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Abstract Dark tea is a special tea in China. This paper mainly reviewed the basic classification， processing technology and related historical changes of dark tea， aiming at providing reference for relevant practitioners.
Key words China dark tea; Advance; Classification; Historical change
According to the quality and processing technology， we could dispart Chinese tea to six kinds： green tea， yellow tea， dark tea， white tea， Oolong tea and black tea. Dark tea has a history of nearly five hundred years. It is one of the six tea categories and only exists in China. It is also an indispensable beverage for the Chinese ethnic minorities in their daily life. Dark tea has a pleasant earthy and strong bouquet yet soft on the palate， and this aroma distinguishes itself from the other five major tea groups. It is great to drink this tea especially after meals. The beneficial tea microbes， formed as a result of more than 80% fermentation and only found in dark tea， are good for digestion and breaking down the fats. It is a centurys old treasured art form for the process of making dark tea[1]. Throughout history， royalty and tea lovers have highly recognized the taste and the health benefits of drinking dark tea. As the complexity of the tea develops and matures over time， the value of dark tea increases with age. Commonly misinterpreted as "Black Tea"， this type of tea is completely different from English black tea.
According to the producing areas and production process， it can be divided into Puer tea， Hunan dark tea， hubei dark tea， Sichuan Tibetan tea， Guangxi Liubao tea， etc.
Yunnan Puer Tea
Variety： Qizibing tea/Tuo or Bowl/brick tea/melon， or gold melon.
Puer tea is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan Province， China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes referred to as dark tea.
Puer is available as loose leaf or in various compressed forms. There is also the differentiation of raw （green， unartificial fermentation） and ripened （cooked， artificial fermentation） types. The shou type refers to those varieties that have gone through a proper post-fermentation process， while the sheng types are those in the process of gradual darkening through exposure to the environmental elements. Certain selections from either type can be stored for maturity before consumption[2]. That is why some are labeled with year and region of production. All types of Puer tea are created from maocha. A mostly unoxidized green tea processed from a "large leaf" variety of Camellia sinensis found in the mountains of southern Yunnan. Maocha can undergo ripening for several months prior to being compressed to produce ripened Puer （also commonly known as cooked Puer）， or be directly compressed to produce raw Puer.
Summary of Puer processing
Puer is typically made through the following steps：
green/raw： sun fixation→ rolling→ sun drying
dark/ripe： sun fixation→ rolling-piling→ sun drying
added processes： green and dark puer can be compressed/shaped into cakes and aged
Ripe Puer is produced in the same way as raw， but with the addition step of wet piling， a process similar to composting， just after fixation， prior to being dried.
Cake tea of Yunnan Puer
A round， flat， disc or puck-shaped tea， the size ranges from as small as 100 g to as large as 5 kg or more， with 357， 400 and 500 g being the most common. Depending on the pressing method， the edge of the disk can be rounded or perpendicular. It is also commonly known as Qizibing cha （literally "seven units cake tea"） because seven of the bing are packaged together at a time for sale or transport.
Tuo or Bowl of Yunnan Puer
A convex knob-shaped tea， its size ranges from 3 g to 3 kg or more， with 100， 250 and 500 g being the most common. The name for Tuocha is believed to have originated from the round， top-like shape of the pressed tea or from the old tea shipping and trading route of the Tuojiang River. In ancient times， Tuocha cakes may have had holes punched through the center， such that they could be tied together on a rope for easy transport.
Brick tea of Yunnan Puer
A thick rectangular block of tea， usually in 100， 250， 500 g and 1 kg sizes， Zhuancha bricks are the traditional shape used for ease of transport along the ancient tea route by horse caravans.
Melon， or gold melon of Yunnan Puer
Its shape is similar to tuóchá， but larger in size， with a much thicker body decorated with pumpkin-like stripes. This shape was created for the famous "Tribute tea" made expressly for the Qing Dynasty emperors from the best tea leaves of Yiwu Mountain. Larger specimens of this shape are sometimes called "human-head tea"， due in part to its size and shape， and because in the past it was often presented in court in a similar manner to severed heads of enemies or criminals. When appreciating Puer， one should pay special attention to the color of the liquor. Good Puer should have an intense reddish brown color with a layer of golden sheen， known as the "golden touch". There should be a thin oily layer floating on top of the liquid. When it comes to the taste， one should be looking for a smooth and solid texture with slightly sweet aftertaste. Bad Puer often tastes bitter， moldy and sour.
