Hei cha 黑茶
Dark tea: a tea that deepens as it ages
Shan Tea House is a small shop for Chinese dark tea, starting with tea from Anhua County, Hunan, China. Dark tea is fermented slowly after the leaf is made, and kept dry it goes on changing on your shelf.
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$7.50 flat shipping Per order, up to 10 bricks. US addresses only.
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Chinese dark tea From the regions that make it, product of China.
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The category
What dark tea is
Dark tea, or hei cha (黑茶), is a class of tea that microbes ferment after the leaf has been processed. That second, slow fermentation is what sets it apart.
Fermented after it is made
The Chinese styles are piled teas: the processed leaf is heaped and fermented by fungi that occur naturally, in fairly dry conditions. The fermentation runs for months, sometimes much longer.
Pressed or kept loose
Much of it is pressed into bricks, cakes, squares or the small bird's-nest shape called tuo cha. Some is kept loose, packed into baskets or into logs wrapped in bamboo.
Golden flowers
Many styles are kept humid on purpose so that golden flowers (jin hua, 金花) grow through the leaf: yellow colonies of the fungus Eurotium cristatum.
Where it came from
Its early history is unclear. One account dates it to the Ming dynasty, in the 15th and 16th centuries, and a legend has it found when rain soaked a caravan's tea on the road west. It was long traded across the border between Han and Tibetan areas.
It keeps changing
Stored dry, dark tea goes on changing, and the cup it gives grows deeper, smoother and rounder.
Regions
Where dark tea comes from
Each tea region makes dark tea its own way. These are the best-known styles.
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Hunan
Anhua dark tea, Fu brick (fu zhuan) with golden flowers
In the shop now Shaanxi
Jingyang Fu brick
Hubei
Qingzhuan, the green brick
Guangxi
Liu Bao, often sold loose
Sichuan
Lu bian cha, border tea
Tibet
Zang cha, Tibetan brick tea
Yunnan
Pu'er, raw (sheng) and ripened (shu)
Anhui
Liu'an basket tea
The tea in the shop
Anhua Fu Brick Dark Tea 安化黑茶
Compressed brick, wrapped in printed kraft paper. Inside, the tea is pressed so tightly that you don't scoop it: you pry off a flake at a time and brew only what you need.
44 gongfu sessions in one brick, at 5 g each
$20.00
per 220 g (7.76 oz) brick
+ $7.50 flat shipping per order ships to the United States only
Pressed in December 2018 and maturing for 7 years since.
In the cup
- woody
- dried jujube
- light pine smoke
- mellow sweetness
- smooth
House tasting notes describing the style. Water, timing and the piece you break off all move the flavour, so your cup may differ.
Full details
| Product | Anhua Fu Brick Dark Tea |
|---|---|
| Type | Dark tea (hei cha), compressed brick |
| Style | Fu brick (fu zhuan) with golden flowers |
| Form | Compressed brick, wrapped in printed kraft paper |
| Net weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) |
| Golden flowers | Eurotium cristatum |
| Origin | Anhua County, Hunan, China |
| Product of | China |
| Made by | Anhua Lidang Tea Industry Co., Ltd. 安化县立党茶业有限公司 |
| Price | $20.00 per brick |
| Shipping | $7.50 flat, per order |
| Ships to | The United States only |
| Per order | 1 to 10 bricks |
| Sold by | Kominsys LLC |
Brew guide
Brew it your way
Short, fast infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot, or one generous pot simmered on the stove. Pick a method.
What are the yellow specks inside the brick?
The yellow specks visible inside the brick are golden flowers (jin hua): colonies of the fungus Eurotium cristatum that form during the brick's flowering stage of processing. They are a deliberate, traditional feature of Fu brick.
How do I get tea off the brick?
Slide a tea knife, tea pick or blunt butter knife into the side of the brick and gently lever off a flake. Work along the edge rather than straight down, and keep your other hand clear of the blade. Simmer method: about 8–10 g. Gongfu method: about 5 g.
How much is shipping?
A flat $7.50 per order, whether you buy 1 brick or 10. Each order can hold up to 10 bricks.
Where do you ship?
To addresses in the United States only, for now. Checkout will only accept a US shipping address.
How do I pay?
Checkout happens on Stripe's secure payment page. You pay with whatever cards or wallets Stripe offers you there, and your card details go to Stripe, never to us. Stripe emails your receipt.
When will my order arrive?
We aim to ship within 3 business days, and we estimate delivery 3–7 business days after you order, the same estimate checkout shows. The details are on our shipping and returns page.
Can I return it?
Unopened bricks can come back within 30 days of delivery. If your order arrives damaged or wrong, tell us within 14 days and we will put it right. See shipping and returns.
Anhua dark tea
One brick, $20.00
220 g (7.76 oz) · $7.50 flat shipping per order · US only