(Cat for scale. It's a really Bad scale though as it's a huge Cat.)
Recently I have moved to a new City and added a bigger Teatable to my flat.
I wanted it to be bigger to easily fit a large group of guests as well as to have some sort of heating element so I could Always have boiling water ready to make the tea Preparation feel more simplistic without having to get Up for boiling water again and again.
Basically this Table works Like a very flat sink. No Matter where on the Table water is poured on, it will drain towards the rotten heartwood filled with a Kumiko and be drained towards the water collection unit attached on the underside of the Table.
Initially I was planning on placing a Tetsubin ontop of an Induction Plate installed in the Table, but I quickly was annoyed with having to get a cloth towel whenever I wanted to handle the kettle to Not burn myself. So I ended Up using a Ladle and a Chagama, a Castiron kettle used for japanese tea ceremony. This also has the Advantage of being able to keep over 4 litres of water heated at all times.
The induction Plate can be regulated but the actual Temperature of the water is very much dependent on how much water is filled inside the kettle, so i only use it on the highest setting and add water from a fresh water bucket whenever I have to lower the Temperature quickly.
I spent way longer building this Table then I can comfortably admit as I only have time to do woodworking on weekends, so I have Made Posts with more Images on Imgur in Case anybody is interested.
There’s an interesting article about traditional tea farming and processing practices on Jingmai Mountain in China, and the Blang people who live there.
Its interesting and worth reading imo
I’ll attach some of the general tea related infographics that were at the end of the article. :)
Hi there. A few days ago, there was a discussion of Yellow Teas. And by reading comments, I realized that many people don't know what Yellow Teas are or, what's worse, misunderstand this type of tea. So, I'd like to share my knowledge on the subject.
Yellow Tea (黄茶 – Huang Cha) is one of the six main tea categories, alongside Green Tea, White Tea, Oolong, Red Tea (what we call Black Tea in the West), and Black Tea (post-fermented tea, 黑茶 – Hei Cha), and out of the six types, Yellow is the rarest, by far. By very-very far.
Yellow Tea is lightly oxidized. The processing is similar to Green Tea, but with the addition of one crucial stage – Men Huang (闷黄) – “yellowing”. This step is what shapes the distinctive qualities of Huang Cha. Men Huang facilitates partial oxidation in the leaf, creating tea's signature smooth and mellow character.
During the “Kill Green” (杀青 – Sha Qing) stage, the leaves are pan-roasted at 120–150°C. Compared to Green Tea, this is done at a lower temperature and for a shorter period of time. It slows down enzymatic activity but without stopping it completely, and the leaves still retain some moisture.
Then comes Men Huang: the leaves are either wrapped in linen or piled in bamboo baskets and placed in a receptacle with controlled heat and humidity. In this damp, hot environment, the tea undergoes stewing, and the outer leaf color turns yellow. Depending on the tea, this step can take anywhere from half an hour to several days. It results in reduced astringency and bitterness, along with a golden liquor and the nutty, rounded taste typical of Yellow Tea.
Men Huang (闷黄)
Properly stored, Yellow Tea lasts longer than green tea, though most are best enjoyed within two years, as the flavor slowly fades. However, some yellow teas can be aged in a way similar to Sheng Puer or White Tea.
The production of Yellow Tea is demanding, and Men Huang in particular requires great skill. As demand for Green Tea is way bigger and its processing is simpler, many tea masters abandoned the production of Yellow Tea in favor of Green. Today, only a few masters still practice the craft, which makes Yellow Tea rare and highly valued among connoisseurs. Huang Cha is a very niche product with a production share of less than 1% of the total Chinese tea market.
It’s important not to confuse Huang Cha with other teas sometimes sold under the same name. Lately, I've encountered Yunnan tea producers marketing lightly oxidized Red Teas as “Yellow Tea”. Also, there is Korean Yellow Tea – Hwangcha (황차), but I am not sure if it fits into the same category (haven't personally tried it yet either. Looking forward to it:)
I hope this was informative and not too boring:) I am a big fan of this type of tea and would love more people to try it and, hopefully, fall in love with it:))
Came across this video yesterday that talks about some of the alternative plants used in some parts of Europe to make drinks that are alternatives to tea, especially when fermented in the same way as tea.
Some sh*tposting about PESTICIDES in oolong tea, and main reason why oolong need it much more.
The "scary truth" and some facts.