Hunan Dark Tea
Variety： Tianjian dark tea/Gongjian dark tea/Shengjian dark tea/Fu brick tea/Hua brick tea/Hei brick tea/Qianliang tea
Hunan Dark tea was one of the main kinds of tea in "Tea-horse Exchange". It also called "Official Tea" which means that this tea was controlled by the government in order to exchange horses with the minorities at that time.
The records of Hunan （Anhua） dark teas production according to "the Ming Dynasty history. Food Goods Will： "god ancestor Wanli 13 years （in 1585）...The tea easy horse， only Hanzhong to guarantee Ningxia， but Hunan produces the tea， its straight inexpensive， the merchant rate border crossing private sells smuggled goods the tea"[3]. Ming Dynasty government thought that Hunan dark tea with large yield， strong and stimulating taste was more suitable for the minorities to drink with cream cheese in it， so they made the tea produced in Anhua county of Hunan as "Official Tea". It was carried to the areas of Xianyang and Jingyang of Shanxi Province and made into "Jingyang Brick Tea" which made in Shanxi Province. Because being produced in summer， it was named "Jingyang Fu brick tea".
The sequence of manufacturing is fresh tea leaves→ fixing→ rolling→ piling （wodui）→ first drying→ final drying（Semi-finished dark tea） → shaped by steam and pressure→ finished tea. The technology of dark tea has two notable characteristic in the processing of Hunan dark tea： pile-fermenting and fire-drying with pine wood during primary processing. Without these two processes， it couldnt be called "Hunan Dark Tea". Black glossy， dark brown， stale and mellow， and a little pine odor are the characteristics of dark tea.
Hei brick tea
Hei brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. It has a rectangular brick shape， with a regular and level brick surface. It has a brown and glossy brick surface. It is characterized by red-yellow and transparent tea water， internal pure flavor， profound and sweet taste， and mellow aftertaste.
Hua brick tea Hei brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. It is refined through working procedures like crashing→ sifting→ zymolysis→ braising→ pressing→ drying. The brick surface is quite flat， and the lacing and letters are of clear design. The edges are edges and the corners are corners. The thickness is consistent， and the color is yellow and brown. The endoplasm has pure fragrance or pine soot fragrance. The color of the soup is orange or red yellow， and the savor is with strong mellowness and mildness.
Fu brick tea
Fu brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. During the special growing process， a favorable fungus is generated， namely， "Eurotium cristatum"， which may produce a series of little molecular compounds in favor of the body health[4]. The tea water takes on the red bright color， with a pure and mild taste. It plays a role in removing the grease， helping the digestion and clearing out the stomach and intestines.
As one specification of dark tea， Fu brick tea （Poria cocos brick tea） is the top grade in the ancient kind of dark tea. Being complete ferment tea， Fu brick tea is the most complex and unique brown tea which has the longest production processing cycle. It produces Aspergillus cristatus. It is brick-like in appearance， and gives flourishing golden flowers all over， dark and shining， red and strong tea soup， mellow to the taste with lasting scent.
Fu brick tea contains many kinds of amino acids， vitamins and trace elements which the human body needs， and its rich inclusion can effectively block the formation of carcinogenic microso group compound in human body. The contained steatolysis enzyme has the decomposition to be greasy， the digestion and reduces human body function as well as fat compound， cholesterol， three acid anhydride fats.
Sanjian Series （Xiangjian tea）
Besides compressed dark tea， the loose dark tea leaf has seven kinds： "Yajian， Baimaojian， Tianjian， Gongjian， Xiangjian， Shengjian， Kunjian"， which are made with tender dark tea leaves as a raw material. Yajian and Baimaojian are the top-quality dark tea loose tea leaf. They are not trade merchandise， just for the gifts from tea merchants with small quantity production output. The Tianjian and Gongjian dark tea， is compressed by foot in former times， with primitive bamboo package and setting forth the light sweet scent of bamboo leaves. This product is delicate in raw material， special in work， deep in color and mellow in taste， chiming in with Liubao dark tea of Guangxi. They are drunk by the rich class in the history and they are the favorite drinks of the nobles in Northwest China. Tianjian tea and Gongjian tea were listed as the tribute for imperial family during the period of Emperor Daoguang in Qing dynasty[5]. In nowadays， Sanjian tea series （Xiangjian tea） include Tianjian tea， Gongjian tea and Shengjian tea， which all belong to the up-grade dark tea， and are made of fresh tea leaves grown in the Grain Rain Season.
