Basic Introduction to Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea
Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea is a specialty product of Lupanshui City, Guizhou Province. It is made by selecting high-quality buckwheat grown in the high-altitude regions of Lupanshui and refining it through continuous improvement of traditional processing techniques, resulting in a healthful beverage for infusion. The processing technology and method of consumption share similarities with tea production but differ from traditional green tea, black tea, flower tea, dark tea, white tea, etc. Strictly speaking, it is a type of roasted grain tea with a yellow to deep brown color, a strong wheat aroma mixed with a hint of roasting, and the infused buckwheat grains can be chewed and eaten.
Buckwheat is one of the few crops that can be used both medicinally and as food. According to “Compendium of Materia Medica,” buckwheat tastes bitter, has a neutral and slightly cold nature, strengthens the stomach and intestines, benefits energy and strength, revitalizes the spirit, improves vision, refines impurities in the five organs; in “Thousand Gold Prescriptions,” “Dictionary of Chinese Medicine,” and related literature, there are records stating that it can calm the mind, invigorate blood and qi, relieve gas and widen the bowels, clear heat and swellings, eliminate stagnation, cleanse the intestines, moisten the bowels, relieve constipation, stop coughing, soothe asthma, fight inflammation, reduce allergies, strengthen the heart, aid weight loss, beautify the skin, etc. Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea is related to ethnic culture and natural environmental factors, making it a unique tea product in Guizhou. It is a well-known roasted grain tea in the western mountainous areas of Guizhou, loved by the local people as a buckwheat drink, and is the result of long-term practical experience among the Yi people of this region.
Lupanshui is located in the west of Guizhou Province, on the slope between the first and second terraces of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, forming a landscape characterized by rugged mountains and deep valleys. The exposed rocks are mainly sedimentary, with carbonate rocks predominating. In carbonate rock areas, soil formation is slow, with low organic matter content and poor fertility. Many infertile lands where corn and other crops cannot grow normally are suitable for the growth and development of buckwheat. The city belongs to the northern subtropical monsoon humid climate zone, influenced by its low latitude and high altitude, resulting in warm winters and cool summers. The annual average temperature is 13 to 14°C, January averages 3 to 6.3°C, and July averages 19.8 to 22°C. Annual precipitation ranges from 1200 to 1500 millimeters. Frost-free periods last 200 to 300 days. There is significant topographical variation, with marked regional climate differences. Rain and heat occur mostly in the same season, which is suitable for the growth of buckwheat. Superior geographical and climatic conditions, abundant high-quality water resources, and suitable mountain soils have cultivated the excellent quality of Lupanshui buckwheat.
Nutritional Value
Buckwheat tea is a drink made from buckwheat, combining traditional methods with modern techniques, rich in bioflavonoids, chlorophyll, crude protein, trace elements, and other nutrients. It can accelerate gastrointestinal peristalsis, promote fat burning, aiding in weight loss; containing vitamins C and E, flavonoids, it can eliminate free radicals in the body, exhibit antioxidant properties, and slow down the aging process; the flavonoids in buckwheat tea can prevent thrombus formation and inhibit cancer cell growth, having anti-cancer effects; it can promote the repair of pancreatic beta cells, improve glucose tolerance, and lower blood sugar levels; it also helps to reduce fat accumulation in the body, soften blood vessels, and improve circulation, aiding in lowering blood lipids and blood pressure.
Product Characteristics
Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea is characterized by a golden-yellow tea liquor, a strong and pure buckwheat aroma, a robust fragrance with a hint of roasting, and a lasting aftertaste. Regular consumption can help lower blood sugar and blood lipids, enhance the body's immunity, and assist in treating diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, and other diseases.
Historical Folklore
According to “Yunnan General Gazetteer,” the muleteers of Western Guizhou were industrious and thrifty, eating and drinking buckwheat. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Yi people in today's Panxian, Shuicheng, and other areas of Lupanshui joined the mule caravans to travel along the ancient tea-horse road, transporting tea from Sichuan and Yunnan to Tibet, and horses from Tibet back to Sichuan and Yunnan. These hardworking muleteers from Lupanshui, day after day, year after year, spread their local culinary culture while traveling along the arduous route. Horses and buckwheat were essential items for them; when hungry, they ate buckwheat, and when thirsty, they drank boiled water infused with roasted buckwheat. Over time, this became known as buckwheat tea, and thus, the buckwheat tea of the Lupanshui muleteers gradually gained renown along the ancient tea-horse road.
Awards and Honors for Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea
On December 1, 2014, the original State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Lupanshui Buckwheat Tea.”