Hei Cha (Dark Tea)
Chinese dark tea that undergoes microbial post-fermentation after processing, usually compressed into bricks; regional types include Anhua Fu Zhuan, Liu Bao and shou pu'er.
Definition
Hei cha, "black tea" in Chinese and called dark tea in English to avoid confusion with hong cha, is defined by post-fermentation. After kill-green and rolling, the leaf is piled while damp so that microbes, mainly molds and yeasts, transform it. This step, called wo dui or pile fermentation, changes its chemistry and produces earthy, woody, mellow flavors. The main regional types are from Hunan (Anhua county: Fu Zhuan brick, Qian Liang Cha "thousand tael" logs, Hei Zhuan), Guangxi (Liu Bao from Wuzhou, aged in baskets), Sichuan (Ya'an Tibetan tea, Kang Zhuan) and Hubei (Qing Zhuan). Shou pu'er from Yunnan is usually grouped as hei cha; sheng pu'er's classification is debated because its fermentation happens slowly during storage. Dark tea was historically made for trade to Tibet, Mongolia and the northwest frontier, where compressed bricks traveled well and were boiled with milk, butter or salt. That tea-horse trade shaped how these teas are made and pressed.
In Depth
Brew at 95-100°C (203-212°F), always with boiling or near-boiling water. Break off 5-8 g for a 100-150 ml gaiwan or clay pot, rinse once or twice, then steep 10-30 seconds and lengthen gradually. Fu Zhuan and Qian Liang also do well simmered in a kettle for a few minutes.
Fu Zhuan is often deliberately grown with Eurotium cristatum, a yellow fungus Chinese sellers call "golden flowers" (jin hua). The small yellow specks inside a broken brick are intended. Grey, white or green fuzzy patches with a musty smell are a different matter and indicate spoilage.
Store dark tea at room temperature with modest humidity and some airflow, away from strong odors. Many buyers age it for years. A good young dark tea should already taste clean and sweet; age softens it but does not fix a sour or musty tea.
See Also
- Anhua Dark Tea
- Tea Horse Road
- Post-Fermented Tea