凍頂烏龍茶傳統製茶技術保存重要性探討

The investigation of the importance to preserve the technique of traditional Dong-Ding Oolong Tea manufacturing

「凍頂烏龍茶」是指產自南投縣鹿谷鄉凍頂山上的烏龍茶，凍頂為地區名，烏龍為一茶樹品種，在凍頂茶區，茶農普遍栽種的品種為小葉種的「青心烏龍」。早期在鹿谷鄉，茶農對凍頂茶區的範圍定義，主要是由位於凍頂山上的彰雅村、永隆村和鳳凰村所組成，此區域所種植與製作的茶葉便稱之「凍頂烏龍茶」。凍頂烏龍茶的製茶技術發源於中國福建，早期傳到臺灣的製茶法製成的茶葉外型為捲曲條狀，直到1941 年，鹿谷茶農向福建安溪茶人習得烏龍茶的「半球型製茶法」後，凍頂烏龍茶的外形始為半球型，亦發展出屬於鹿谷鄉「凍頂烏龍茶」的獨特傳統製法。1970 年開始，隨著台灣經濟發展、茶葉內需市場增加，凍頂烏龍茶開始於茶業市場上興盛。要製作出傳統風味的凍頂烏龍茶，從茶菁採摘到製茶工序，每個細節都不可怠惰。凍頂烏龍茶的傳統製茶過程，是一門很專業的技術，製作過程越是嚴謹完整，茶葉的品質也就越是優良。鹿谷茶區從1976 年開啟優良茶比賽以來，加上1991 年之後高山茶市場的日漸崛起，使得鹿谷茶區的製茶方式逐漸產生變化；另外，製茶本是一個相當耗費體力的工作，茶廠為了節省製茶成本與增加茶葉銷售收益，製茶人逐漸拋棄傳統製茶技術，而以一套現代化製茶流程與方法取代，因為製茶流程的不夠完整，導致製茶品質的影響。本文主要探討凍頂烏龍茶傳統製茶技術保存的重要性，研究者在進行產業田野訪問過程中得知這項傳統製茶技術的珍貴性，以及在傳承保存上的難處。特別是此一製茶技術無法快速習得，欲學習完整且標準的凍頂烏龍茶傳統製茶技術，必須得要長時間的跟著資深製茶師傅在旁學習，並透過無數次的製作與技術調整，反覆修正與練習後，方可能練就一手成熟的傳統製茶技術。時間永遠是文化保存和技藝傳承的殺手，傳統製茶技術的保存與傳承不能等到其快要消失殆盡時才進行，珍惜前人所留下來的珍貴技術是迫不可待的使命。

Dong-Ding Oolong Tea is the oolong tea from Dong-Ding mountain located in Lugu village, Nantou County. Dong-Ding is an area name. Oolong is a cultivar of tea plant. In Dong-Ding tea area, tea planters generally grow the small-leaf type, named＂Ching-Xin Oolong＂. In early stage, the planters in Lugu Village defined the Dong-Ding Tea areaas being formed by Changya Village, Yunlong Village and Fongfang Village. The tea planted and manufactured in this area is called ＂Dong-Ding Oolong Tea＂. The manufacturing technique of Dong-Ding Oolong Tea is oringinated from Fukien, China.Having learned the ＂half ball type manufacture skill＂ from the tea makers in Anxi, Fukien in 1941, the tea planters in Lugu developed their traditional unique tea manufacturing technique and the outlook of Dong-Ding Oolong tea became half ball type. The impact and complicated traditional tea making process is a professional skill. The more impact and complete tea making process is done,the better tea quality you will achieve. Since the 80’s, the tea manufacturing process in Lugu area gradually changed owing to the beginning of quality competition and the spring up market of high mountain tea. Basically, tea manufacturing is a work of high labor consuming. The save the production cost and increase the sales profit, the tea makers gradually abandoned the traditional tea manufacturing technique and substituted with a so called ＂modern tea manufacturing S.O.P. ＂The tea quality is affected by the incomplete tea making process. This essay is mainly to investigate the importance to preserve the technique of traditional Dong-Ding Oolong Tea manufacturing. The investigator has learned the preciousness of this traditional manufacturing technique and the difficulty of preserving and inheriting the craft during his interviews with the related enterprises, especially the tea manufacturing technique cannot be achieved very fast, it has to take a long period of time to follow the senior tea makers with countless trials, skill adjustments so as to obtain the mature traditional tea manufacturing technique. Time is always the killer of culture preservation and technique inheritance. We cannot wait to start to preserve and inherit traditional manufacturing technique till it is going to fade away. It is an urgent obligation to cherish the precious manufacturing technique left by our predecessors.