Ēnshī Yùlù

Enshi Yulu is the only 蒸青 (zhēngqīng) — steamed green tea produced by steam fixation method — that has survived in China to this day. This tea is a living embodiment of ancient technology described by Lù Yǔ (陆羽, Lù Yǔ) in “The Classic of Tea” (《茶经》, “Chá Jīng”): “蒸之、焙之” — “steam it, dry it over fire.” The production of Enshi Yulu continuously connects modern tea cultivation with traditions from the Tang era and is China’s national intangible cultural heritage.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Green tea (unoxidized). Fixation method — steaming (蒸青, zhēngqīng), unlike the overwhelming majority of Chinese green teas where pan-firing in a wok is used (炒青, chǎoqīng).
• Category: Famous teas of China. In 1965, it was included in the list of “Ten Great Teas of China” (中国十大名茶). In 2014, the production technology was inscribed in the National Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the PRC. Since 2007, it has been protected by geographical indication (地理标志产品保护).
• Origin: China, Húběi Province (湖北, Húběi), Ēnshì City (恩施市, Ēnshì Shì), Ēnshì Tujia and Miáo Autonomous Prefecture (恩施土家族苗族自治州, Ēnshì Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu). Main production areas — Bājiāo Township (芭蕉侗族乡, Bājiāo Dòngzú Xiāng) with center in Huángliánxī (黄连溪, Huángliánxī) and the eastern suburb of Enshi — Wufengshan Mountain (五峰山, Wǔfēng Shān).
• Geographic coordinates: Approximately 30°16′ N, 109°28′ E.

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History:

The Enshi region is one of the most ancient centers of tea cultivation in China. According to historical chronicles, tea cultivation here has existed for more than three millennia — as early as the Western Zhou era, there are mentions of “tea offerings during King Wu’s campaign against Shang” (武王伐纣, 巴人献茶). In the treatise “Guangya” (《广雅》, “Guǎng Yǎ”) from the Three Kingdoms period, it is reported that in the lands between the Ba and Jing mountains, tea cakes were already being made. During the Tang era (618–907), the local “Shizhou fangcha” (施州方茶) — square pressed tea from Shizhou — was widely sold in Jiangling and Xiangyang.

The direct predecessor of Enshi Yulu appeared during the Qing era, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1662–1722). According to “The Tea Classic of China” (《中国茶经》, “Zhōngguó Chá Jīng”), in Bajiao Township in the locality of Huanglianxi, a certain tea merchant surnamed Lán (蓝/兰) constructed a special furnace for processing tea with steam. His product — tightly twisted, straight, bright green tea with silvery-white down — received the name Yulü (玉绿, Yùlǜ) — “Jade Green.” During the same era, it entered the list of more than forty famous teas of the Qing dynasty alongside Xi Hu Longjing, Wuyi Yancha, and Huangshan Maofeng.

In 1936, the tea affairs manager of Hubei Provincial “Minsheng” Company (湖北省民生公司, Húběi Shěng Mínshēng Gōngsī) Yáng Rùnzhī (杨润之, Yáng Rùnzhī) arrived in Enshi and perfected the technology: he replaced the former pan-firing in a wok with steam fixation and developed a shaping method in the form of thin needles. The resulting tea was distinguished by bright emerald color, silvery-white down, and outstanding aroma. Since the down was particularly prominent (格外显露, géwài xiǎnlù), the tea was renamed from “Yulü” (玉绿) to “Yulu” (玉露) — “Jade Dew.” According to another version, Yang Runzhi, being a native of Hunan, due to linguistic differences pronounced “lü” (绿) as “lu” (露), and this pronunciation became established.

From 1945, Enshi Yulu began to be exported to Japan. In 1973, the tea was presented at the Guangzhou Fair and sold abroad. In 1995, the famous Japanese tea master, Professor Shimizu Yasuo (清水康夫) of Kagawa University visited Enshi and left the inscription “恩施玉露、温古知新” — “Enshi Yulu — gaining new knowledge through studying the old,” thereby expressing respect for the place he considered the birthplace of Japanese gyokuro (玉露, gyokuro).

By the 1980s, production had declined, and the technology was practically lost. Revival began in 2005 when the “Runbang” company (润邦, Rùnbāng) restored manual production and developed an automated production line. In 2007, the tea received protected geographical indication status. In 2014, the production technology was included in the National Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the PRC, and in 2016, the Enshi Yulu tea cultural system entered the preliminary list of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

In April 2018, Enshi Yulu was chosen as the tea for the state ceremony “Tea Gathering at East Lake” (东湖茶叙, Dōnghú Cháxù) in Wuhan, which brought it national and worldwide fame.