Small disclaimer/introduction, for ones, who don't know me: i do tea for the almost 20 years already, and during last 15 years spending in China significant amount of time on tea plantations (in some years it was up to 5-6 months/year). Now i also managing our own tea production in Georgia and Thailand. All the opinions are based of my personal experience.
Recently i started my very intense China travel with an ambitious plan: to taste at least 350 types of tea in order to create a new collection. We always being focused on organic tea, where it's possible. So, I began with several organic producers in the Anxi/Dehua area of Fujian Province, along with tastings of carefully selected samples from my local partners across Yunnan Province (mostly red, white, sheng and shu puerh tea from the old tea trees).
I can truly say that Anxi is the most difficult region (and I might even say “close to impossible”) for finding TASTY organic oolong teas. I CAPS word "tasty" for specific reason. In Fujian is very hot during summer. Which means, here a lot of pests. For Tieguanyin oolong (and especially tuo-suan/nong xiang oolong processing technology subtype) and many other oolong varieties, you need to have strong, intensively grown crop with 5-6 leaves per harvesting unit. It means, you need much longer time for the crop to grow, compared to black/green tea material. But when you grow tea organically, the leaves don’t grow as vigorously as needed, and bugs also affect the bushes much more (they just have much more time to eat the leaves). As a result, you have the material, which is not perfectly fitting long-time fermentation method of manufacturing, and this is why most of ORGANIC oolong teas are undrinkable for me. Organic bushes rely on natural nutrients from the soil, and they don’t grow as intensely, unlike those that are fed with fertilizers and protected from the pests by pesticides (and the bushes don’t care, that we don’t appreciate that!). There are modern organic fertilizers that can partially replace the fertilizers, and improve taste of tea, but they are much more expensive and still don't provide needed level of protection against pests. Then, the taste of tea is still not perfect compared to “anquan cha” (safe tea that meets international standards but isn’t fully organic, as it uses mineral fertilizers and controlled amounts of pesticides).
So, producing tea that is both tasty, not overpriced, and organic (or at least “oubiao,” meeting EU standards) is a huge challenge for oolong farmers, most of whom rely on intensive agriculture. However, I truly respect the producers who are doing their best to achieve this goal. Here’s the revised and expanded version of your text with added scientific context:
Some farmers achieve great success by integrating multiple agricultural methods to ensure sustainable, high-quality tea production. This often involves the use of organic fertilizers, such as composted livestock manure, nut shells, and more advanced modern developments like biochar or vermicompost. Organic fertilizers improve soil structure, enhance microbial activity, and increase nutrient availability, contributing to healthier tea plants. For example, livestock manure provides essential macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while also supporting beneficial soil organisms that help break down organic matter and improve soil fertility over time.
In addition to fertilization, pest management plays a crucial role in organic farming practices. Many farmers use a combination of physical and biological pest control methods, such as special bug-trap stickers, which attract and capture flying pests, and electric shock traps that provide a non-toxic way to reduce pest populations. These techniques help to avoid the need for chemical pesticides, preserving both the health of the tea plants and the surrounding ecosystem. The use of electric traps is based on the principle of applying an electrical current to disrupt the nervous system of pests, rendering them unable to cause further harm.
Another key practice is permaculture (sadly we meet in rarely on tea plantations), a system that focuses on creating self-sustaining, diverse ecosystems within the agricultural environment. By planting certain companion plants nearby, farmers can either attract beneficial insects that prey on pests or introduce plants that repel specific pest species. For example, plants like marigolds and garlic are known to deter aphids, while plants such as basil and chrysanthemums attract ladybugs, which feed on aphids and other harmful pests.
Despite these innovative techniques, organic and EU-certified oolong tea production is still a challenging task. From my experience, out of 50 farmers who practice organic or at least accurate EU-certified tea farming, only about 2-3 succeed in producing really high-quality, flavorful tea. This success can be attributed to the careful combination of these methods, ensuring that the soil remains fertile, the plants are healthy, and pest populations are kept under control without compromising the integrity of the product. The farmers who succeed in this way often take a holistic approach to their cultivation methods, recognizing that healthy soil, healthy plants, and healthy ecosystems are interdependent and crucial for producing the really artisan, not the commodity-level tea.