"Sanjian tea series" are made of the top-quality semi-finished dark tea via the fine processing technology， with more mellow taste and more stable quality. The tea is packaged in bulk in bamboo basket， which is one of the oldest tea packaging modes existed nowadays.
Qianliang tea series
"Anhua Qianliang Tea"， namely， Huajuan tea， is the mysterious product of Family Liu in Anhua， which has never been handed down to other people but the family. The manufacture working procedure is completed manually， with a stronger processing skill， bigger difficulty and bigger consumption of physical strength.
In order to adapt the market demand and in conformity with the attitude of protecting the intangible cultural heritages of this region， Hunan Baishaxi tea factory took the lead in recovering the production of traditional Huajuan Tea in 1997， so as to ensure the sales of "Tea King in the world" in the market， which "absorbs the nimbus of the universe and the prime of the sun and moon"
Qianliang tea is of special drinking value due to its raw material of top-quality raw dark green tea and its plain processing method. It is in favor of the human body health and it is praised as "phantom of Chinese Tea culture".
Qianliang tea was dried by putting in sun and opening in dark， it may be said "absorbing the elite of the nature". The season of stamping and making the tea is very strict， or it is easy to become mildewed or burn in the heart. Qianliang tea stored for many years， has been filled with tea worms on the surface of it. Tea worms and their excrement not only cant damage the quality， but also make the pharmacologic efficacy more remarkable. Qian in the name means one thousand and liang refers to Chinas old measurement of weight-about 32 liang to a kilogram. The tea got its name because it is shaped in rolls that each weigh about 1 000 liang （Bailiang tea and shiliang tea are similar to Qianliang tea）. The secret recipe for Qianliang used to belong to a family in Anhua. It was later hand-made exclusively by Baishaxi tea factory in the 1950s and sold according to a government distribution plan. In 1958， the company began mechanized production and stopped making Qianliang tea. In the late 1990s， Baishaxi tea factory resumed production of Qianliang to meet demands from overseas enthusiasts. The tea is now mainly sold in Southeast Asia， Guangdong， Hong Kong and Taiwan[6]. The dark teas main functionality ingredient is the tea compound multi-carbohydrate compound， and this kind of compound by the medical arena was revealed that may adjust in vivo sugar metabolism （prevention diabetes）， to reduce the blood fats blood pressure， the anti-blood to congeal， the thrombus， to sharpen organism immunity ability. The clinical trial proof， dark teas these special functions are remarkable， is other teas cannot substitute. The dark tea soup colors principal constituents are the tea flavine and the Congo red element. The findings indicated that the tea flavine is not only one kind of effective radical scavenger and the oxidation inhibitor， but also has the anticancer treatment， the anti-sudden change， the bacteriostasis anti-virus， the improvement and the treatment heart cerebrovascular disease， treats diabetes and many other kinds of physiological functions. The teas mineral elements mainly concentrate in the mature leaves and the stems. The dark tea collects and processes raw material to be old， and the mineral element content is higher than other teas. Fluorine has obvious curative effect against dental caries and can prevent old age osteoporosis; selenium can stimulate the immunoprotein and the immune body production， strengthen the human body in disease resistance， treat coronary disease， suppress and cancer cell occurrence and development. In the tea， the selenium content may reach as high as 3.8-6.4 mg/kg. The dark tea is one kind of low caffeine healthy drink （raw material maturity is high， cures and so on factors）， compares with may happy as well as other teas， the black tea does not affect sleeping. The aging dark tea in the depositing process， a microorganism experience generation of multiplication and metabolism， has produced a series of not well-known small molecular activity material， namely the secondary metabolite. These material forming processes are slow. Moreover， the chemical property is unstable， only then maintains under the original natural condition， only then has the special effect to the human body. It has wonder the equally good results from different methods with the millennium ganoderma lucidum in the effect. The Anhua people mostly have this kind of experience， drank the aging black tea treatment stomach trouble effect to be possible saying that was "highly effective".
