Unsurprisingly, Dian hong tea from Yunnan is one of the most featured tea in the 365 teas challenge. It is a black tea and gives a lot of comforts. At the same time, it is full-bodied with a lot of character.
This tea did not have a lot of buds considering that some dian hongs are only golden buds, and its taste was not as sweet as some other I have tried. Nevertheless, its flavours that I could taste included chocolate, fruitiness, smokiness, spiciness and maltiness. It was vibrant and fulfilling.
On this website, I have found some fascinating information regarding the history of dian hong. I knew that it was a relatively new tea from Yunnan. Indeed, it was ‘invented’ during the wartime in the late 1930ies when Fujian and other black tea producing provinces of China were occupied. The ruling government then was retreated in Sichuan and sent some teams to the neighbouring Yunnan province where they explored setting up of black tea production. And in Feng Qing, Lincang the first Yunnanese black teas was invented.
There are way too many varieties of dian hong cha. Their leaves differ in shape and size. Some are entirely orange (golden buds) some are black. This one was about 20% golden buds and exceeded my expectations. I can see how dian hong cha can be even more popular.
Tea Profile:
Type: Black
Origin: Yunnan
Harvest time: 2019
Leave colour: Black/dark brown with golden buds
Liquor colour: Dark amber
Tea aroma: Fruity and malt
Tea taste: Full-bodied with spicy, fruity, chocolate notes
Steeping/brewing: Place 4 g of tea leaves in gaiwan and add water at about 95°C. Steep for 20 seconds. To each consecutive steeping add 5 seconds. You can steep up to 4-5 times.
Shelf life: Up to three years or more.