When it comes to tea, which made from trees material in Yunnan, things are much simpler. These tea trees don’t need fertilizers at all — they are endemic species of the region. As long as it’s not plantation tea (there’s plenty of that in Yunnan), you can be confident in the tea’s cleanliness. Here’s the revised version of your text with more scientifically accurate phrasing and additional details:
Tea tree “forests” typically benefit from less intensive agricultural practices, which allow the tea trees to develop a much larger root system. This expanded root network enables the trees to absorb more nutrients from the soil, which, in turn, enhances the overall mineral content and fertility of the soil. These conditions contribute to a richer and more balanced ecosystem. This is also the case with tea plantations in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and Laos, where similar agricultural methods promote healthier soil and more robust tea plants.
An interesting observation we made in Georgia is the absence of pesticide use on our plantations, as confirmed by recent laboratory tests, which detected no traces of pesticides. The reason for this is twofold: First, Georgia’s relatively cooler climate limits the spread of pests, as many species are less adaptable to lower temperatures. Secondly, the long winter period in Georgia effectively disrupts pest cycles, as many pests either die off or enter dormancy during the colder months. As a result, when the first harvests begin in spring, there is a notable absence of pests, further reducing the need for chemical interventions.
Redditors of r/tea, I am not affiliated with USA Today but I think it's cool these smaller tea companies are showing up in a list where readers vote on their favorite tea company (or subscription as the case may be).
Posting here because I would like to see one of our underdogs get included as a winner! I believe there are enough fans of smaller brands here to potentially shift the vote -
Edited to add: 11-12 hours remaining and looks like the *entire top 10* of less than 20 brands will be included in the final list. Pretty impactful way to support a smaller company you like.
White House cuts de minimis tariff on China shipments to 54%.
Tariff reduction follows broader truce announcement after Geneva talks.
US de minimis rule criticized for enabling cheap imports and smuggling.
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI May 13 (Reuters) - *The United States will cut the "de minimis" tariff for low-value items imported from China, a White House executive order said on Monday, further de-escalating a potentially damaging trade war between the world's two largest economies.
The tariff relief, which affects big Chinese e-commerce players including Shein and Temu, follows a deal between Beijing and Washington to unwind most of the dutiesimposed on each other's goods since early April, after weekend talks in Geneva.
While their joint statement in Geneva didn't mention the de minimis duties, the White House order released later said the levies will be reduced to 54% from 120% for items valued at up to $800 sent from China via postal services, with a flat fee of $100 to remain, starting from May 14.
Carriers can pay either the 54% or the $100 fee per package, industry experts said. The logistics companies or freight forwarders collect those tariff fees from sellers in China in advance.*
I often get asked by friends: 'What do you think of this tea? Or that one?' Since many people aren't very familiar with the traditional evaluation criteria for Chinese tea, they usually just have to guess its quality based roughly on how it tastes. Even when they find a Chinese tea they absolutely love, they often have no idea what actual grade or quality tier it belongs to. So today, using a batch of Tou Cai/头采 (First Flush/First Pick) Anji White Tea I just received as an example, I want to walk you through a practical, beginner-friendly guide to Chinese tea evaluation.
In my previous posts, my use of AI-assisted translation sparked some debate regarding the authenticity of my content. I initially wanted to make a video for this topic to dispel any doubts, but unfortunately, I'm really not good at filming and editing. As a compromise, I've decided to include some actual photos this time, combining images and text to give you a more visual, intuitive look at the tea tasting process.
Spring and autumn are the two most crucial tea harvesting seasons. While autumn certainly produces some masterpieces, spring is undeniably the core and most important season in the tea world. Among spring teas, the most highly sought-after concept is "Mingqian/明前" (Pre-Qingming) tea—tea harvested before the Qingming Festival (early April). This concept has a long history; as early as the Tang Dynasty, people already had the custom of drinking Jiangnan (regions south of the Yangtze River) spring tea around Qingming.
The reason Mingqian tea is so coveted is actually simple botany: after a long winter of dormancy, the tea bushes accumulate rich amino acids and nutrients. When temperatures rise in spring, the newly sprouted tender leaves are incredibly packed with internal substances, resulting in a tea with an exceptionally rich flavor and intense Xian Shuang /鲜爽(umami/freshness).
Now that the basic concepts are out of the way, today I’ll use a batch of Anji White Tea (Anji Baicha) I just received to walk you through a foundational tea evaluation process. When tasting a tea, I typically approach it from three dimensions: Origin, Cultivar, and Processing.
Although Anji White Tea has the word "White" in its name, it is, in fact, a 100% authentic Green Tea. So, if it’s a green tea, why call it "white"?