Tao MENG et al. Advances in China Dark Tea
Guangxi Liubao Tea
Variety： Liubao tea （loose）
The origin of this tea is from Liubao town， in the Cangwu county， Guangxi， China. The tea got its name as Guangxi Liubao. Liubao tea falls within the same category as Hunan dark tea， for it is fermented longer than Oolong tea but less than black tea. The raw tea leaves harvested in the region are piled up， and exposed to a high degree of humidity for a certain period of time until the desired level of fermentation is achieved. Water is sprayed on occasionally to keep the environment constantly humid and the pile is covered by blankets. Such a humid and warm temperature condition controlled humanly accelerates the fermentation of the tea， known as ‘wo dui in Chinese.
In the standard DB45 /T581-2009 Liubao Tea， it is defined as dark tea with Liubao flavor and "red， strong， stale and pure"， with bud leaf and tender stem of C. sinensis L.O. Kunts as raw material， and produced as per primary and refining processes in appropriate processing regions.
Semi-finished Liubao tea has thick and strong leaf and black auburn color. Soaked in water， it is red and yellow. The fragrance and taste are mellow and thick， comfortable and delightful. Tea dregs are yellowish-brown. Finished tea leaf is in black auburn color and mixed with golden flower （some fungi） healthy to people. Tea color is deep red and bright. The stale flavor is pure. It has smell of betel flavor. The taste is mellow， sweet and smooth. Generally， it features "red， heavy， stale and mellow". The tea dregs are auburn or black auburn， suitable for long time storage.
The technological process of Liubao tea： Processing of Liupao tea includes first manufacturing and refining.
Process of first manufacturing： Fresh leaves → de-enzyming→ first twisting → heaping → second twisting → dehydration→ semi-finished Liubao tea.
Process of refining： Semi-finished tea → screening→ blending → moisten heaping → steaming → brick tea processing→ staling → finished Liubao tea.
Special quality of Liubao tea is inseparable from its special production and processing procedure. Among the processes， moisten heaping is deemed as the key process for formation of special quality of Liubao tea. Enzyme and microbial species groups in fermentation of moisten heaping have highly correlation. The essence of moisten heaping is a series of chemical change of chemical compositions （mainly tea polyphenol） occurred in the action of damp and hot and microbial enzyme. Action of microbial enzyme determines quality of Liubao tea， so microbial species groups play a decisive role in quality of Liubao tea. Main factors influencing microbial species groups include large environment （water， soil and climate） and small environment （ temperature， humidity， trace element， and flora type）. According to records of historical documents， since Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty， there have been many factories and farmers engaged in production， processing and sales of Liubao Tea in Liaobao Town of Cangwu County. In the 1950s to 1980s， Liubao tea has been a stable export commodity of Guangxi Province. Liubao tea is one of the 24 kinds of famous tea in whole country in Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty， but its domestic market shrinks in the middle and latter periods of 1990s， and Liubao Tea has once been reduced to a "Declining Industry".
Sichuan Tibetan Tea
Variety： Southern route tea （Kang zhuan brick tea Jinjian tea）/Western route tea（Fangbao tea Fu brick tea）
As Sichuan Province was nearest， it became the most preferred source of tea. In order to transport the product conveniently， Sichuan people invented a way to compress the tea into tightly packed bricks， and during the long treks the tea aged and became wet from the weather， resulting in this double fermentation process.
The Sichuan Southern route tea is a unique type of tea in China， and it has the massive historical connotation and the cultural deposits. It is still the Tibetan compatriots necessities of life. Pile-fermentation is considered the pivotal process which forms the unique quality of the brick tea. The purpose is to promote the tough fresh leaf of raw material through a certain degree of fermentation. Then it forms the characteristic of mellow-taste， pure aroma， and bright red color. What is the primitive factor of chemical change during pile-fermentation and the relations which to form with the brick tea quality？ The majority viewpoints thought mainly reason of that is the function of microorganism. In the process of pile-fermentation， it produces a large number of microbes and under the function which in the course of their metabolism or the lyoenzyme which released of it， caused the inclusion ingredient to have the transformation， the degeneration and so on. thus formed the special quality of the brick tea.
In short， The Tibetan tea made in Yaan， Tianquan， Rongjin and sold to Xikang Tibet is called Southern route tea. The Tibetan tea made in Guan city， Chongqin， Sanyi and sold to Song fan， Li city is called Western route tea.
