Red (Black) Tea Zhengshan Xiaozhong

Discover the timeless authenticity of Zhengshan Xiaozhong, the red tea that embodies tradition and refinement. Hailing from the lush mountains of Tongmuguan in Fujian Province, this tea is the direct heir to the first red tea ever created, with a history dating back to around 1560. Its unique flavor has become legend, expressing a timeless elegance and refined taste that clearly distinguish it from the famous Lapsang Souchong. The fully oxidized leaves immediately reveal a warm malty fragrance, evoking the enveloping scent of freshly baked bread. On tasting, this tea delivers a refined natural sweetness, followed by clear fruity notes of persimmon, sweet potato and pumpkin, in a perfect balance of richness and delicacy.

Place of origin

Fujian, China

How to prepare

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 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 95°C, an initial infusion of 25 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 (25 – 30 – 35…)

This tea has a longevity of about 7 brewings.

For a classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 1 teaspoon) in a 200-mL cup with 95°C water 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.