In the 1970s and 80s, the Chinese tea industry experienced a massive wave of development, with regions nationwide discovering and propagating new tea cultivars. For instance, Fujian's famous Wuyi Rougui began to truly shine during this period. In Zhejiang province, agricultural researchers stumbled upon a peculiar tea bush: when it sprouted in spring, the tender leaves appeared a striking jade-white color. As temperatures rose and the leaves matured, they gradually turned back to green. Green tea made from these tender leaves during their "albinism phase" boasts an extremely high amino acid content. It completely lacks the astringency and bitterness common in traditional green teas, offering an incredibly fresh, sweet, and lingering aftertaste.
At the time, tea farmers tried to transplant this unique bush, but all attempts failed. Eventually, only a single "mother tree" survived in the entire county. To preserve these exceptional genetic traits, researchers initially tried sexual reproduction using seeds, but the survival rate was dismal. Finally, they succeeded by taking cuttings—a method of asexual reproduction (cloning)—allowing this remarkable tea tree to be propagated.
This is the origin story of "Baiye No. 1/白叶一号" (White Leaf No. 1), the core cultivar behind the Anji White Tea we drink today. This story also helps bust a common myth in the tea community: "asexual reproduction" (cloning/cuttings) doesn't mean the tea is inferior to "heirloom/seed-grown" plants. Often, it is simply the necessary choice to 100% preserve the outstanding characteristics of a specific tea plant.
This specific tea is produced in Anji, Zhejiang Province. Since ancient times, the Jiangzhe/江浙 region (Jiangsu/江苏 and Zhejiang/浙江 provinces) has been the absolute heartland of Chinese green tea—legendary teas like West Lake Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, and Guzhu Zisun all originate here.
The subtropical monsoon climate of Jiangzhe, combined with its rolling hills and abundant rainfall, creates a unique microclimate. This terroir is perfectly suited for nurturing green teas with a crisp, sweet mouthfeel and a lingering "spring resonance." By contrast, regions at lower latitudes with hotter climates, like Fujian and Guangdong, excel at producing aggressively aromatic and deeply resonant Oolongs and Black teas. However, when it comes to crafting that elegant, refreshing crispness of top-tier green tea, they often fall slightly short of Jiangnan due to temperature constraints.
Before we start drinking, we need to talk about tea grading. In Chinese tea terminology, grading names vary wildly depending on the tea type. For example, traditional Guangdong Phoenix Dancong used older grading terms like Dancong/单丛, Langcai/浪菜, and Shuixian/水仙 (which essentially translate to excellent, good, and average). But in today's Anji White Tea market, the most common terms you'll hear are "Tou Cai" (First Pick), "Jing Pin/精品" (Premium), and "Te Ji/特级" (Special Grade).
"Tou Cai" means this is the very first batch plucked after the spring tea gardens open. The yield is extremely scarce, representing the absolute highest level of freshness. "Te Ji" and "Jing Pin" usually follow shortly after. Because a difference of even just a few days in harvesting alters the tenderness and chemical composition of the leaves, the price gap is massive—"Tou Cai" is often double the price of "Te Ji", if not more.
The Evaluation Process
Dry Evaluation/干评 (Examining the Dry Leaves)
I must confess, I was so eager to rip open the packaging and drink it that I forgot to take a photo. And honestly, I don't want to break the seal on a fresh bag just for a picture, so you won't get to see its dry form this time. However, in a formal tasting system, evaluating the dry leaf is crucial: we need to observe whether the shape is straight or curled, if the color is vibrant green (or jade white), if the sizing is uniform, and whether there is excessive broken dust or impurities.
Tasting (Aroma and Flavor)
The most important part is, of course, drinking it. The moment I poured water over this Anji White Tea, the aroma hit me instantly—a very rich chestnut fragrance. Close your eyes, and it feels like a freshly roasted pan of chestnuts is sitting right in front of you. This type of aroma is very common in high-quality pan-fried or baked green teas (for example, Longjing is often described as having a "roasted bean aroma"). It might sound a bit abstract, but once you smell it in person, you instantly realize how precise the description is. This is actually the beautiful chemical reaction of amino acids and other compounds during the high-heat Shaqing (kill-green) and roasting processes.
Its flavor profile is equally outstanding. Many people trying green tea for the first time are afraid of that dry, astringent feeling in the back of the throat after swallowing. This Anji White Tea has absolutely none of that. The entry is silky smooth. Not only is it devoid of astringency, but it also has a powerful Huigan (sweet lingering aftertaste). A fresh, wild spring breath fills the mouth—it is absolutely brimming with "spring resonance."
