China's black teas, called kung fu teas, are the labor of love. The term "Kung Fu" refers to the highest classes of black tea, carefully and skillfully made, with particular care taken at every stage of the production process.
Called black tea in the West, it is called red tea or hongcha in China. China's black teas are very different from black teas in India and Sri Lanka. Instead of bold and reliable, they are soft, sweet and fragrant, but saturated and fragrant. This is due to the fact that the Chinese slowly and thoroughly coax the aroma and aroma of the leaves, using a much lighter touch and a longer, lower period of oxidation.
Longer, lower oxidation helps to concentrate a type of flavanoid called arabugin, and along with a lot of plump, sweet cuts, excellent plucking and careful slow processing, pulls out a light sweet aroma of rock fruits and hints of bitter chocolate (without bitterness).
There are several different black tea families, each of which comes from a different area of China. From the province of Anhui is a family of black tea Keemun. This includes Keemun Hao Ya (also called Qimen Hao Ya or Keemun Downy Bud), Keemun Hao Ya B, Keemun Mao Feng (also called Keemun Hairpoint Mao Feng) and Keemun Congou.
Keemun is the most famous black tea in China, named after Kimen in Anhui province, where it is made. Keemun black teas have been favorites in the West for more than a century due to their sweet and intriguing chocolate flavor.
Fujian Province of China is the birthplace of the black tea of the Panyang Congo family, which includes Dan Ki, the Golden Crab, the Golden Monkey, the King of Golden Needles and the Panyang Congo.
One of the last historical teas of this type, produced in China during the days of the tea trade, is carefully prepared for Panyang Congou, as the name suggests (Congou is a variation of Kung fu, which is made with skill and care). Congo is also a tea classification for tea with this particular twisted shape.
For centuries, Panyang Congou was made by hand by skilled tea makers, but today it is mainly made by machine.
From China in the Wuja Mountains in the northern part of Fujian Province, in the area considered to be the birthplace of tea, revered black tea, Lapsang Souchong (or Terry Lapsang), appears. Despite the fact that today Lapsang Souchong is sold all over the world, the best and original version is available only in Wuyi Shan.
The Chinese province of Sichuan is a mountainous region with vast deserts that has not yet been affected by man. It is home to one black tea, Zao Bei Jian, also called Imperial Sichuan.
In the far northwest tip of Yunnan, touching the Tibetan Himalayas, Yunnan province is rich in history and is home to some of the most interesting and fragrant teas of China, Yunnan gold buds and Yunnan gold needles. Both are made from local varieties of large broadleaf tea bush, known to locals as dayeh, only in this remote area of Yunnan Province.
It is believed to be one of the highest grades of black tea, Yunnan Yunnan gold buds and Yunnan gold needles made with a large number of long tips, giving them a sweet and creamy, malt flavor without bitterness.
In the south-western corner of Yunnan Province, there is a hot and vaporous Xishuangbanny tropical zone, inhabited by earthen black pueri teas. These healthy teas are considered to be Chinese. The study confirmed their beliefs, with studies showing pu-erh tea to help with weight loss, as well as many of the same health benefits attributed to green and white teas that receive minimal treatment.
