A tea contest unfolds in Moganshan town, Deqing county, Huzhou, on April 14, showcasing the region's finest yellow and green teas. [Photo/hz66.com]

A tea contest unfolded in Moganshan town, Deqing county, Huzhou, on April 14, showcasing the region's finest yellow and green teas.

The contest attracted 29 entries, including 15 varieties of yellow tea and 14 varieties of green tea, all submitted by local tea plantations.

The evaluation process was meticulous, examining the appearance, color, aroma, taste, and leaf condition of the tea leaves. Ultimately, 10 exceptional participants were awarded the gold prize for both yellow and green tea.

The event also included a public tea-tasting session, which captivated nearly 200 enthusiastic tea lovers and curious tourists.

The primary contender in the yellow tea category was Mogan Huangya tea, also known as Mogan Yellow Buds, a renowned variety of yellow tea.

The tradition of tea cultivation on Mount Mogan dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In the 1980s, Mogan Huangya, alongside West Lake Longjing, one of China's most famous green teas, was recognized as a provincial famous tea.

Yellow tea shares the rich aroma and nutritional benefits of green tea, but possesses a milder character with less grassy notes. Mogan Huangya is distinct from green tea due to the effects of a slight oxidation process during its production.

This unique processing step, known as menhuang, involves wrapping the moist tea leaves in cloth and gently roasting them over charcoal. As the tea polyphenols oxidize during this slow roast, the leaves take on a yellow hue.

Gong Shuying, chief tea expert of the Huzhou Modern Agriculture Industry-University-Research Alliance at Zhejiang University, said, "This year's assessment of Mogan Huangya tea reflects a heightened level of standardization and a commendable improvement in quality compared to the previous year."