Enshi Yulu Tea

Enshi Yulu tea is a famous green tea from Enshi City in Hubei Province, China, known for its unique qualities and high selenium content. Enshi Yulu is not only a high-quality tea but also a symbol of the tea culture of the Enshi region. Every spring, Enshi hosts a tea culture festival, which features tea art performances, tea culture exhibitions, and other activities, attracting many tourists. The craftsmanship of Enshi Yulu has also been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage and is effectively protected and passed down.

Enshi Yulu Tea Details:

Product name: Enshi Yulu
Place of origin: Enshi, Hubei, China
Flavour: chestnut-scented
Net content: 250g
Production process: traditional process
Shelf life: 540 days
Storage: store in a dry, airtight container away from odours and direct light

Enshi Yulu Tea Picking:

The time and criteria for picking Enshi Yulu tea are crucial, as these details directly affect the quality of the tea. The picking period for our Enshi Yulu tea mainly falls around the Qingming Festival (4 or 5 April). During this period, the temperature is moderate, the tea bush shoots grow vigorously, and the quality of the tea is the best. Enshi Yulu tea is picked by selecting a bud that has just unfolded on the tea bush together with one or two young leaves that have just begun to unfold. This type of tea has the highest degree of freshness and the best quality. Enshi Yulu is usually hand-picked to ensure the integrity and freshness of the tea. Hand-picking can avoid damage that may be caused by mechanical picking.

Enshi Yulu Tea Processing:

The processing of Enshi Yulu is very particular. Every step from picking to the finished product requires meticulous attention to ensure the high quality of the tea. The following are the main processing steps of Enshi Yulu:

Air-drying: Air-drying is to allow some of the water in the fresh leaves to evaporate, making the leaves soft and easy to process.

Fixation: Fixation is to destroy the enzyme activity in the tea at high temperatures to prevent the tea from oxidising and turning red, while also removing some of the water to make the tea leaves soft.

Rolling: Rolling is used to curl the tea leaves into strips, destroy part of the cell structure, cause the tea juice to overflow, and increase the stickiness and aroma of the tea.
Primary Drying: Primary drying is used to further remove the water from the tea leaves, making them dry and facilitating subsequent shaping.

Shaping: Shaping is used to give the tea leaves a flat, straight shape and increase their aesthetic appeal.

Secondary Drying: Secondary drying is used to further dry the tea leaves, bringing them to the ideal dryness level for storage and transport.

How To Brew Enshi Yulu Tea:

Prepare the teacup: Use a transparent glass cup or a white porcelain-covered bowl so that you can better appreciate the colour and shape of the Enshi Yulu tea.

1. Water temperature: Use water at a temperature of about 80-85 °C. Enshi Yulu is green tea, and a water temperature that is too high will destroy the nutrients in the tea and affect the taste.
2. Water quality: Use purified or filtered water, and avoid using tap water that contains impurities, to make sure that the tea broth is clear and pure.
3. Tea quantity: Take an appropriate amount of Enshi Yulu tea leaves, generally about 3-5 g of tea leaves per 150 ml of water. Gently place the tea leaves in the tea set.
   Fill with water: Slowly pour in 80-85°C water along the walls of the tea set to avoid direct impact on the tea leaves. Fill the tea set to 70%.
4. Steeping: Let the tea leaves steep in the water for about 1-2 minutes. Enshi Yulu tea leaves are relatively tender, so the steeping time should not be too long to avoid the tea broth being too strong.
5. Appreciating tea: Pour the tea broth into a teacup and slowly savour it. Enshi Yulu tea has a bright, tender green colour, an elegant and persistent aroma, and a fresh, mellow taste.

Enshi Yulu Tea Characteristics:

Appearance: The dried Enshi Yulu tea leaves are tightly twisted into thin strips, flat and straight, and evenly shaped.

Aroma: After brewing, Enshi Yulu gives off a fresh, elegant, and long-lasting aroma of beans or orchids.

Tea broth: The tea broth is highly transparent, clear, and bright, and you can see the tea leaves slowly unfurling in the water.

Tea leaves: After brewing, the tea leaves are a uniform, bright green color with a glossy surface and uniform colour, showing the high quality of the tea.

Enshi Yulu Tea Benefits:

Oxidation resistance: Enshi Yulu tea is rich in polyphenols, which have a strong antioxidant effect. They can remove free radicals in the body, slow down cell aging, and prevent many chronic diseases.

Refreshes the mind: Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, improves concentration, relieves fatigue, and makes you more alert.

Lowers fat and aids weight loss: Tea polyphenols and caffeine can help speed up the metabolism, promote fat breakdown, and help lower blood lipids and cholesterol levels, thereby playing a role in weight loss and preventing obesity.

Protects the liver: The selenium content of Enshi Yulu dry tea is about 3.47 mg/kg, and the selenium content of the brewed tea broth is usually between 0.01 and 0.52 mg/L. Selenium helps protect the liver and prevent liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis.