Black Dragon Red Tea

Black Dragon Red Tea comes from Taiwan, and a specific cultivar of Camellia is used for its production. In fact, it is a hybrid between two different botanical varieties: the Jin Xuan cultivar, which is native to the island and very widespread, and the Ruan Zhi cultivar, more commonly called “Soft” and of Chinese origin. It is not strange that such meticulous cultivar selection is carried out in Taiwan: the island remained under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, suffering its obvious influences, including in tea production (with respect to which we know that the Land of the Rising Sun is much more technical and precise than what is done in China).

Another characteristic of this cultivar, and one of the main reasons why it was developed, is the resistance of its leaves to trauma and changes in temperature: this makes it possible to grow it even at lower altitudes than other local varieties, which require, for optimal growth, to be at high altitudes where there is a milder and more breezy climate useful for preserving the delicacy of the product.

In terms of flavors, Black Dragon red tea, thanks to the care it received in the oxidation process, has an intense hint of malt in the opening, which goes well with the more fruity notes that emerge later. Slightly tart notes typical of currants and red fruits are also perceived, leading to a still slightly unripe banana finish that lingers in the aftertaste.

Place of origin

China, Yunnan

Production

After harvesting, the leaves of Black Dragon red tea are left to wither in the sun for some time, at the producer’s discretion, before moving on to the folding stage. The leaves are then folded and rolled so that the juices inside are stirred and the oxidation process can begin. Once the leaf reaches its typical brown color, we move on to remove the remaining moisture with the last processing step: drying. After a few days of rest, the tea is ready to be consumed.

How to prepare

We strongly recommend infusing Black Dragon red tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, an initial infusion of 15 seconds can be made, and after that, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 5 seconds from the previous infusion (15 – 20 – 25 …)

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) in a 200-mL cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of 2 1/2 minutes.

The tea can be filtered for greater ease at the moment of tasting, and also the infusion times indicated above are intended to be purely indicative, so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.