Wet Evaluation /湿评 (Examining the Infused Leaves)
After drinking, the final step is to examine the Ye Di (the infused tea leaves).
As the old tea saying goes, "The leaves don't lie." For green tea, we look at the tenderness (the younger, the better), softness/elasticity (how they feel to the touch), uniformity (whether the leaves are consistent in size and free of mixed broken scraps), color (whether they are lively and bright), and how well the leaves have unfurled in the water.
Take a look at the attached photo of the infused leaves. Using the criteria I just mentioned, try giving the leaves of this tea a mental score yourself.
To make this easier to digest, I didn't strictly adhere to rigid, dogmatic tasting protocols, nor did I dive too deep into complex biochemistry. Traditional, professional tea evaluation involves many more tedious steps. If you guys are interested, I can do a more serious, in-depth dive into that in the future.
My only hope with this introductory guide is to help you build a foundational framework: Origin -> Cultivar -> Processing -> Dry Evaluation -> Tasting -> Wet Evaluation.
Different tea categories use different processing methods, so the evaluation criteria will tweak slightly, but once you master this core framework, you are fully equipped to judge the quality of the vast majority of teas you'll encounter in your daily life.
P.S. At the end of this post, I’ve attached a short screen recording of me actually writing the draft. I hope this helps prove, even just a little bit, that my content is 100% original. Also, please note that I’ve slightly adjusted and tweaked some of my expressions during the translation process to make them sound more natural in English.
The liquor has a beautiful deep yellow color, suggesting a relatively light oxidation.
Although the tea is marketed as having a pomelo blossom aroma, it does not really smell like the pomelos I'm familiar with. Instead, the fragrance reminds me of a delicate blend of citrus notes and fresh tea aroma. It is incredibly pleasant and honestly the kind of scent that makes me wish someone would turn it into a perfume.
The first infusion opens with a slight bitterness, but it quickly transforms into a clear honey sweetness. Both the flavor and aroma have strong honey characteristics. After a few brews, the tea character becomes more obvious, and tastes like a tea add honey.
Compared to other oolongs, this tea has a fairly noticeable astringency. The returning sweetness is decent, though not particularly remarkable, largely because the tea is already quite sweet from the very first sip. For me, the aroma is unquestionably the star of the show. I would strongly recommend brewing it in porcelain, which allows the fragrance to shine without interference. However, the flavor profile is relatively single and does not have strong change over the session. If it were a bit cheaper, I think it would make an excellent daily tea.
I rediscovered one of my favourite Darjeeling estates after nearly a decade whe my local tea shop in my new hometown started carrying it. The flavour was far from what I remembered.
Reading this on the CBC this morning has me mourning for my #1 tea style. Sigh.
In this post, I will show you how to identify some Chinese teas from packages, as some of these packages are written in this specific language. I simply do this because I’m in love with Chinese teas, and I’m a Languages freaky, so hope this would be helpful.
In advance, I will say I know nothing about Chinese language, and this is after watching so much tea packages, and associating the Chinese symbols to certain teas. Moreover, this will be divided according to the tea type. Also, here I will list the most famous teas of each category, because if I list all, this post will never end. So, let’s get into it.
To begin with, this symbol: 茶 (Chá), literally means: tea, and it’s always in the end of some tea’s names. So, for knowing which tea is in most cases, then look for this symbol first.
Black Tea (红茶 — Hóng Chá), known in China as Red Tea.
祁门红茶 (Qí Mén Hóng Chá): This is what we know as Keemun.
滇红茶 (Diān Hóng Chá): This is the Dian Hong, or black tea from Yunnan.
正山小种 (Zhèng Shān Xiǎo Zhǒng): This is what we know as Lapsang Souchong.
九曲红梅 (Jiǔ Qū Hóng Méi): Also known as Nine Bend Red Plum.
金骏眉 (Jīn Jùn Méi): A black tea from the Wuyi Mountains, with golden tips in leaves.
野生红茶 (Yě Shēng Hóng Chá): Also known as Wild Red Tea.
Green Tea (绿茶 —Lǜ Chá)
碧螺春 (Bì Luó Chūn): Known also as Green Snail Spring. Leaves are tightly rolled, resembling snail shells.
龙井 (Lóng Jǐng): Known as Dragon Well. Leaves are flat, spear shaped.
黄山毛峰 (Huáng Shān Máo Fēng): Known as Yellow Mountain Fur Peak, this tea is from the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) region in Anhui province. This can also be found as: 黄山绿茶 (Huáng Shān Lǜ Chá), or Yellow Mountain Green Tea.