Hubei Dark Tea
Variety： Qing Brick Tea/Dong Brick Tea/Mi Brick Tea
Hubei dark brick tea is a unique dark tea in China， belonging to the latter fermented tea. Mainly produced southern areas in Hubei province. Its the necessities of life of minority people in Inner Mongolia， Xinjiang， Qinghai， Gansu and other regions. The Processing of Hubei dark tea is very likely Hunan Hei brick tea. Laoqing dark tea
Laoqing dark tea is produced in Hubei and Lingxiang county of Hunan and dried in the sun during primary processing.
Qing brick tea
Qing brick tea is processed from Laoqing dark tea. It is mainly sold to Mongolia and Russia.
Dong brick tea
Dong brick tea is the predecessor of Qing brick tea. It is originated in Yangloudong Town of Hubei. Compressed with black tea fanning， its also called Xiaojing Drick Tea.
Chuanzi dark tea
Chuanzi dark tea refers to the Qing brick tea with the Chinese character "川" on the surface of it.
Xiaojing drick tea
Compressed with black tea fanning in Hubei ， its mainly sold to Mingolia and Russia.
Pailou Brand Mi brick tea
Pailou Brand Mi brick tea refers to the Mi brick tea with the patterns of Chinese ancient decorated archway on the surface of it.
Phoenix Brand Mi brick tea
Phoenix Brand Mi brick tea is the Mi brick tea with the pattern of phoenix on the surface of it.
Locomotive Brand Mi brick tea
Locomotive Brand Mi brick tea is exactly the Mi brick tea with the pattern of Locomotive on the surface of it.
Another Tea： Luan Basket Tea （An Cha）
Liuan basket tea is Luan guapian （green tea） that is fired， steamed and compressed into baskets for aging. Like most dark cha， Liuan begins similar to green tea and is aged to undergo flavor and aroma development via post-fermentation. Liuan tea is a famous tea originating in Anhui Province in China. This region has a long tradition of making post-fermented teas like their neighbors in Guangxi who make Liubao dark tea. The manufacturing process is similar to Liubao tea， and Luan is a much sought after favorite among tea connoisseurs.
The tea is from a small leaf variety of C. sinensis. The aging process of Luan basket tea is even more complicated than Luan Gua Pian. It is baked over a small fire and braized into a small bamboo basket. The process and storage are similar to Liubao dark tea.
Luan is traditionally brewed by gongfu style. Also it is a tradition to brew a piece of the bamboo wrapping with the tea together. Medicinally， dried aged mandarin orange peel is sometimes added to the tea， though this might add unsavory seasoning to unglazed pots， such as Yixing teapots.
References
[1] CHEN ZM， YANG YJ. China tea classic[M]. Shanghai： Shanghai Cultural Publishing House， 2011. （in Chinese）
[2] SHI HG. Atlas of famous Chinese tea[M]. Shanghai： Shanghai Cultural Publishing House， 2011. （in Chinese）
[3] CAI ZA， TANG HP. Hunan dark tea： The mysterious tea of the Ancient Silk Road in China[M]. Changsha： Hunan Science and Technology Press， 2006. （in Chinese）
[4] WU XA. Anhua dark tea[M]. Changsha： Hunan Science and Technology Press，2008. （in Chinese）
[5] QIN DD. A brief history of the development of dark tea[J]. Journal of Tea Business， 1983（6）： 33-35. （in Chinese）
[6] TANG KR. Development status of Chinas dark tea industry[J]. China Tea， 2008（10）： 4-5. （in Chinese）
Key words China dark tea; Advance; Classification; Historical change
According to the quality and processing technology， we could dispart Chinese tea to six kinds： green tea， yellow tea， dark tea， white tea， Oolong tea and black tea. Dark tea has a history of nearly five hundred years. It is one of the six tea categories and only exists in China. It is also an indispensable beverage for the Chinese ethnic minorities in their daily life. Dark tea has a pleasant earthy and strong bouquet yet soft on the palate， and this aroma distinguishes itself from the other five major tea groups. It is great to drink this tea especially after meals. The beneficial tea microbes， formed as a result of more than 80% fermentation and only found in dark tea， are good for digestion and breaking down the fats. It is a centurys old treasured art form for the process of making dark tea[1]. Throughout history， royalty and tea lovers have highly recognized the taste and the health benefits of drinking dark tea. As the complexity of the tea develops and matures over time， the value of dark tea increases with age. Commonly misinterpreted as "Black Tea"， this type of tea is completely different from English black tea.
