Basic Introduction to Putuo Buddhist Tea
Putuo Buddhist Tea, also known as Putuo Mountain Cloud and Mist Tea, is one of the ancient varieties of Chinese green tea, produced in Putuo, Zhejiang Province. Putuo Mountain is one of the four great Buddhist mountains in China, located in Zhoushan Archipelago, Zhejiang Province, also known as “Putuo Island.” The summit of Putuo Mountain, Foding Mountain, has a temperate maritime climate. Here, winters are mild and summers cool, with high humidity throughout the year, fertile soil, lush forests, and clouds shrouding the area before sunrise, with dewdrops moistening the surroundings. Additionally, most tea trees are situated on the sunny slopes of hills and in sheltered valleys, providing an extremely advantageous natural environment for their growth.
Nutritional Value
Putuo Buddhist Tea has various functions, including quenching thirst, clearing the mind and brightening the eyes, invigorating the spirit, removing greasiness and aiding digestion, inhibiting arteriosclerosis, preventing cancer, treating scurvy, and protecting against radiation. Regular consumption of this tea can lower blood pressure. The caffeine and catechins in the tea help relax the walls of blood vessels and increase the effective diameter of blood vessels, maintaining a certain level of elasticity in the vessel walls, thus alleviating spasms in the blood vessels.
The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in Putuo Buddhist Tea has a more significant effect on relaxing blood vessel walls. Clinical studies have shown that the blood pressure increase in most hypertensive patients is controlled by angiotensin. Once the activity of angiotensin is inhibited, it can achieve the effect of lowering blood pressure. Drinking tea can reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. The catechins in tea significantly decrease total cholesterol, free cholesterol, total lipids, and triglycerides in the human body. Regular tea drinkers typically have cholesterol levels about one-third lower than non-tea drinkers.
Putuo Buddhist Tea promotes the conversion and absorption of lipid substances. Due to the presence of purine alkaloids such as adenine in tea, these alkaloids can form nucleotides with phosphate and pentose, among other substances. Among the nucleotide compounds, ATP, GTP, etc., play a vital role in the metabolism of lipid substances, especially in the remarkable decomposition and transformation of nitrogen-containing compounds, transforming them into soluble absorbable substances, thereby achieving the effect of fat reduction.
Putuo Buddhist Tea has a cleansing effect on the digestive organs. The flavanols in tea relax the human digestive tract and cleanse harmful microorganisms and other substances from the digestive organs, while also performing unique cleansing functions on the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Not only does it aid in the digestion of fats and other substances, but it also helps prevent diseases of the digestive organs.
Putuo Buddhist Tea exhibits a significant inhibitory effect on the mutagenic activity of carcinogenic substances. Due to the antioxidant extract GAT in tea, which inhibits the mutagenic activity of carcinogens such as aflatoxin and benzopyrene, it can inhibit tumor metastasis. The tea contains large amounts of EGCG, which effectively inhibits the activity of tumor promoters, effectively preventing the formation of cancer cells. Tea extracts, such as T-8750, show significant inhibitory effects on gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Nitrosamines and nitrosamine compounds are widely recognized as primary carcinogens, and the tea polyphenols contained in tea are the primary active substances that block nitrosamine compounds. The higher the content of tea polyphenols, the stronger the anticancer effect.
Product Characteristics
The appearance of Putuo Buddhist Tea features twisted leaves that are “neither snail-like nor eyebrow-like,” with a green color and covered in downy hairs. Its inner quality is characterized by a fragrant aroma, a sweet and refreshing taste, and a yellow-green bright liquor and leaf base. After processing, the tea has a unique appearance, with tightly rolled, curled leaves resembling snails, a glossy green color with visible downy hairs; when brewed, the liquor turns yellow-green and bright, and the leaves unfurl beautifully. Upon drinking, one immediately senses its elegantly fresh aroma and rich, delicate flavor.
History and Folklore
According to legend, in the twelfth year of the Dazhong period of the Tang Dynasty, Japanese monk Etsu came to China to study. While paying homage to Mount Wutai, he obtained a statue of Avalokitesvara. He planned to return to Japan from Mingzhou by ship, but when approaching the Xinluo Reef east of Putuo Mountain, hundreds of iron lotuses suddenly appeared at sea, blocking the ship's path. Despite many efforts, the iron lotuses prevented the ship from moving forward. Monk Etsu realized that Avalokitesvara was unwilling to leave China, so he said, “If the people of my country cannot see the Buddha, I will build a temple where we are.” Etsu then disembarked and built a temple here, leaving the statue of Avalokitesvara. Later, based on the mention in the “Avatamsaka Sutra” of Shancai visiting Avalokitesvara at Mount Putuo Luoja, it became known as “Putuo.” Since then, Putuo Mountain has become a place of worship for Avalokitesvara, commonly referred to as the “Southern Sea.” There are numerous temples on the mountain, including Pujiao Temple, Fayu Temple, Changsheng Chan Temple, Pando Hermitage, and Lingshi Hermitage. The land on the mountain belongs to the temples, the tea is picked and processed by monks, and it is used for Buddhist offerings and guests, hence it is called “Buddhist Tea.”
Manufacturing Method of Putuo Buddhist Tea
Fresh Leaves – Spreading – Fixation – Rolling – Stir-frying – Fluffing – Drying – Warehousing. Fresh leaves entering the processing workshop should be spread out immediately. Fresh leaves of different grades and varieties should be spread separately. Rain-soaked leaves should be spread thinly without overlapping, and they should be turned every hour. Fresh leaves should be spread on bamboo mats, with a thickness of 1-3 cm. The spreading location should be cool, not exposed to sunlight, clean and hygienic, with good air circulation and no odor. Tender leaves should be observed regularly, and it is desirable to have a weight loss rate of 10%-15% within 4-12 hours. During the spreading process, light turning should be performed appropriately to evenly release moisture and dissipate heat. After processing using fixation machines, rolling machines, cutting machines, shaping machines, air selection machines, round sieves, and drying machines, the produced tea has tightly bound, evenly curled leaves, a lustrous green color, and visible white downy hairs.
Awards and Honors
In 1915, it won the second prize at the Panama World's Fair. After being carefully cultivated by local monks and residents, Buddhist Tea gained even greater renown for its unique flavor. It received the title of Zhejiang Famous Tea in 1984, and in October 1998, it won the Silver Award for “Chinese Cultural Famous Tea.” Putuo Buddhist Tea is truly a masterpiece combining Chinese tea culture and Buddhist culture.