Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2010/C 254/07

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘’ (LONGJING CHA)

EC No: CN-PDO-0005-0621-16.07.2007

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1.   Name:

‘’ (Longjing cha)

2.   Member State or third country:

China

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1.   Type of product:

3.2.   Description of product to which the name in (1) applies:

Longjing cha is a green tea, comprising fresh tea leaves from specific tree varieties and using a unique process.

Longjing cha is renowned for its distinctive characteristics, specifically its green colour, rich aroma, sweet aftertaste, and attractive appearance.

Table 1

Requirements for the sensory qualities of Longjing cha in different grades

Table 2

Physiochemical requirements

3.3.   Raw materials:

For the varieties of tea trees selected for Longjing cha, the requirements are as follows.

Tea buds are green or yellow green in colour and have few or no fine hairs; the buds are slim with thin stems, and the angle between the buds and the leaves is small; the trees have a high yield of buds, which grow vigorously and can be harvested several times. There are also high standards regarding the chemical composition of the fresh buds: there should be a high level of chlorophyll in a bud with one to two leaves, ensuring that the dried leaves are green and the steeped leaves bright green.

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only):

—

3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

Production and processing must take place in the defined area. Processing includes slight withering, Qingguo (roasting in a hot wok), cooling and moisturing, and finally Huiguo (roasting in a mild wok).

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

Tea leaves should be kept clear of damp and handled with care during transportation and loading, avoiding violent impacts and heavy pressure.

The finished products should be stored in a dry, tea-specific warehouse. The relative humidity in the warehouse should be lower than 50 % and the temperature around 5 °C, avoiding direct exposure to sunlight, high temperature and moisture.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling:

The name ‘, Longjing Cha’ should be indicated on the sales package of the product, as well as the name of the growing region (Xihu, Qiantang or Yuezhou). Tea leaves picked and processed in Xihu (Scenic Spots and Historic Sites of Xihu) district could be labelled ‘Xihu Longjing Cha’.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area is in China, in the province of Zhejiang. Production of tea leaves and processing take place in three areas: Xihu, Qiantang and Yuezhou.

The growing region of Xihu covers the district of Xihu (Scenic and Historic Sites of Xihu), Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.

The growing region of Qiantang includes the areas in the counties (cities or districts) of Xiaoshan, Binjiang, Yuhang, Fuyang, Lin’an, Tonglu, Jiande, Chun’an of Hangzhou City.

The growing region of Yuezhou refers to areas in the counties (cities or districs) of Shaoxing, Yuecheng, Xinchang, Shengzhou and Zhuji, and towns in the counties (cities) of Shangyu, Pan’an, Dongyang and Tiantai.

All three growing regions (Xihu, Qiantang and Yuezhou) are designated regions for Longjing cha production, with uniform conditions.

5.   Link with the geographical area:

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area:

The tea gardens have mostly red or yellow soil and their variants, mainly composed of red loam, quaternary red clay, red clay and paddy soil and mother materials — mainly granite, tuff and rhyolite. The pH value of the soil ranges between 4,3 and 6,5. The soil is highly suited to growing tea trees.

As to climatic conditions, the growing regions of Longjing cha are located between 28° 83′ ~ 30° 57′ north latitude and 118° 34′ ~ 121° 26′ east longitude. They are mainly in the drainage basins of the Qiantang River and Cao’e River, with many mountains, hills, rivers and lakes. The area includes Xihu and Qiandao Lakes and Tianmu and Kuaiji Mountains. The region has a typical mild, subtropical monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons. The air is warm and humid, and there is sufficient rainfall. The annual average sunshine time ranges from 1 700 h to 2 100 h. The annual average temperature ranges from 15 °C to 17 °C. The accumulated temperature of daily averages above 10 °C range here from 4 500 °C to 5 000 °C, with a frost-free period of 210 ~ 260 days. The annual average precipitation is 1 330 mm ~ 1 570 mm, with rainfall distribution decreasing gradually from the southwest to the northeast; the annual average relative air humidity is 75 ~ 82 %. The vegetation comprises evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forests, mainly evergreen broadleaved trees or deciduous trees, with cultivated Masson pines and bamboo forests. The climate as described above is beneficial to the accumulation of taste compounds in Longjing cha, such as polyphenol.

Picking, slight withering, QingGuo, cooling, moisturing and HuiGuo are essential elements in the processing of Longjing cha.

There are three major principles in the picking of Longjing cha: early, tender and diligent. Particular attention has always been paid to timing the picking of Longjing cha. Longjing cha is also well-known for its tender buds; frequent rounds of picking is another characteristic. Slight withering can get rid of the majority of any rigidity in the tea leaves. It also can bring out the fragrance of green grass, enhance the aroma, reduce the astringent taste, increase the content of amino acid, and boost the level of freshness. The slight withering can also improve the quality of the roasted tea by giving the roasted Longjing cha a smooth and glossy shape and a bright green colour, and by preventing it lumping. Rolling and twirling forms the leaves into the expected shapes. The roasting process comprises five steps (roasting, cooling, roasting, cooling, roasting), while some of the rolling is also done during this process. The hand movements in roasting include shaking, pushing, flinging, pressing in one direction, rubbing, knocking, scratching, pressing and grinding; these are the ‘10 roasting techniques’. Mechanical frying has now also been adopted.

Longjing cha acquires its name from its place of origin, which comes from ‘Old Longjing Temple’. Many poets and painters have in the past written well known poems and painted pictures with Longjing cha as the theme, inspired by the landscape. Dating from the Song dynasty, the name Longjing cha was recognised in the Yuan dynasty, renowned in the Ming dynasty, and it thrived in the Qing dynasty, lasting nearly one thousand years. This long historical and cultural pre-eminence make Longjing cha a ‘national treasure’ with high economic and cultural values. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou became the capital city, which further promoted the production of tea. Tea processed in the areas around Longjing were sold in the market in the Yuan Dynasty. Yu Bosheng, who loved drinking tea, composed the poem ‘Visit to Longjing’ on the subject of drinking tea, and demonstrated that the monks and learned people of the time used to get together to drink tea and enjoy the peaceful scenery near Longjing, with the good spring water producing good tea.

It was not until the Ming Dynasty that Longjing cha gained its great reputation outside the temples and found its way into worldly families. In Zhejiang, inscriptions dating from the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty included ‘Of all the teas produced in Hangjun (Hangzhou and adjacent areas), none can match Longjing cha, especially the tender buds harvested before Guyu; each one of them is noble and prestigious because of its rareness’.

5.2.   Specificity of the product:

Longjing cha is characterised by its green colour, rich aroma, sweet aftertaste, and its beautiful flat, smooth and straight appearance.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product:

The growing regions of Longjing are mainly in the basins of the Qiantang River and Cao’e River, with many mountains, hills, rivers and lakes. Xihu and Qiandao lakes are in this area, as are Tianmu and Kuaiji Mountains. It has a typical mild subtropical monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons. It has warm and humid air and plentiful rainfall. All of this makes for good natural conditions with an optimised combination of climate, soil, water and vegetation, beneficial to the growth of tea trees. They provide a good and stable ecological environment for the physiological process and the substance metabolism of bud-leaves, which is conducive to the formation and accumulation of nitrogen compounds including amino acids and aromatic substances. Know-how in picking, slight withering, QingGuo, cooling, moisturing and HuiGuo are essential elements in the processing of Longjing cha.

The quality of Longjing cha depends on the combination of these elements, its aromatic flavour and pure taste, all of which help to make up the unique characteristics of Longjing cha.

Reference to publication of the specification:

To be provided by the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

(1)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.