• Name:

  • “Enshi” (恩施) — the name of the city and prefecture where the tea is produced.
  • “Yu” (玉) — jade, a symbol of purity, nobility, and value in Chinese culture. Reflects the emerald color of the dry leaf.
  • “Lu” (露) — dew. Indicates the freshness, transparency of the liquor, as well as the silvery down covering the tea leaves like drops of morning dew.

• Cultural significance: Ēnshī Yùlù occupies a unique place in the history of Chinese tea cultivation as the only surviving representative of the ancient tradition of zhēngqīng (蒸青) — steam processing of green tea. It was precisely this technology that was borrowed by Japan during the Tang era and became the foundation for producing sencha and gyokuro. Enshi Yulu is a kind of “living fossil” (活化石, huó huàshí) of Chinese zhēngqīng (蒸青) tea, a bridge between ancient tea art and modernity. It has been awarded the title “First Historical Tea of Hubei Province” (湖北第一历史名茶, 2008). The master-keeper of tradition — Yáng Shèngwěi (杨胜伟, Yáng Shèngwěi), is recognized as a national inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Variety / Cultivar: The main traditional variety is the local group cultivar Taizi Cha (苔子茶, Tái zǐ chá), belonging to Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. This is a bush variety with small and medium leaves, well adapted to the conditions of the Enshi mountain region, distinguished by high amino acid content and cold resistance. Since the late 1990s, asexual (vegetatively propagated) varieties have been actively introduced, such as Elongjing (鄂龙井), E Cha 1 hao (鄂茶1号), Fúdǐng Dàbái (福鼎大白) and others, however the standard prescribes the use of varieties suitable for producing Enshi Yulu and growing within the autonomous prefecture.
• Harvest: Spring harvest — from mid-March to the Gǔyǔ period (谷雨, Gǔyǔ, “Grain Rain,” around April 20). The active harvest period is about 30 days. Harvesting is conducted in clear weather.
• Harvest standard: For highest grades — one bud and one leaf (一芽一叶, yī yá yī yè), for standard grades — one bud and two beginning-to-unfurl leaves (一芽二叶初展, yī yá èr yè chū zhǎn). Uniformity in size and degree of maturity is required: short internodes, densely arranged leaves, bud longer than leaf, rich green color of leaves.
• Raw material requirements: Leaves must be whole, tender, fresh. Damaged, wilted, or non-uniform in size shoots are excluded.

4. Terroir and Cultivation Features:

• Region: Ēnshī is located deep in the Wulingshan mountain range (武陵山, Wǔlíng Shān), on the eastern extension of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Along the 30th parallel north — a region known for unique biodiversity. Enshi bears the unofficial title “World Selenium Capital” (世界硒都, Shìjiè Xī Dū) thanks to exceptionally high selenium content in local soils.
• Growing altitude: Main plantations are located at 600–1200 m above sea level; average altitude — about 600 m.
• Soils: Predominantly sandy loams and yellow-brown soils (黄棕壤, huáng zōng rǎng). Deep fertile layer, rich in organic matter, pH 4.5–6.5. Unique feature — high selenium content, which determines the accumulation of this microelement in tea leaves.
• Climate: Subtropical monsoon mountain humid climate. Mild winter (average January temperature not below +5°C), not hot summer (average July temperature slightly above +27°C). Average annual temperature above +16°C. Annual precipitation — about 1400 mm. High relative humidity. Sunshine hours — more than 1200 per year. Frost-free period — about 276 days. Active temperature (≥10°C) totals at least 5000°C. Frequent fogs are characteristic, especially morning and evening, creating natural shading.
• Features: Warm humid climate with abundant fogs and diffused light promotes accumulation of amino acids, chlorophyll, and other nitrogen-containing compounds in leaves, which determines the bright green color, fresh aroma, and sweetish taste of Enshi Yulu.

5. Production Technology:

Enshi Yulu is 蒸青针形绿茶 (zhēngqīng zhēnxíng lǜchá), that is, needle-shaped green tea with steam fixation. Its technology combines the ancient steaming method inherited from the Tang era with unique hand-shaping techniques developed in the 18th–20th centuries. Traditional masters master nine basic movements: “蒸、扇、抖、铲、整、搂、端、搓、扎” (zhēng, shàn, dǒu, chǎn, zhěng, lōu, duān, cuō, zhā) — “steam, fan, shake, scrape, straighten, gather, support, twist, compress.”

