During the Tang Dynasty, Yixing was very famous for the quality of its tea green; today, however, in addition to its famous fine clay teapots, Yixing has become known for its Roasted Red Tea Yixing Hong Cha, which is complex and enveloping. Wonderful dark, thin and delicate leaves with a sweet taste of caramel, cocoa and roasted almonds: perfect for a morning cup of tea.
This tea was harvested in Yixing, Jiangsu, specifically in Hufu County.
Tasting - Sight and Smell
The leaves of this Yixing Hong Cha Roasted Red Tea are brown with reddish highlights and golden tips. Thin almost like hair, their shape is tapered and gently rolled. When infused, they give off sweet aromas of cocoa, rose and lychee. In the cup, the amber-red liqueur reveals a round, enveloping body with no bitterness or astringency. A unique, smooth tea perfect for the cold season.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Yixing Hong Cha Roasted Red Tea brings sweet notes of cocoa, caramel and lime honey, with malty hints. Also very intense are the fruity hints of lychee and baked apple that marry beautifully with the rose notes. The second brew opens with just this floral note, while cocoa and malt remain well present. There is also a hint of roasted nuts (praline almonds). Subsequent brews remain very sweet and velvety, loaded with cocoa, malt, and caramel with a surprising, if slight, hint of spice (nutmeg) on the finish.
TO THE WEST
The hints of cocoa and honey, with their sweetness, are certainly characteristic of this Yixing Hong Cha Toasted Red Tea, which reveals in an interesting evolution secondary floral notes of rose and fruity notes of lychee and baked apple. The persistence is remarkable, with hints of malt and caramel.
Location of origin
Yixing - Jiangsu, China
Preparation
We strongly recommend infusing the Yixing Hong Cha Roasted Red Tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. Following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.
Heat the water to a temperature of 90°C and proceed to an initial infusion of 20 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (20 - 25 - 30...).
This tea has a longevity of 8 infusions.
For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.
For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the infusion as soon as the infusion time is over. Our suggested infusion timings, however, can also be slightly modified to your liking to achieve a more or less intense taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
