安化黑茶简介
安化古称梅山，地处湘中偏地，资水中游。境内群山起优，水秀山青，生态优美。 安化自古以产茶名世。北宋熙宁五年（公元1072年）安化建县时，“惟茶甲诸州县”元、明以后，安化“乡民大半以茶为业，邑土产推此第一”。
明嘉庆三年（1524年）以前，安化茶农发明了黑茶加工技术，黑茶产销崛起。明万历二十三年（1595年），明朝廷将安化黑茶正式定为运销西北的“官茶”。此后数百年，安化黑茶被西北各兄弟民族视为“生命之茶”，国际称之“丝绸之路上的神秘之茶”。
安化在中国黑茶史上创造了无数奇迹：清代乾隆年间晋商在安化本地开发出芽尖、白毛尖、天尖、贡尖、生尖等黑茶新品；清道光元年（1820年）以前，陕商首创圆柱形的紧压茶——“百两茶”；清同治年间（1862-1874年）晋商“三和公”茶行在“百两茶”的基础上，创制“安化千两茶”，其加工工艺已成“国家非物质文化遗产”。1939年，中国黑茶理论之父——彭先泽先生在安化试制黑砖茶获得成功，并创办湖南省茶业管理处砖茶厂（湖南省白沙溪茶厂前身），此后在安化诞生了中国第一片黑砖茶（1940年）、湖南省第一片茯砖茶（1953年）、中国第一片花砖茶（1958年）。
安化黑茶产品系列丰富：有安化千两茶、黑砖茶、花砖茶、茯砖茶、天尖茶、贡尖茶、生尖茶等产品。
安化黑茶的品质特征是：外形色泽黑润或黑褐，汤色橙黄或橙红明亮，香气纯正或带独特松烟香；滋味醇厚或醇和，极耐冲泡。
放置在通风、干燥、阴凉、无异味的地方贮存的安化黑茶，在一定期限内，其品质将进一步升华，有越陈品质越好的特点。陈年的安化黑茶，汤色更红亮，滋味更甘醇，隽永的陈香令人陶醉。
安化黑茶具有消食解腻、降脂减肥、清热解毒、利尿解乏、消滞去寒辟，改善便秘，增进食欲等保健功能，对缓解腹胀，止泻和胃有明显效果。
是现代人崇尚的健康之饮，文明之饮，智慧之饮。
Brief Introduction of Anhua Black Tea
Anhua , known as Meishan in old days, is located in the remote area of central Hunan Province and the middle reaches of Zishui River.With stretching and verdant hills as well as elegant waters, it has beautiful scenery.Anhua has been famous for its tea since the ancient times.In the fifth year of Xining in North Song Dynasty(1072AD), when Anhua County was established, “only tea was popular among many states and counties”.After Ming and Qing Dynasty, most natives of Anhua “took producing and selling tea as a profeion, as tea was the most noted native product here.”
Before the third year of Jiaqing in Ming Dynasty(1524), tea farmers in Anhua invented the black tea proceing technology, which led to the rise of producing and selling tea.In the twenty-third year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty , Anhua Black Tea was formally designated as the “Official Tea”, which could be sold to the northwest of China.In the following hundreds of years, it was considered as “tea of life” by northwestern ethnic minorities and “mysterious tea on Silk Road” by the world.
Anhua has created numerous miracles in the history of black tea: During Qianlong years in Qing Dynasty, Shanxi businemen developed many new kinds of tea such as yajian tea, baimaojian tea, tianjian tea, gongjian tea and shengjian tea.Before the first year of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, Shaanxi businemen invented the cylindrical preed tea—bailiang tea.On the basis of it, sanhegong Teahouse run by Shanxi businemen createdAnhua qianliang tea, whose proceing techniques have become “national intangible cultural heritage”.In 1939, Mr Peng Xianze, father of black tea theory, succeeded in producing black brick tea in Anhua and founded Brick Tea Factory of Hunan Province Tea Administration(former baishaxi Tea Factory of Hunan Province).After that, the first black brick tea(in 1940), the first Fuzhuan brick tea(in 1953) and the first Huazhuan brick tea (in 1958)were born here.
Anhua black tea has products in many series, including Anhua qianliang tea, black brick tea, Huazhuan brick tea, fuzhuan brick tea, tianjian tea, gongjian tea, shengjian tea and etc.
The features of Anhua black tea are: black or dark brown appearance, orange yellow or orange red tea soup, pure fragrance or unique incense , mellow or mild taste and long-lasting brewing strength.Deposited in a ventilated, dry and cool place free of peculiar smell for a certain period of time, the quality of Anhua black tea can be improved.To some extent, the more aged ,the better.Crusted black tea has redder soup, sweeter taste andintoxicating fragrance.
Anhua black tea has many health care functions, namely promoting digestion, keeping fat off, reducing blood preure, losing weight, clearing heat, expelling the poison, eliminating dampne, relaxing the bowels, improving one’s appetite and etc.It also have obvious effect on relieving abdominal distension and diarrhea as well as nourishing one’s stomach.
Anhua black tea is a health drink of civilization and wisdom advocated by modern people.