According to the producing areas and production process， it can be divided into Puer tea， Hunan dark tea， hubei dark tea， Sichuan Tibetan tea， Guangxi Liubao tea， etc.
Yunnan Puer Tea
Variety： Qizibing tea/Tuo or Bowl/brick tea/melon， or gold melon.
Puer tea is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan Province， China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes referred to as dark tea.
Puer is available as loose leaf or in various compressed forms. There is also the differentiation of raw （green， unartificial fermentation） and ripened （cooked， artificial fermentation） types. The shou type refers to those varieties that have gone through a proper post-fermentation process， while the sheng types are those in the process of gradual darkening through exposure to the environmental elements. Certain selections from either type can be stored for maturity before consumption[2]. That is why some are labeled with year and region of production. All types of Puer tea are created from maocha. A mostly unoxidized green tea processed from a "large leaf" variety of Camellia sinensis found in the mountains of southern Yunnan. Maocha can undergo ripening for several months prior to being compressed to produce ripened Puer （also commonly known as cooked Puer）， or be directly compressed to produce raw Puer.
Summary of Puer processing
Puer is typically made through the following steps：
green/raw： sun fixation→ rolling→ sun drying
dark/ripe： sun fixation→ rolling-piling→ sun drying
added processes： green and dark puer can be compressed/shaped into cakes and aged
Ripe Puer is produced in the same way as raw， but with the addition step of wet piling， a process similar to composting， just after fixation， prior to being dried.
Cake tea of Yunnan Puer
A round， flat， disc or puck-shaped tea， the size ranges from as small as 100 g to as large as 5 kg or more， with 357， 400 and 500 g being the most common. Depending on the pressing method， the edge of the disk can be rounded or perpendicular. It is also commonly known as Qizibing cha （literally "seven units cake tea"） because seven of the bing are packaged together at a time for sale or transport.
Tuo or Bowl of Yunnan Puer
A convex knob-shaped tea， its size ranges from 3 g to 3 kg or more， with 100， 250 and 500 g being the most common. The name for Tuocha is believed to have originated from the round， top-like shape of the pressed tea or from the old tea shipping and trading route of the Tuojiang River. In ancient times， Tuocha cakes may have had holes punched through the center， such that they could be tied together on a rope for easy transport.
Brick tea of Yunnan Puer
A thick rectangular block of tea， usually in 100， 250， 500 g and 1 kg sizes， Zhuancha bricks are the traditional shape used for ease of transport along the ancient tea route by horse caravans.
Melon， or gold melon of Yunnan Puer
Its shape is similar to tuóchá， but larger in size， with a much thicker body decorated with pumpkin-like stripes. This shape was created for the famous "Tribute tea" made expressly for the Qing Dynasty emperors from the best tea leaves of Yiwu Mountain. Larger specimens of this shape are sometimes called "human-head tea"， due in part to its size and shape， and because in the past it was often presented in court in a similar manner to severed heads of enemies or criminals. When appreciating Puer， one should pay special attention to the color of the liquor. Good Puer should have an intense reddish brown color with a layer of golden sheen， known as the "golden touch". There should be a thin oily layer floating on top of the liquid. When it comes to the taste， one should be looking for a smooth and solid texture with slightly sweet aftertaste. Bad Puer often tastes bitter， moldy and sour.
Hunan Dark Tea
Variety： Tianjian dark tea/Gongjian dark tea/Shengjian dark tea/Fu brick tea/Hua brick tea/Hei brick tea/Qianliang tea
Hunan Dark tea was one of the main kinds of tea in "Tea-horse Exchange". It also called "Official Tea" which means that this tea was controlled by the government in order to exchange horses with the minorities at that time.
The records of Hunan （Anhua） dark teas production according to "the Ming Dynasty history. Food Goods Will： "god ancestor Wanli 13 years （in 1585）...The tea easy horse， only Hanzhong to guarantee Ningxia， but Hunan produces the tea， its straight inexpensive， the merchant rate border crossing private sells smuggled goods the tea"[3]. Ming Dynasty government thought that Hunan dark tea with large yield， strong and stimulating taste was more suitable for the minorities to drink with cream cheese in it， so they made the tea produced in Anhua county of Hunan as "Official Tea". It was carried to the areas of Xianyang and Jingyang of Shanxi Province and made into "Jingyang Brick Tea" which made in Shanxi Province. Because being produced in summer， it was named "Jingyang Fu brick tea".
