Organic red (black) tea from Thailand – Hong Cha 50g

This particular red Hong Cha tea comes from plantations located in the northern part of Thailand, more specifically near the Chiang Rai district. By drinking this tea of unusual origins, one can realize that the varieties of camellias useful in obtaining a quality product are not found exclusively in China and India. In fact, because of favorable climatic conditions, camellia plants have been spreading for several centuries in regions such as Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Thus, there is a lot of potential in these border countries for raw material: moreover, production has grown a lot in recent years due to greater investment and more experience in processing. This organic hong cha, in addition to being produced in a very well-maintained plantation, has received a valuable treatment that can give us a very smooth and richly flavored brew.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Hong Cha red tea comes in large, fleshy leaves, rolled very delicately and accompanied by a few sprigs. The color is a brown tending to black, with rust and brown undertones. Once infused, the leaves release aromas of underbrush and fragrant wood, roasted and nutty notes, hints of cocoa bean, and a surprising floral note on the finish. The liquor is bright and transparent amber-orange in color with golden highlights.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Hong Cha red tea is incredibly sweet, with notes of milk chocolate, wildflower honey, and brown sugar: the tea is already very aromatic and sweet, yet delicate. With the second infusion, notes of pecan, date, and tonka bean appear, with a smooth, enveloping finish reminiscent of chocolate pudding. As the body gains density, the flavors become even stronger and sweeter in the third brew, with floral notes of rose followed by sweet cocoa and a finish of honey and nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts).

TO THE WEST
The palate opening of this Thai Hong Cha red tea is characterized by soft, sweet notes of honey and milk chocolate. This is followed by hints of nuts and tonka bean, with the emphasis on the vanilla note. A suggestion of nutty black bread also appears, preceding an aromatic finish punctuated by scented wood notes. The body is soft and round, with a lingering milk chocolate and honey. Bitter taste and astringency are completely absent.

Place of origin

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Hong Cha Thai red tea production

After harvesting, the leaves are allowed to wither in the sun for a certain amount of time (at the producer’s discretion) before moving on to the processing stage. The leaves are then folded and rolled, so that the juices inside get back into circulation and the oxidation process can begin. For this tea, the leaves are exposed to a gradual increase in temperature during oxidation: once the leaf reaches its typical brown color, the residual internal moisture is then removed by controlled drying. After a few days of rest, the tea is ready to be consumed.

Preparation of Thai Hong Cha red tea

We highly recommend infusing this 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 100 ml to obtain several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in 95°C water, an initial infusion of 10 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 (10 – 15 – 20…)

This tea has a longevity of about 6 brewings.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style we recommend 2 grams of leaves (approx. 1 teaspoon) in a 150 ml cup with water at 95°C for an infusion time of one and a half 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.