either sold in small quantities at the market or packed into bamboo baskets according to quality.

After placing the tea leaves in the baskets, a little moisture is sprinkled on them, and the baskets are surrounded by large bamboo shoots (commonly known as bamboo shoot leaves). Then, while adding tea, it is pressed tightly with fists or sticks, a process called "building the tea." The tea is then stored separately to dry naturally.

2. Poor Transportation Conditions

The journey from Yunnan to Guangzhou and Hong Kong is long. Tea can only be transported by human porters and pack animals, and it often takes a year to reach Hong Kong. During this long transport period, the tea is exposed to wind and rain, resulting in a darker tea liquor color by the time it arrives.

3. Aging Required Before Sale

After arriving in Hong Kong, Pu'er tea is not consumed immediately. To achieve a smoother and more pleasant taste, it is often aged for a period of time before being sold.

This custom can also be traced in an interview with Hong Kong tea connoisseur Lu Zhuxun, who said, "When my great-grandfather was in the Pu'er tea business, the freshly made Pu'er tea had a rather dark color, but it was only sold after being aged for six or seven years until the flavor became purer."

Thus, we can see that Pu'er tea consumed in Guangzhou and Hong Kong before the founding of the People's Republic of China, due to processing techniques, production and transportation conditions, and the effects of later storage, exhibited slight fermentation. However, the "red liquor" of Pu'er tea was not intentionally caused, but rather had many objective reasons.

Emergence Period: Habits Lead to Demand—The Beginning of Pu'er Tea Reform 

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, private tea shops and tea factories gradually began to be jointly owned by the public and private sectors, and tea began to be centrally purchased and sold. In 1949, China Tea was established, and tea-making techniques and production scale developed rapidly. Transportation conditions also improved significantly, leading to changes in the quality of Pu'er tea supplied to Hong Kong.

In 1950, Yuan Shoushan, who ran the Tongxinghao Tea Shop in Yunnan, came to Macau. Sitting on a wooden chair in the Yingji Tea Shop, he remarked, "Hong Kong customers, accustomed to the red-broth Pu'er tea (raw tea), simply cannot stomach the under-fermented flavor of the new tea. This has led to a shortage of aged tea cakes on the market." This information corroborates the situation at the time. It was also discovered that the Hong Kong market, accustomed to "traditional tastes," had a gap in demand for highly aged Pu'er tea. To allow newly supplied Pu'er tea to naturally adapt to the tastes preferred by Hong Kong people, time was the only option. To quickly meet market demand, various regions embarked on a path of reforming Pu'er tea processing techniques.

Development Period: A Hundred Schools of Thought Contend, Reforms in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Kunming

Hong Kong: Lu Zhuxun's Red-Broth Raw Pu'er and His Fuhuahao Tea Shop

Fuhuahao Tea Shop in Hong Kong

Ying Kee Tea Shop in Macau

Lu Zhuxun, a prominent figure in Hong Kong's tea industry and a representative of the development of ripe Pu'er tea in Hong Kong, was born in Guangdong in 1927 and his life was inextricably linked to tea. At the age of 11, he became an apprentice at the renowned Ying Kee Tea Shop in Macau.

After the quality of the Pu-erh tea supplied to Hong Kong changed, Lu Zhuxun keenly sensed a business opportunity. Drawing on his family's experience in the Pu-erh tea business and his previous experience making black tea, Lu began developing a Pu-erh tea (red-broth raw Pu-erh tea) that would be popular in the Hong Kong market. A month later, his research was successful.

In the late 19th century, Macau's leading position in the tea entrepot trade was gradually replaced by Hong Kong. In 1954, Master Lu left Macau with his skills and settled in Hong Kong, establishing his own brand, "Fuhua Hao Songpinmai".

Fuhua Membership Card

To Be Continued