• Harvest (采摘, cǎi zhāi): Hand picking in morning hours during clear weather. For highest grades — one bud with one leaf, uniform in size.

• Spreading (摊放, tān fàng): Freshly picked raw material is spread in a thin layer in a cool room for brief withering, removing excess moisture from the leaf surface.

• Steaming / Steam fixation (蒸青, zhēngqīng): Key and unique stage. Leaves are processed with hot steam at about 100–105°C for 40–50 seconds. Steam inactivates oxidative enzymes (polyphenol oxidase), stopping oxidation. Unlike pan-firing in a wok (杀青, shāqīng), steaming maximally preserves chlorophyll, amino acids, and vitamins, ensuring characteristic “three greens” (三绿, sān lǜ): green dry leaf, green liquor, green spent leaves.

• Fanning and cooling (扇凉, shān liáng): Immediately after steaming, leaves are quickly cooled with an air stream (fan or ventilator) to remove surface moisture and prevent overheating.

• First firing — “Chan tou mao huo” (铲头毛火, chǎn tóu máo huǒ): Leaves are placed on a special heated furnace-brazier (焙炉, bèi lú) and dried with scraping palm movements at moderate temperature, reducing moisture to about 55–60%.

• Rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn): Dried leaves are rolled, giving them initial shape and breaking cellular structure to release juices. Rolling should be gentle to avoid damaging tender leaves.

• Second firing — “Chan er mao huo” (铲二毛火, chǎn èr máo huǒ): Repeated drying on the brazier at about 80°C, further reducing moisture to about 30–35%.

• Shaping and polishing — “Zhengxing shangguang” (整形上光, zhěngxíng shàngguāng): The most responsible and labor-intensive stage, lasting about 80 minutes. It is divided into two sub-stages:

  • Free rolling (悬手搓条, xuánshǒu cuō tiáo): The master takes a portion of tea (0.8–1.0 kg), holds it suspended between palms and continuously rolls in one direction — right hand forward, left hand back — at brazier temperature 70–80°C. Tea leaves gradually stretch into thin straight threads. The movements of masters standing in pairs at the brazier resemble taiji techniques — “cloud hands” (云手, yúnshǒu).
  • Polishing on brazier (炉盘搓茶): When tea leaves acquire elongated shape and retain about 30% moisture, they proceed to four final techniques: 搂 (lōu) — gather, 搓 (cuō) — twist, 端 (duān) — support, 扎 (zhā) — compress. These movements resemble taiji techniques “Reverse reeling silk” (倒卷肱, dào juǎn gōng) and “Wild horse parts its mane” (野马分鬃, yěmǎ fēn zōng). As a result, tea leaves acquire the appearance of thin, straight, shiny needles, similar to pine needles.

• Drying / Firing (烘焙, hōngbèi): Final drying at reduced temperature to remove residual moisture to standard 4–6%.

• Sorting (拣选, jiǎnxuǎn): Hand sorting — removal of broken, non-standard tea leaves, ensuring uniformity of finished product.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: Thin, straight, tightly twisted needles about 1.5–2 cm long, resembling pine needles. Surface smooth, with glossy shine. Color — rich emerald green with distinct silvery-white down (白毫, báiháo) covering tea leaves like frost.
• Dry leaf aroma: Fresh, clean, with pronounced tones of spring greenery, light floral notes, and characteristic for zhengqing (蒸青) teas note of seaweed (海苔香, hǎitái xiāng).
• Liquor aroma: Clean, fresh, high and persistent (清香持久, qīngxiāng chíjiǔ). Predominant notes of spring grass, freshly cut meadow with light sweetness and barely perceptible nori shade.
• Taste: Bright, refreshing, with pronounced sweetness (甘醇, gānchún) and umami note (鲜, xiān). Body — medium, soft, enveloping. Aftertaste — clean, long-lasting, with mineral and sweetish shades (回甘, huígān). Bitterness and astringency are practically absent.
• Liquor color: Clear, bright, tender green or light emerald (嫩绿明亮, nènlǜ míngliàng), resembling liquid jade.
• Spent leaves (wet leaves): Tender, whole, elastic leaves and buds of bright green color (嫩匀明亮, nèn yún míngliàng), with characteristic “third green” — green leaf bottom. When brewing in a glass cup, tea leaves first elegantly “dance” in the water column, then smoothly sink to the bottom, opening like living shoots.

