Fuzhuan tea originates in Hunan, also known as "Hu Tea". Because it is made in the dog days and brick-shaped, thus it is name "Fuzhuan Tea". There are the special and general Fuzhuan teas. All of the special-made tea is made with dark tea of the 3rd grade, whereas the 3rd grade dark tea only occupies 40% to 45% in the condensed Fuzhuan tea's raw materials while the 4th grade dark tea occupies 5% to 11%.
Brewing difficulty: General difficulty
Best season to taste: Summer
Origin: Hunan, Hubei Province and other places
Recognizing
Shape: flat brick face, clear angular, and consistent thickness. The germinating flowers are generally corpulent. The surface of the special Fuzhuan tea is dark brown and that of the general is yellow brown.
Tea quality: the aroma is pure and the liquid is orange yellow. The special tea tastes mellow whereas the general tastes pure without astringency. Fuzhuan tea soup is red but turbid, fragrant but coarse, with thick taste but astingency. The taste is thick and it is resistant to infuse. The tea must be filled with lush bacteria flowers, generally called "golden flower".
Tea ceremony
Brewing method: instant drinking or boiling. For instant drinking, using a metal pot. For boiling, use an iron pot and you can drink alone or mix with milk, honey and so on.
Processing
Fuzhuan tea is produced through raw-material dealing, putting up into piles, pressing and shaping, germinating flower and drying, and packaging. Because of the unique "germinating flowers", the brick body is required to be in a proper tightness to make it convenient for the reproducing activity of microorganisms. The finished tea bricks won't be sent to the baking house directly after modeling. To promote "germinating flowers", people have to package the trademark paper first and then put the tea bricks into the baking house. It is not necessary to make the tea bricks dry in a rapid speed. "Germinating flowers" is done in a slow way.
Drinking effects like rhizoma smilacis gladbrae
Fuzhuan Tea is a kind of Hunan dark tea. It was invented around 1860 A.D. The drinking effect is like rhizoma smilacis glabrae. Fuzhuan tea processing is similar to the artificial fermentation craft of Pu'er tea. The "germinating flowers" precedes drying. The golden bacteria flowers are microorganisms helpful for health in condense tea. But Fuzhuan tea possesses special aroma and taste.
Exploring tea culture in Anhua, birthplace of Dark Tea traded along ancient Tea-Horse Road