Zongzi tea, which refers to black tea wrapped with bamboo or reed leaves, from Qimen county of Huangshan city in Anhui province are becoming increasingly popular among consumers in light of the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 22.
Zongzi refers to glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are a quintessential Chinese delicacy consumed during this holiday.
To create a novel way of consuming black tea, Jiang Shuxia, the owner of Qimen Jiyuanchun Tea Co Ltd in Qimen county, introduced tea that is wrapped in the same leaves as zongzi a few years ago.
The product was a big hit with consumers when it was released, and its popularity appears to have grown even further, with sales of zongzi tea this year growing once again.
The company currently produces about 30,000 units every day, which is three times the amount last year.
There are currently over 10 enterprises in Qimen county producing zongzi tea. The packaging of zongzi tea is all done manually by experienced tea farmers.
This surge in demand for the tea has in turn led to more employment opportunities for hundreds of local women and the elderly.
Local workers make zongzi tea in a workshop in Qimen county, Anhui province. [Photo/WeChat ID: huangshanribao]
A woman makes zongzi tea. [Photo/WeChat ID: huangshanribao]