The key organoleptic characteristic of Enshi Yulu is expressed by the formula “三绿一鲜” (sān lǜ yī xiān) — “three greens, one freshness”: green dry leaf, green liquor, green spent leaves, and fresh, lively taste.

7. Chemical Composition:

• Polyphenols (catechins): High content, predominantly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — a powerful antioxidant. Steam fixation preserves catechins to a significantly greater degree than pan-firing.
• Amino acids: Significant content of L-theanine (L-茶氨酸), providing sweetish taste, umami note, and mild relaxing effect. Foggy mountain climate and partial natural shading promote increased accumulation of amino acids.
• Alkaloids: Caffeine (咖啡因, kāfēiyīn) — moderate content, providing mild tonic effect, softened by the presence of L-theanine. Theobromine and theophylline are also present.
• Selenium (硒, xī): Unique feature of Enshi Yulu. Selenium content in dry tea — about 3.47 mg/kg (according to data from the Chinese Tea Research Institute at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences). In liquor — 0.01–0.52 mg/kg, which corresponds to the “fuxi cha” standard (富硒茶, “selenium-enriched tea”): 0.3–5.0 ppm. Selenium content in fresh leaf — 0.03–4.1 mg/kg.
• Chlorophyll: High content thanks to steam fixation, which preserves it to a significantly greater degree than pan-firing, ensuring bright green color of tea and liquor.
• Vitamins: Rich in vitamins C, E, B₁, B₂, carotene. Vitamin C is preserved especially well during steam processing.
• Minerals: Besides selenium, contains zinc, manganese, potassium, fluorine, magnesium.
• Essential oils: Responsible for fresh, clean aroma. Steam fixation preserves a more “green,” grassy-seaweed aromatic profile compared to pan-fired green teas.

8. Health Properties:

• Antioxidant protection: High content of catechins (especially EGCG) and selenium provides powerful protection of cells from oxidative stress and free radicals.
• Immune system strengthening: Selenium is a key microelement for normal immune system function. Regular consumption of Enshi Yulu helps replenish its reserves in the body.
• Cognitive function improvement: Synergistic action of L-theanine and caffeine enhances concentration, improves mental clarity, while not causing excessive stimulation — theanine softens the stimulating effect of caffeine.
• Cardiovascular system support: Green tea polyphenols promote improvement of vascular elasticity and normalization of lipid metabolism.
• Detoxification and metabolism: Promotes toxin elimination, supports normal metabolism.
• Beneficial effect on digestion: Moderate consumption after meals aids digestion.
• UV protection: Catechins and vitamin C help protect skin from harmful UV radiation effects.
• Relaxation: L-theanine stimulates alpha wave production in the brain, promoting a calm, focused state.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 80–85°C. Too hot water can “burn” tender leaves and give the liquor bitterness.
• Tea amount: 3–5 g per 150–200 ml of water.
• Teaware: Glass cup or flask (best choice — allows observing “tea leaf dance”), porcelain gaiwan (盖碗, gàiwǎn), porcelain teapot. Clay teaware (Yixing teapots) is not recommended as it absorbs the delicate aroma of zhengqing (蒸青) tea.
• Process:
  1. Warm teaware with boiling water, pour out water.
  2. Add dry tea.
  3. Rinsing is not required — Enshi Yulu is tender and clean enough, and the first infusion already contains valuable substances.
  4. Pour water at 80–85°C in a gentle circular stream. When brewing in a glass, you can use the “middle pouring method” (中投法, zhōng tóu fǎ): first pour water one-third, add tea, wait 30 seconds, then fill up.
  5. First infusion — steeping 45–60 seconds.
  6. Subsequent infusions — increase time by 15–20 seconds.
  7. Tea withstands 3–5 quality infusions.

10. Storage:

Enshi Yulu, as a zhengqing (蒸青) green tea, is particularly sensitive to external factors — light, moisture, heat, and foreign odors. Tea enemies: high temperature (accelerates oxidation), moisture (provokes mold), light (destroys chlorophyll and catechins), oxygen and foreign odors (tea actively absorbs aromas). Recommended storage in airtight, opaque containers (vacuum foil bags, tin cans) in refrigerator at 0–5°C. With reliable sealing, storage period — up to 12–18 months. At room temperature — consume within 2–3 months.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

The cost of Enshi Yulu depends on many factors: harvest time (before Qingming — most valuable, then — until Guyu), grade, producer reputation, processing type (hand or machine). High-quality early spring hand-processed Enshi Yulu can cost from 1000 to 5000 yuan per 500 g (domestic Chinese prices). Machine production significantly reduces cost. On the international market, retail price of quality Enshi Yulu — from 30 to 80 USD per 100 g. The “Enshi Yulu” brand is valued at 18.07 billion yuan (2018).

