Many people can only name Pu-erh tea as a type of dark tea, but there are other varieties within the dark tea category that have different characteristics. How much do you know about them?
What is black tea?
Black tea is one of the six major types of tea and belongs to the category of post-fermented tea. The production process of post-fermented tea differs somewhat from that of other types of tea. After the tea leaves undergo the processes of withering and rolling, they are placed in an environment with appropriate humidity and temperature for a long period of aging. Black tea can be categorized by region, with major varieties including Hunan black tea, Hubei green brick tea, Sichuan Tibetan tea, Anhui Gu Yi black tea, Yunnan black tea, Guangxi Liu Bao tea, and Shaanxi black tea.
However, due to the popularity of Pu-erh tea, there are many misunderstandings surrounding Pu-erh tea and other black teas. For example, some people often confuse Hunan black tea with Pu-erh tea, thinking that Hunan black tea is also a type of Pu-erh tea; others even consider Tibetan tea to be a variant of Yunnan Pu-erh tea produced in the Tibet region. But what are the actual differences between these black teas? Below, we will analyze the black teas from Hunan, Yunnan, and Sichuan to see what distinguishes them!
[Hunan] Anhua black tea with golden flowers
Since the Tang Dynasty, historical records have documented the existence of Anhua black tea, which was even classified as an official tea during the Ming Dynasty, belonging to the imperial tribute. Anhua black tea is mainly divided into three categories: "Three Tips, Four Bricks, and One Flower Roll." Under these major categories, there are several types of tea, namely: Tianjian, Gongjian, and Shengjian (Three Tips), Fuzhuan, Heizhuan, Qingzhuan, and Huazhuan (Four Bricks), as well as Bailiang tea and Qianliang tea (One Flower Roll).
The primary tea variety of Anhua black tea is the large-leaf varietal of Camellia sinensis, which is harvested with the leaf stems. In terms of growing conditions, Anhua in Hunan has a slightly lower altitude, with significant climate contrasts and distinct seasons; the local frost-free period is relatively short, and rainfall is abundant. Compared to the geographical locations of Yunnan and Sichuan, Anhua black tea tends to have a stronger character. In terms of flavor, different tea types exhibit various aromas, such as the mushroom-flower fragrance of Fuzhuan and the medicinal aroma of Huajuan. Generally, the taste of new tea is somewhat strong, while aged tea develops a mellow and rich flavor, allowing one to savor the aged aroma with a lingering aftertaste.
Anhua black tea undergoes two main processes: initial processing and refined processing. The initial processing is similar to that of other black teas and involves steps such as withering, rolling, pile fermentation, re-rolling, and baking. The refined processing includes steaming, filling, pressing, compacting, and "flowering," which is the most distinctive production process of Anhua black tea, aimed at allowing "golden flowers" to grow on the surface of the tea leaves.
The so-called "golden flower" is actually a type of fungus known as Auricularia, which grows into a natural mycelium through a flowering process under specific temperature and humidity conditions. It belongs to the category of probiotics and effectively inhibits the growth of harmful bacterial colonies. Among the many varieties of Anhua black tea, the Fu brick tea contains the largest quantity of "golden flower," which is why it is relatively more expensive.
【Yunnan】Pu'er tea with raw and riped characteristics
The classic representative of black tea in the Yunnan region is none other than Pu-erh tea. Pu-erh tea has a long history, originating in the Eastern Han Dynasty and reaching its peak during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Yunnan has six major tea mountains that produce Pu-erh tea, among which the tea regions of Yiwu, Yibang, Bulang, and Bingdao are the most well-known.
Most of the tea varieties used to make Pu-erh tea are from Yunnan's large-leaf species, with the tea leaves being mature leaves. Unlike Hunan black tea, Pu-erh tea grows in high-altitude areas with a mild climate, where the seasons are not too extreme. Additionally, the frost-free period is long, and there is ample rainfall, making the tea character milder compared to Hunan black tea.
Pu-erh tea can be divided into two categories: raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) Pu-erh. Raw Pu-erh refers to tea leaves that are picked and then naturally aged without artificial piling and fermentation. When freshly made, it has a stronger flavor and character, but as it is aged, the taste of raw Pu-erh gradually transforms and becomes richer. Ripe Pu-erh, on the other hand, is produced through artificial piling and fermentation. The quality of ripe Pu-erh depends on the technique of the piling and the duration of storage, resulting in a milder flavor that is easier to drink compared to raw Pu-erh.
Both ripe and raw Pu-erh require time for aging and fermentation; the longer the aging, the better the taste and flavor. One reason why Pu-erh tea has high appreciation potential is due to the value of waiting. However, ripe Pu-erh has a relatively short history, with the technique for making it only mastered in the early 1970s, so it is important to pay attention to the year when purchasing to avoid being deceived.
[Sichuan] Ya’an Tibetan tea is not produced in Tibet
Judging from the name, "Tibetan tea" will indeed make many people mistakenly think that it is tea produced in Tibet. However, in fact, Tibetan tea is produced in Ya'an County, Sichuan, but most of it is sold to the plateau areas of Tibet. The name "Tibetan Tea". Since the Tibetan people's eating habits are often meaty and high in fat, and lack fruits and vegetables, they need to drink Tibetan tea to supplement their nutrition. Therefore, there is a saying that "it is better to go without food for three days than to go without tea for one day." Generally, Tibetans add milk and butter to the tea soup to make butter tea with a unique flavor.
Tibetan tea is slightly different from Pu'er tea in that it has a slightly astringent flavor. It has a sweet tea taste, but is not bitter. The color of the tea is oily and reddish-black. The tea soup has a mellow taste and a smooth texture. If it is left for a longer time, it will also taste better. Drink the tea aroma and aroma of tea leaves.
Although they both belong to the dark tea category, unlike Hunan dark tea and Yunnan Pu'er tea, which use large-leaf tea species, Tibetan tea uses Sichuan small-leaf tea leaves as raw materials, and the yield is relatively low. Tibetan tea is usually made into two types of tea, Kangzhuan and Jinjian. Kangzhuan has a mellower taste, while Jinjian has a richer taste. The quality of Kangzhuan is better. In terms of production process, Tibetan tea is the tea that has gone through the most processes among the three types of black tea, requiring thirty-two processes to be made. While Pu'er tea uses sun-drying as the greening process, Tibetan tea uses the steaming process, using repeated high-temperature steaming and spreading to highlight the ripe flavor of Tibetan tea.
So dark tea is not just Pu'er tea. In fact, Anhua dark tea and Ya'an Tibetan tea are also leaders in the dark tea category. If you like tea with strong aroma and mellow taste, you might as well try the unique black tea besides Pu'er tea!
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