Hunan & Hubei

The core of Chinese dark tea production. Hunan's Anhua county produces the most celebrated range: Fu Zhuan brick is the signature, distinguished by its golden-flower mold (Eurotium cristatum) that develops during pressing and contributes a distinctive mushroom and honey note; Hei Zhuan, Hua Zhuan, and the loose-leaf Tian Jian round out the range. Hubei's Qing Zhuan comes from Chibi. Shaanxi's Jing Wei Fu Cha is a related golden-flower tradition with its own factory lineage, distinct from Anhua's. These are the teas that built the old border-trade routes to Tibet and Mongolia.