Liuan Guapian Tea: One of the Top Ten Chinese Teas 中国十大名茶：六安瓜片

"六安瓜片"，历史名茶、中国十大名茶之一，国际著名特种绿茶。像其它中国名茶一样，"六安瓜片"生长在长江以北，靠长江边大别山北麓，高山环抱，云雾缭绕，青山碧水，竹大成林。是"六安瓜片"的先天性条件。
With a long history, Liuan Guapian tea is a internationally renowned green tea and one of the top ten Chinese teas. Like other famous Chinese teas, Liuan Guapian tea is grown north of the Yangtze River. The growing area for the tea is at the northern feet of Dabieshan Mountains wher grand mountains, wafting clouds, clean waters and bamboo forests form a beautiful landscape, which gives favorable natural conditions for the production of Liuan Guapian tea.
与其他众名茶不同的是，"六安瓜片"采制技艺和加工工艺独特。采摘时间必须在"谷雨"前后十天。"六安瓜片"的采摘也与众不同，茶农取自茶枝嫩梢壮叶，因而，叶片肉质醇厚，营养最佳，是我国绿茶中唯一不采梗不采芽只采叶的片茶。炒制时，分炒生锅、炒熟锅，拉毛火、拉小火、拉大火，竹篓装茶木炭灰，炭火猛烈，火苗盈尺，抬篮走烘，一罩即提，二、三付烘篮，交替进行，一抬一步，边烘边翻，节奏紧扣，配合默契，如跳古舞一般，次数在80次以上，直至起霜有润，清香扑鼻。用专家们的话说"实为一绝"。此外，制作"六安瓜片"的茶树，必须是当地自古以来的"小叶种"，否则就变形走味。
The picking and processing techniques of Liuan Guapian tea are different from those of other famous teas. The tea has to be picked within 10 days before or after the Grain Rain (in late April, 6th solar term) and only the mature leaves on new sprouts are collected, resulting in succulent leaves and a high nutritional profile. It is the sole green tea that abandons the stems and buds and keeps only leaves. The frying procedure has two stages with different heats and the baking procedure has three stages with bamboo braziers in different sizes and under different time duration and heat. In the baking stages, tea leaves is put in a bamboo basket and heated by the burning charcoal, with two people stretching the basket to go over the charcoal fire several times and turn over the tea at the same time as if performing an ancient dance. Generally, the tea needs to be turned over more than 80 times to have a pleasant aroma. Even tea experts call this process a "great feat". What's more, the tea trees must be the traditional small-leaf trees or else the taste will be a different one.
六安瓜片是所有绿茶当中营养价值最高的茶叶，有抗衰老、抑制细菌、降血脂、瘦身减脂、防龋齿、清口臭、防癌、美白及放辐射等功效。
Liuan Guapian tea tops the nutritional list among all green teas. It helps to slow down aging, has antibacterial properties, decreases blood lipids, helps with weight loss, prevents tooth decay, promotes fresh breath, prevents cancer and radiation damage, and whitens the skin.