Red (black) tea fans will have a memorable time, see below for more details. We look forward to welcoming you at our shop on Nagyszombat Street.

2021 Smoky Zheng shan xiao zhong

"You Yen Xiao Zhong"

Over pinewood embers, lightly smoked zheng shan xiao zhong, Wuyi mountain red tea.

The smoking is masterly, not overwhelming the tea, but merely embracing it, bringing out its sweetness. As the infusion progresses, the fruitiness and citrusiness of the tea is subtly brought out. A characterful, yet not intrusive personality, this tea is a pleasure to spend a few hours talking with.

The tea is characterised by a slight piney resin, a soft smokiness and a distinctly sweet fruitiness. A rarity, we bought the last 1 kg of this tea, which our producer rescued from a Chinese who took all available from his hometown.

We found it extremely special, with an aroma and strength like no other, so we asked for some to show you.

We asked our dear producer how they make smoked zheng shan red tea in this day and age, when it is forbidden to cut down pine trees in the area.

The Chinese government needs to be notified how many pine trees are needed for the producer to make smoked tea. Once the request has been received and assessed, the producer can receive the necessary pine raw material. This tea is a tradition and a treasure, so with proper regulation, it will always be available.

To make it, use low-mineral soft water, not tap water, or if no other option is available, filter it with a magnesium-lined filter jug.

Use 5-7 grams of tea leaves to 150-180 ml of water, then after a quick wake-up (which I personally always consume), I steep in 10-15 second infusions for a long, long time. Balázs prefers this tea more than I do, but in wine he is also the one who prefers the more distinctive red wines or the more barrel-aged, aged somlói (although I prefer the latter).
So I recommend it to those who like something special and rare, prefer more distinctive flavours, either in spices or in fragrances. You will not be disappointed. :-) - Dóri

You should also try our "keemun-i" red tea, it doesn't have any traces of smoking, but it is a really cocoa-like tea.

Try the non-smoked, really flowery and sweet version of this tea. Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong

And for a good introduction to red tea, click here.