China’s black teas, referred to as “kung fu” teas, are a labor of enjoy. The expression “kung fu” refers to the highest grades of black tea, meticulously and skillfully made, with amazing care taken in every single phase of the production process.
Named black tea in the West, it is known as red tea or hongcha in China. China’s black teas are quite distinct from those of India and Sri Lanka. Rather than bold and strong, they are soft, sweet, and fragrant, yet full-bodied and flavorful. This is simply because the Chinese slowly and gradually and meticulously coax the flavor and fragrance from the leaf, utilizing a much lighter contact and a lengthier, slower oxidation period of time.
The longer, slower oxidation aids focus a kind of flavanoid known as thearubigins, and with each other with lots of plump, sweet ideas, a wonderful pluck, and watchful, gradual processing attracts out the frivolously sweet aroma of rock fruits, and hints of bittersweet chocolate (without having the bitterness).
There are many distinct people of black tea, every single coming from a different area of China. From Anhui province will come the Keemun family of black teas. This includes Keemun Hao Ya (also named Qimen Hao Ya or Keemun Downy Bud), Keemun Hao Ya B, Keemun Mao Feng (also known as Keemun Hairpoint Mao Feng), and Keemun Congou.
Keemun is China’s most renowned black tea, named after Qimen in Anhui province exactly where it truly is created. Keemun black teas have been favorites in the West for far more than a century due to the fact of their sweet and intriguing chocolate taste.
China’s Fujian province is house to the Panyang Congou family of black teas, which include Dan Gui, Golden Crab, Golden Monkey, King of Golden Needles, and Panyang Congou.
One particular of the last historical teas of its kind created in China during the tea trade days, Panyang Congou is meticulously manufactured, as its name implies (Congou is a variation of Kung fu, indicating manufactured with talent and care). Congou is also a tea trade classification for teas with this particular twisted form.
For centuries Panyang Congou was handmade by skilled masterful tea makers, but these days it is created mainly by machine.
From Instant in the northern part of Fujian province, in an region regarded as to be the birthplace of tea, will come a revered black tea, Lapsang Souchong (or Tarry Lapsang). Even although nowadays Lapsang Souchong is becoming marketed the globe over, the ideal and first version is only developed in Wuyi Shan.
China’s Sichuan province is a mountainous region with huge areas of wilderness untouched as yet by guy. It is property to a single black tea, Zao Bei Jian, also known as Imperial Sichuan.
In the far northwestern suggestion of Yunnan, touching on the Tibetan Himalaya, Yunnan province is wealthy with historical past, and property to some of China’s most interesting and flavorful teas, Yunnan Buds of Gold and Yunnan Golden Needles. Each are manufactured from an indigenous selection of huge, broad-leaf tea bushes, acknowledged to locals as dayeh, located only is this distant area of Yunnan province.
Considered to be some of the highest grades of black tea, Yunnan Buds of Gold and Yunnan Golden Needles are manufactured with heaps of prolonged tips, giving them a sweet and creamy, malty flavor with no bitterness.
In the southwestern corner of Yunnan province lies the sizzling and steamy tropical location of Xishuangbanna, residence to earthy black pu-erh teas. These healthier teas are regarded to be medicinal by the Chinese. Research has verified their beliefs, with research displaying pu-erh teas to aid in fat decline as properly as many of the exact same wellness advantages attributed to environmentally friendly and white teas, that receive small processing.