I visited Hainan at the end of December, but I did not have a chance to see their tea growing areas. I found out quite late that Hainan was growing tea and even my local friend did not know about it. So when I was walking around in Sanya I saw some tea shops selling Hainanese teas, I could only try green tea there and I already posted about it here. The green tea was enjoyable, and I was looking forward to the black tea as well. However, I did not find any sweetness or complexity in the black tea, which was dull. I’m sure there are better teas from Hainan, but I do not have much to tell about this tea. For this reason, I will tell you about the tea growing in Hainan instead.
Like the green tea, this tea came from Wuzhishan, the central highlands on the island and surrounded by rainforest. According to this source, Wuzhishan has over 10 tea gardens of different sizes, with their total cultivated area reaching more than 8,500 mu (566.67 hectares). In 2015, Wuzhishan gained a national geographical recognition which started to attract more tourists. Wuzhishan’s habitants belong to a minority group called Li (60% of the area’s population are composed of Li people), and they are also involved in tea production. Tea production in Wuzhishan helps more than 1000 low-income households. On the other hand, we are talking about a tropical rainforest which is biodiversity-rich. Instead of focusing quantity and increasing tea production, I’d very much to see high-quality Hainanese tea produced in limited amount while preserving the biodiversity.
Tea Profile:
Type: Black
Origin: Wuzhishan, Hainan
Harvest time: 2020
Leaf colour: Leaves and stems in tones of brown with visible golden flower spots
Liquor colour: Dark amber
Tea Aroma: Malt
Tea Taste: Malt
Steeping: Place 4g in 100ml of water at 90ºC and rinse after 5 seconds. Steep for 10 seconds during the first infusion,and add 5 to the subsequent infusions. You can re-steep this tea about four times.
Shelf life: 2-3 years