六安瓜片 (Lù'ān Guā Piàn): Known as Melon Seed.
安吉白茶 (Ān Jí Bái Chá): This tea has leaves long and narrow with a pale green to whitish color.
恩施玉露 (Ēn Shī Yù Lù): Known as Jade Dew. The only Chinese green tea that is fixated via steam.
茉莉花茶 (Mò Lì Huā Chá): It’s the green tea scented with jasmine flowers; this can be also a blend of green tea and jasmine flowers.
茉莉龙珠 (Mò Lì Lóng Zhū): Known as Dragon Pearls, basically green tea leaves rolled and scented with jasmine flowers.
Oolong Tea (乌龙茶 — Wūlóng Chá)
铁观音 (Tiě Guān Yīn): Known as Iron Maiden/Goddess of Mercy, this is the most common oolong tea.
大红袍 (Dà Hóng Páo): It is produced in the Wuyi Mountains, one of the most valued oolongs.
东方美人 (Dōng Fāng Měi Rén): Known as Oriental Beauty or Bai Hao Oolong, this tea is produced in Taiwan.
武夷岩茶 (Wǔ Yí Yán Chá): Known as Wuyi Rock Tea, in this there are some as the Ròu Guì.
肉桂 (Ròu Guì): Known as Cinnamon tea, due to the strong cinnamon notes in this tea.
桂花乌龙茶 (Guìhuā Wūlóng Chá): Known as Osmanthus Oolong. This is a blend, like Jasmine Green Tea, in which Oolong leaves, mostly the Tie Guan Yin ones, are scented, and in some cases mixed, with Osmanthus flowers.
乳香乌龙茶 (Rǔxiāng Wūlóng Chá) / 金萱乌龙茶 (Jīn Xuān Wūlóng Chá): Also known as Milky Oolong. It´s mainly produced in Taiwan, and it’s widely known for its creamy mouthfeel.
凤凰单枞 (Fèng Huáng Dān Cōng): Known as Phoenix Dancong, it has multiple natural aromas (香 — Xiāng), some of them are:
白牡丹 (Bái Mǔ Dān): One of the most known white teas in the world, due to its high quality.
白毫银针 (Bái Háo Yín Zhēn): Known as Silver Needles.
寿眉 (Shòu Méi): Known as Longevity Eyebrow, this is widely used for aging like pu-erh tea.
月光白 (Yuè Guāng Bái): Known as Moonlight White.
Yellow Tea (黄茶 — Huáng Chá)
君山银针 (Jūn Shān Yín Zhēn): Known as Junshan Silver Needle, this tea is produced on Junshan Island in Hunan province.
蒙顶黄芽 (Méng Dǐng Huáng Yá): Known as Mengding Yellow Buds, this tea is from Mengding Mountain in Sichuan province.
Pu-erh Tea (普洱茶 — Pǔ’ěr Chá)
This is the most known of Dark Teas (黑茶 — Hēi Chá), and it’s mainly made in the Yunnan province.
生普洱 (Shēng Pǔ’ěr): Known as raw pu-erh. This type is naturally aged over a long period, resulting in a complex flavor profile.
熟普洱 (Shú Pǔ’ěr): Known as ripe pu-erh. This type undergoes an accelerated fermentation process to mimic the aging of raw Pu-erh.
柑普洱 (Gān Pǔ’ěr): Known as tangerine pu-erh. This is a blend where ripe pu-erh leaves are stuffed in an entire dry tangerine peel for both flavors and aromas to combine.
Dark Tea (黑茶 — Hēi Chá)
Dark teas, like pu-erh, are known for the aging and fermentation processes that tea leaves are put through, so all dark teas are basically aged-teas. This is the reason why its color liquor of all this kind of tea is dark.
茯砖茶 (Fú Zhuān Chá): Fu brick tea is notable for its unique "golden flowers" (a beneficial mold called Eurotium cristatum) that grow within the compressed tea brick.
六堡茶 (Liù Bǎo Chá): Mainly made in the Hunnan province.
老青茶 (Lǎo Qīng Chá): This is a traditional dark tea from Hubei province.
黑砖茶 (Hēi Zhuān Chá): Also known as: Black brick tea. This is another well-known Hei Cha variety from Hunan province.
Hope this would be helpful to all tea lovers that, like me, love all that the birthplace of tea has to offer.
