Dark tea literally means Black Tea(Hei Cha) in China, and is one of the six major categories of tea in China. It is named because the finished tea leaves are dark in appearance.The dark tea is a fermented tea. Dark tea has been a famous tea since ancient times and is known as the "mysterious tea on the Silk Road."
What are the different names of Hei Cha in China and the West?
In China, there are six major categories of tea: green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea and dark tea. In the West, the same tea categories also include black tea and dark tea. However, the classification of Chinese tea is based on the color and processing method of the tea. The literal meaning of black tea (hongcha), it means red, and its characteristic is the bright color of the tea liquor after brewing. Dark tea refers to the use of microbial fermentation in the production process.
What are the classifications of dark tea?
According to the provincial production area, dark tea includes Hunan Anhua Fu Frick tea(Fu Cha), Sichuan Ya'an Tibetan tea, Guangxi Wuzhou Liubao tea, Yunnan Puerh tea, Anhui Qimen hei cha, Hubei Laoqing brick tea, and Shanxi Jingyang Fu tea.
Today, we will take the 2013 11-years Anfu fu brick tea fu cha from our tea shop as an example to show you its characteristics and how to brew it.
Anhua fu brick tea can be said to be a relatively special existence in the entire dark tea category. The "golden flower" in Anhua dark tea, scientifically known as Eurotium coronarius, is a probiotic bacteria that looks like a small yellow flower and appears in the "Fu brick tea", which is a key factor in determining the quality of Fu cha.
tea-to-water ratio of 1:20
water temperature: boiled water
teaware: Yixing teapot
water: spring water
2. Add tea: According to the tea-to-water ratio of 1:20 (the amount of tea can also be adjusted according to personal taste and preference);
3. Moisturize the tea: Rinse it with boiling water. It is required to rinse it quickly to help the tea properties show better;
4. Brewing: Use boiling water to brew. Adjust the brewing time and the concentration of the tea soup according to your taste. 1th to 5th infusion: 20s/10s/15s/15s/20s. You can brew multiple times.