• How to avoid counterfeits:

  • Buy from verified, specialized sellers having the right to use the geographical indication “恩施玉露”.
  • Evaluate appearance: genuine Enshi Yulu consists of thin, even, shiny needles of pine-green color with noticeable white down. Uneven, dull, non-uniform tea leaves are signs of counterfeits.
  • Check aroma: characteristic fresh, clean aroma with seaweed note. Absence of “green” freshness or presence of rancid, musty notes indicates low quality.
  • Check liquor: should be clear, bright tender green color with pronounced sweetness and freshness. Cloudy, yellow liquor or bitter taste are signs of counterfeits or old tea.
  • Too low price is cause for suspicion: genuine Enshi Yulu cannot be cheap.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Ēnshī Yùlù is the only green tea in China that still preserves the ancient steam fixation technology (蒸青), which dominated during the Tang and Song eras but was displaced by pan-firing after Zhu Yuanzhang’s reforms in the Ming era. Japanese sencha and gyokuro are direct heirs of the same technology.
• The Enshi region possesses the world’s richest selenium reserves, earning it the status of “World Selenium Capital” (世界硒都). This makes Enshi Yulu the only major famous tea of China that is naturally “fuxi” (富硒) — selenium-enriched.
• The movements of masters during tea shaping are so smooth and rhythmic that they are compared to taijiquan techniques: “cloud hands” (云手), “reverse reeling silk” (倒卷肱), “wild horse parts its mane” (野马分鬃).
• In 2018, Ēnshī Yùlù together with Lìchuān Hóng tea (利川红, Lìchuān Hóng) were chosen as “一红一绿” — “one red, one green” — for the state tea ceremony at East Lake in Wuhan, after which both teas became symbols of Hubei Province.
• Japanese Professor Shimizu Yasuo, visiting Enshi in 1995, called the region the birthplace of Japanese zhēngqīng (蒸青) tea tradition and left the inscription “恩施玉露、温古知新” — “Enshi Yulu — gaining new knowledge through studying the old.”

13. Comparison with Other Green Teas:

• Sencha (煎茶, Sencha), Japan: The closest “relative” in terms of technology — also a zhengqing (蒸青) green tea. However, Japanese sencha typically undergoes deeper steaming (fukamushi), has a flat or slightly twisted shape and a more pronounced umami flavor. Enshi Yulu possesses a characteristic needle-like shape, more delicate aroma and mineral aftertaste due to selenium.
• Gyokuro (玉露, Gyokuro), Japan: Despite the matching characters “玉露” in the name, the technologies differ significantly. Gyokuro undergoes prolonged shading (20+ days), which radically changes its chemical composition (theanine increases sharply, catechins decrease). Enshi Yulu is not intentionally shaded — its softness is due to natural mountain mist.
• Xī Hú Lǒng Jìng (西湖龙井, Xīhú Lóngjǐng): Long Jing is a 炒青 tea (pan-firing fixation), has a flat shape, nutty aroma and pronounced chestnut sweetness. Enshi Yulu differs with its needle-like shape, grassy-seaweed aroma and fresher, more “green” flavor profile.
• Huángshān Máo Fēng (黄山毛峰, Huángshān Máo Fēng): Also a delicate spring green tea from a mountain region, but — 烘青 (oven-drying fixation), with a more floral and orchid-like aroma. Enshi Yulu possesses a more “marine,” fresh character.
• Ēnshī Yùlù (恩施玉露) vs. Vietnamese zhēngqīng (蒸青) teas: Vietnam also produces zhēngqīng (蒸青) green teas, however they typically have less pronounced shaping, less bright down and do not possess the unique selenium profile.

In conclusion:

Enshi Yulu is not simply a green tea, but a living bridge between the most ancient tea tradition and modernity. Its elegant emerald needles, born from the hands of masters whose movements are indistinguishable from taijiquan techniques, preserve within them a technology that is over a thousand years old. The fresh, clean taste with umami notes and mineral aftertaste, bright jade infusion and unique selenium richness make Enshi Yulu a truly exceptional tea — simultaneously a historical monument and a living, invigorating beverage. This tea will bring pleasure to those who value purity of taste, beauty of tea leaves and connection to authentic history — and to those who seek health benefits in a cup of tea.