What is Mao Cha?
Mao Cha refers to the "rough tea" or the tea in the state after it's been plucked and before it enters the refining process. It is important to learn how to evaluate the tea at this stage. Much of the value derived from a tea on the market is determined during the mao cha evaluation. In the region of Wu Yi Shan, our heritage farmer partners are experts at Yan Cha (a roasted wu long tea), which is what you will see them evaluate.
Travel With Us To Wu Yi Shan
This recorded lesson is a rare opportunity to enter the room of a Mao Cha evaluation at some of the highest levels in the world. Our heritage tea farmers give you a front-row seat to their process and teach you how to better understand the tea you consume.
Why Learn in Wu Yi Shan
Like all historically famous teas in China, the specifics of the locations are meticulously detailed and important to every aspect of the tea-making process. The word Zheng Yan, which translates to True Cliff, refers to the core part of the Wu Yi Shan. This is the most authentic location for Yan Cha and the location of our heritage farmers.
One of the most defining factors contributing to Yan Cha’s unique mouthfeel is the very rocky terrain, called Danxia Landform, where the teas are grown.
Meet Our Heritage Farm Partners
The Zhang family are some of the most respected tea farmers in all of China. Zhang Hui & Zhang Ying are the two sisters leading the family's fame in the tea industry. Their diligence, constant pursuit of quality, keen evaluation skills, and charismatic personalities have earned them great respect in the industry. This is notable and hard-earned in a rural area where families with only daughters are seen as hopeless for their future.
With this dedication, their family is now one of the top award-winning farms at tea competitions, including the most prestigious Dou Cha Sai. We’re extremely proud to work closely with them on some of the best Yan Cha wu longs on earth.
This course contains a recorded educational session
Other Recorded Session from Wu Yi Shan and Beyond
We have a few offerings of different learning topics from the Zhang family and other tea experts. Dive into any other sessions for more education on Yan Cha and the Wu Yi Shan region.