Yunnan Fu Shou Mei Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong black tea
Yunnan Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong - Image 2
Yunnan Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong - Image 3
Yunnan Fu Shou Mei Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong black tea

Yunnan Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong

Black Tea

 

Origin:  JingMai Shan, Lancang County, Pu-erh (Simao) Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China

 

Manufacture: traditional hong cha manufacture – plus the addition of the natural, local cane during firing
Oxidation: fully-oxidized

 

Appearance: well-shaped, medium-long leaf, ample sweet tips, thick-ish leaf characteristic of the tea bush/tree cultivars grown in this area
Flavor: rich, almost cacao-like flavor reminiscent of an eastern China black tea. Very full-bodied and lush in the cup – extremely satisfying to drink.
Aroma: classic, honey-caramel Yunnan aroma
Liquor: rich claret-amber colored liquor

 

NO LONGER FOR SALE
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Yunnan Fragrant-Flavor Dian Hong

In Humin Township ancient tea trees are distributed in the JingMai, Mangjing, Manghong, Wengju, and Wengwa tea harvesting areas in the southern part of Pu-erh (Simao) Prefecture. The JingMai tea growing area has one of the largest concentrations of cultivated ancient tea gardens (approximately 1500 acres) which are believed to have been first cultivated over 1200 years ago by the Bulang people.

The JingMai tea harvesting area is located in the southwest part of Yunnan Province. As is the case with many of the Yunnan tea growing regions, the exact varieties of Camellia sinensis (or Camellia assamica) found in each area are unique to each area and botanically different one to another.

Because Yunnan is the original home of tea trees in China, the biodiversity of tea trees growing throughout the tea growing mountains there is one of the reasons why Yunnan black teas are so different in character one to another, from black teas produced in other areas in China, and also from tea being produced just about anywhere else in the world.

This tea is made from large-sized fresh leaf material that is hand-plucked from large, old growth tea trees, and is known as De Ye Zhong. This leaf gives the finished tea a very good original character. It is a Sheng Tai or natural / ecological tea, meaning that the tea has been cultivated without pesticides but carries no official organic designation.

This dian hong is from JingMai Shan, a mountain region located in the southern part of the Simao Prefecture – a region known to Pu-erh lovers as a remote, mountainous place that produces high-grade Pu-erh tea. Many do not realize that these Simao tea areas also produce stunning black teas. Whether harvested from old growth tea tees or new, cultivated tea bushes, the leaf from this region has special taste qualities that yields delicious types of both Pu-erh and dian hong/hong cha.

Our unique ‘Fragrant-Flavor’ tea is manufactured by a process that is reminiscent of one used in the 80’s and 90’s for some exotic coffees. Local red cane that is unprocessed into sugar as we know it; but is nonetheless sometimes called ‘raw cane’, is mixed with water and added to the firing pans when this tea leaf is being fired and shaped (and sometimes also when it is being finish-fired to dry it). The result is a unique finish on the leaf – a sort of gloss or glaze that is imperceptible when one does not know that it is there, but can be seen if one does. The tea, when steeped, offers a rich, smooth, and really deep flavor that is unlike any other tea that we have ever seen, and does have a similar character to the coffee that we mention above. It is not a sweetness, but rather more like a true caramel or burnt sugar nutty/dry background taste that is quite exotic and fun.

We currently have two lovely seasonal teas from JingMai Shan. While these two teas share some characteristics of their terroir, each is a delicious individual made unique by the special character of the terroir where the old growth tea trees grow. Additionally, teas from this specific area are from old growth tea trees that have mutated in the forests over time, making these trees different from other tea trees found in patches of forest elsewhere in these same mountains.

This tea is made from large-sized, fresh leaf material that is hand-plucked by villagers from the ethnic minorities that live in the high mountain forest areas. The tea is picked in autumn when the leaves have a full, rich taste and a concentrated aromatic.

Fragrant Flavor Dian Hong has a soft, flavor with undertones of cacao nib and honey that is very smooth and enticing.

 

Harvesting Season:

Autumnal Pluck (Oct)

Steeping Instructions:

Use 2.5 Tablespoons (2-3 grams) per 6 oz water
Steep 1 infusion at 3-5 minutes
Water temperature should be 190°F-200°F

 

Steeping Tip:

 

Definitely steep this leaf a second time if the first steeping is on the short side of our suggestion.
This leaf is extremely large so if you are measuring by volume be sure to use a generous amount. The volume quantity of it by weight yields a particularly large quantity of leaf so keep that in mind when measuring.

Also … the cane ‘glaze’ will steep out primarily during the initial steeping, so the second/third steepings will taste a bit different than the initial one does
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Map:

More Information:

Is Yunnan black tea dian hong or hong cha?

 

Terminology for Chinese teas can be confusing. For example, in China hong cha is the term for ‘red’ tea –  what we in the West call black tea. It can be used to describe any tea from any of the black tea producing regions of China. For example: one might refer to a Fujian Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong as a northern Fujian hong cha or a Keemun black tea from Anhui Province as an Anhui hong cha.

Conversely, hong cha teas of Yunnan Province are called dian hong instead. Dian is an old historical name for parts of today’s Yunnan Province, so dian hong is still how Yunnan black tea are referred to. Some say that dian hong should just refer to the modern-style plantation style teas and not the forest teas made from indigenous varieties of old tea bush varietals.
We, on the other hand, generally use the term dian hong to mean the opposite. Yunnan has such a long history of producing both Pu-erh and dian hong that we think dian hong should be reserved for tea in the historical since –  the traditional, small village teas made from forest gathered leaf materials.

 

On rested and aged Yunnan Dian Hong:

 

New harvest seasonal Yunnan black teas are delicious – but rested or aged versions of these teas can be twice as rewarding! Tea Trekker’s Yunnan black teas are plucked in various types of tea gardens – older plantation gardens and forested arbor bushes and trees (wild to semi-wild plants). Not all black tea ages well, but we find that hand-crafted teas from both Yunnan Province and regions of Eastern China keep and age wonderfully.

The bushes and trees that are plucked to make out Yunnan teas represent different generations of plants and are comprised of many unique cultivars found growing throughout the heavily forested mountain tea growing regions of Yunnan. These varietals and cultivars are broad-leafed varieties – known collectively as dayeh – that produce large, long leaves that reflect the richness of their forested habitat and the plants close genetic connection to the wild tea trees of Assam India – Camealia assamica. This habitat and size is one of the reasons why Yunnan black teas are so rich and full in the mouth.

Tea such as this offers the luxury of time as they will store well and maintain and develop flavor complexity for several years.  We love Yunnan dian hong and prefer to drink them when they have mellowed a bit – one or two years after manufacture. In most cases, the teas can be kept for much longer.

The key to ageing these teas is proper storage (cool and reasonable airtight – a ceramic jar is ideal) which will serve to underscore and preserve the inherent concentration of flavor elements that premium Yunnan leaf has in abundance.