Dian hong tea

Dian hong tea
Dian Hong
GoldenDianHong.jpg
Type: Black

Other names: Yunnan Red or Yunnan Black
Origin: Yunnan Province China

Quick description: Robust and malty, some types are very fine while other are used for blending. High quality leaves are uniformly covered in a golden-orange bud hairs

China-Yunnan.png


Dian hong (simplified: ; traditional: ; pinyin: Diānhóng). "Yunnan Red", is a Chinese black tea which is used as a relatively high end gourmet black tea and is sometimes used in various tea blends. The main difference between Dian hong and other Chinese black teas is the amount of fine leaf buds, or "golden tips," present in the dried tea. Fermented with lychee, rose and longan, Dian hong teas produces a brew that is brassy golden orange in colour with a sweet, gentle aroma and no astringency. Cheaper varieties of Dian hong produce a darker brownish brew that can be very bitter.

Teas grown in the Yunnan Province of China prior to the Han dynasty were typically exported in a compressed form similar to modern pu-erh tea. Dian hong is a relatively new product from Yunnan that began production in the early 20th century. The word "Diān" () is the short name for the Yunnan region while "hóng" () means "red (tea)"; as such, these teas are sometimes simply referred to as Yunnan red or Yunnan black. However, such references are often confusing due to the other varieties of teas produced in Yunnan as well as the ambiguous nature of the color classifications.

Tasting and brewing

Dian hong teas are best brewed with porcelain gaiwan or yixing teaware using freshly boiled water at 90°C (194°F) to 100°C (212°F), and are suitable for multiple infusions. It is important not to overbrew the teas as they will easily go bitter or exhibit astringency, especially the cheaper varieties.

Varieties

  • Broken Yunnan (滇紅碎茶; pinyin:diānhóng suì chá): A cheap tea used for blending which contains very few golden buds and is generally bitter on its own. You can spot this tea easily as the dried leaves are largely black in color with only a few bursts of golden tips. The brew is dark and not brassy but reddish-brown. The taste can sometimes be as strong as cooked pu-erh tea. Classified in Orange pekoe grading as BOP.
  • Yunnan Gold (滇紅工夫茶 or 滇紅; pinyin: diānhóng gōngfū chá): A Dian hong with fewer golden buds and more dark tea leaves. It is on par with the pure gold, and is priced similarly, but makes teas with slightly different characteristics. The brew a brassy red color different from other black teas and a vivid sweetness not quite as intense as "Yunnan pure gold". Classified in Orange pekoe grading from OP to TGFOP.
  • Yunnan Pure Gold (金芽滇紅; pinyin: jīnyá diānhóng): Considered the best type of Dian hong tea. It contains only golden tips, which are usually covered in fine hairs. When viewed from a distance, the dried tea appears bright orange in colour. The tea liquor is bright red in colour and exhibits a gentle aroma and a sweet taste. The leaves are reddish brown after being brewed. Classified in Orange pekoe grading from TGFOP to SFTGFOP.

See also

  • Pu-erh, the other variety of tea commonly produced in Yunnan.
  • Keemun tea

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dian — may refer to: Dian Cecht, the God of healing in Irish mythology Dian (mythology), one of the sons of Carman in Celtic or Irish mythology Diān (滇), an abbreviation for Yunnan, China Dian Fossey, an American zoologist Dian Hong tea, a black tea… …   Wikipedia

  • Dian (disambiguation) — Dian may refer to: * Dian, a person in Celtic mythology * Dian (滇), an abbreviation for Yunnan, China * Dian Cecht, a healer in Irish mythology * Dian Fossey, an American ethologist * Dian Hong tea, a black tea grown in Yunnan, China * The Dian… …   Wikipedia

  • Hong Kong-style milk tea — Hot milk tea in a glass Chinese 港式奶茶 Literal meaning Hong Kong style milk tea …   Wikipedia

  • Tea blending and additives — Tea blending describes the process of blending different teas together to produce a final product. This occurs chiefly with black tea that is blended to make most tea bags but can also occur with such teas as Pu erh, where leaves are blended from …   Wikipedia

  • Tea — For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). Tea Longjing tea being infused in a glass …   Wikipedia

  • Tea house — Tearoom redirects here. For other uses, see Tearoom (disambiguation). A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea centered… …   Wikipedia

  • Tea processing — An 1850 illustration of tea cultivation and tea leaf processing Main article: Tea Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea. The categories of tea… …   Wikipedia

  • Tea brick — Block tea redirects here. For the encryption algorithm, see Block TEA. A compressed brick of pu erh tea . Individual leaves can be seen on the surface of the brick. Tea bricks (traditional Chinese: 磚茶; simplified Chinese …   Wikipedia

  • Tea production in Sri Lanka — Main articles: Economy of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Tea plantation in the Sri Lankan central highlands …   Wikipedia

  • Japanese tea ceremony — Tea ceremony The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu (茶の湯) or chadō ( …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”