Dian Hong (Yunnan Black)
Dian Hong is black tea from Yunnan province, made from large-leaf assamica bushes and prized for golden buds with a malty, cocoa-like, peppery sweetness.
Definition
Dian Hong (滇红) means "Yunnan red": Dian is the classical short name for Yunnan, and Chinese call black tea hong cha, or red tea, after the color of the liquor. Production started in 1938 and 1939, when the tea researcher Feng Shaoqiu set up trial black tea making in Fengqing county to produce an export tea during the war years. Fengqing, Lincang and the surrounding counties of western Yunnan remain the core growing area. The tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf bushes, Camellia sinensis var. assamica, the same broad-leaf variety used for pu'er. Those leaves carry more polyphenols than small-leaf Chinese bushes, which gives Dian Hong a heavier body than Keemun or Fujian black teas. The leaf goes through the standard orthodox black tea sequence: withering, rolling, full oxidation and drying. The defining visual mark is the bud. Downy buds oxidize to a gold or orange color, and grades are largely judged by how much gold shows. A tea made only of buds is sold as Jin Ya (金芽, golden bud) or Golden Needle; leafier grades show a mix of black and gold. The cup tastes of malt, cocoa, sweet potato and sometimes black pepper, with less astringency than Assam.
In Depth
Brewing: water at 90-95°C (194-203°F). Western style, use about 2-3 g per 250 ml and steep 2-4 minutes. Gongfu style, use 5-6 g in a 100 ml gaiwan and start at 10-15 seconds; good leaf gives six or more infusions. All-bud grades turn bitter less easily than leafy grades, but very hot water and long steeps still pull out a drying edge.
Buying: more gold usually means a sweeter, rounder, more expensive tea, but gold color alone can be faked by dyed or heavily tipped blends, so ask for the county and harvest year. Spring harvests carry the most bud. Dian Hong Gongfu is a common leafy grade; Dian Hong Jin Zhen and Jin Ya are bud grades.
Common confusion: Dian Hong is not aged like pu'er, even though it comes from the same bushes. It is best within two to three years of production.
See Also
- Chinese Black Tea
- Yunnan Tea Regions