Zhongguo Hong (China Red)
Black Tea 2025
Distinctive black tea from the most aromatic cultivars, originally selected from the Tea Science Research Institute gardens in Fengqing. The blend expresses the deep forest honey and wildflower character of Yunnan black tea balanced with cool herbal sensations and tannic richness. A masterwork that stands as a testament to the processing skill of Yunnan’s most experienced black tea makers.
$39.00
- Tea Origin
- Fengqing County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, China
- Tea Bush
- Yunnan Dayezhong (Yunnan Large Leaf Tea Tree) Heirloom Cultivar Blend
- Harvest Time
- Late March
- Plucking Standard
- One bud, one leaf
China Red is an iconic hallmark tea from the historic origin of Fengqing County in Yunnan Province. This county was the origin of all black tea making in Yunnan.
The style of Yunnan black tea known as China Red has deep roots in Fengqing’s long history of creating black teas crafted from blends of many different tea cultivars. In fact, China Red’s particular high-end style has proliferated in recent years to the point where many of the region’s expert tea makers want to craft their own unique blend of this pinnacle tea. This requires incredible skill to balance all the different flavors of each cultivar and to account for their variation year-to-year. Naturally, China Red takes inspiration from the standard-setting Dianhong Gongfu black tea blend that launched Yunnan’s black tea industry back in 1938.
However, Dianhong Gongfu, despite its perfectly balanced excellence, is more akin to an everyday black tea for casual drinking. China Red is not.
Making the quintessential Yunnan black tea
China Red’s remarkable sweet taste and delicious aromatics are a testament to the long-honed skill of Yunnan’s earliest black tea makers. For teas like this, they fall back on old traditional methods of black tea making. Equipment made of natural materials like wood and woven basketry hold the tea leaves as they develop in the delicate yet critical oxidation step of processing. By making China Red in small batches, they can tease out Yunnan tea’s complex character for a tea that’s just a little different each year but remains highly consistent and exquisite.
Although it is now available from many highly qualified tea makers, the original China Red was designed by the professional blending experts at the Dianhong Group, the very same makers who created Dianhong Gongfu. Expert blending is the Dianhong Group’s specialty. In the case of China Red, the goal of this blending was to create a unique aroma that truly represents the deep forest wildflower character of Yunnan black tea. The original China Red was made from a complicated blend of leaves from many different varieties of the best cultivars grown in their own research gardens.
