Description

Origin: Anhua, Hunan, China
Harvest time: June, 2023
Garden height: 780 m
Tea Bush: Taojiang Big Leaf Tea

Dark Tea Fu Zhuan Cha is an organic dark tea from Anhu, Hunan Province. Fuzhuan Cha is one of the most famous dark teas in Hunan.

Dark tea is a type of post-fermented tea. The fermentation of dark tea is different from that of black and oolong tea. Black tea is called fully fermented tea, and oolong tea is called semi-fermented. The nature of black and oolong tea fermentation is the reaction of biochemical compositions in tea leaves in an oxygen environment, while the post-fermentation of dark tea takes place, the biochemical compositions are changed by the intervention of microorganisms. Generally, the fermentation of black and oolong tea is done in a few hours, whereas the post-fermentation of dark tea will last once the product is made and will last for several months or even several years.

Dark tea consists of a twig with three to six leaves. The flakes are fried over high heat in an iron pan. The tea is then rolled on two occasions. After the first rolling, it is placed in a pile for 12-24 hours to ferment and then rolled again, but with less intensity. Then the tea is roasted in large masonry ovens where the smoke of pine wood is not avoided, unlike green teas where smoke is forbidden. After a maximum of 8% water remains in the leaves, the tea is pressed into bricks and sent to drying rooms for maturation where it is kept at high humidity. During this process, mold forms, which begins to multiply. If the procedure is performed correctly, golden/yellow spots naturally appear inside the pressed sheets.

Dark tea was invented a long time ago in China. There are several types of dark tea from different provinces. Among them, Hunan dark tea is one of the most important types, and Fuzhuan Cha is the most distinctive Hunan dark tea. The origin of Hunan Dark Tea-Fuzhuan Cha is closely related to the Chinese nomadic population of the northern and western territories. Today they are Mongols, Tibetans, Uighurs, etc.

The general diet of these peoples consists mainly of meat, milk and bread. There is a lack of vegetative food and fiber food. Therefore, they need tea to digest oils and help supply them with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Tea is essential for their daily lives. As one story goes, they can go three days without any food, while one day they cannot go without tea.

Anhua is located in the Wuling Mountains area in the central-western part of Hunan Province. It is covered with deep forests and unique rocks created by a glacier about six hundred million years ago. Special natural conditions are ideal for the growth of tea bushes for top quality tea.

Fuzhuan Cha is the most distinctive dark tea produced in Anhua County. The production time of Fuzhuan Cha was in the summer of every year. Summer in Chinese is ‘Fu’, so that’s how it got its name. The good natural raw material for Anhua tea and the excellent processing of Fuzhuan Cha result in the outstanding quality of the tea and the production of fungi that are very beneficial to human health. This mushroom Eurotium cristatum is called Jinhua by the Chinese, which means Golden Flower. Fungi develop after several years of storage and significantly help in digestion, reduce fat and blood sugar, and regulate metabolism. It also improves the quality of tea in such a way that it helps in the transformation of monosaccharides and promotes the oxidation of polyphenols. This significantly improves the taste of the tea, which becomes smoother and sweeter over time.