The sequence of manufacturing is fresh tea leaves→ fixing→ rolling→ piling （wodui）→ first drying→ final drying（Semi-finished dark tea） → shaped by steam and pressure→ finished tea. The technology of dark tea has two notable characteristic in the processing of Hunan dark tea： pile-fermenting and fire-drying with pine wood during primary processing. Without these two processes， it couldnt be called "Hunan Dark Tea". Black glossy， dark brown， stale and mellow， and a little pine odor are the characteristics of dark tea.
Hei brick tea
Hei brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. It has a rectangular brick shape， with a regular and level brick surface. It has a brown and glossy brick surface. It is characterized by red-yellow and transparent tea water， internal pure flavor， profound and sweet taste， and mellow aftertaste.
Hua brick tea Hei brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. It is refined through working procedures like crashing→ sifting→ zymolysis→ braising→ pressing→ drying. The brick surface is quite flat， and the lacing and letters are of clear design. The edges are edges and the corners are corners. The thickness is consistent， and the color is yellow and brown. The endoplasm has pure fragrance or pine soot fragrance. The color of the soup is orange or red yellow， and the savor is with strong mellowness and mildness.
Fu brick tea
Fu brick tea uses semi-finished dark tea as raw material. During the special growing process， a favorable fungus is generated， namely， "Eurotium cristatum"， which may produce a series of little molecular compounds in favor of the body health[4]. The tea water takes on the red bright color， with a pure and mild taste. It plays a role in removing the grease， helping the digestion and clearing out the stomach and intestines.
As one specification of dark tea， Fu brick tea （Poria cocos brick tea） is the top grade in the ancient kind of dark tea. Being complete ferment tea， Fu brick tea is the most complex and unique brown tea which has the longest production processing cycle. It produces Aspergillus cristatus. It is brick-like in appearance， and gives flourishing golden flowers all over， dark and shining， red and strong tea soup， mellow to the taste with lasting scent.
Fu brick tea contains many kinds of amino acids， vitamins and trace elements which the human body needs， and its rich inclusion can effectively block the formation of carcinogenic microso group compound in human body. The contained steatolysis enzyme has the decomposition to be greasy， the digestion and reduces human body function as well as fat compound， cholesterol， three acid anhydride fats.
Sanjian Series （Xiangjian tea）
Besides compressed dark tea， the loose dark tea leaf has seven kinds： "Yajian， Baimaojian， Tianjian， Gongjian， Xiangjian， Shengjian， Kunjian"， which are made with tender dark tea leaves as a raw material. Yajian and Baimaojian are the top-quality dark tea loose tea leaf. They are not trade merchandise， just for the gifts from tea merchants with small quantity production output. The Tianjian and Gongjian dark tea， is compressed by foot in former times， with primitive bamboo package and setting forth the light sweet scent of bamboo leaves. This product is delicate in raw material， special in work， deep in color and mellow in taste， chiming in with Liubao dark tea of Guangxi. They are drunk by the rich class in the history and they are the favorite drinks of the nobles in Northwest China. Tianjian tea and Gongjian tea were listed as the tribute for imperial family during the period of Emperor Daoguang in Qing dynasty[5]. In nowadays， Sanjian tea series （Xiangjian tea） include Tianjian tea， Gongjian tea and Shengjian tea， which all belong to the up-grade dark tea， and are made of fresh tea leaves grown in the Grain Rain Season.
"Sanjian tea series" are made of the top-quality semi-finished dark tea via the fine processing technology， with more mellow taste and more stable quality. The tea is packaged in bulk in bamboo basket， which is one of the oldest tea packaging modes existed nowadays.
Qianliang tea series
"Anhua Qianliang Tea"， namely， Huajuan tea， is the mysterious product of Family Liu in Anhua， which has never been handed down to other people but the family. The manufacture working procedure is completed manually， with a stronger processing skill， bigger difficulty and bigger consumption of physical strength.
In order to adapt the market demand and in conformity with the attitude of protecting the intangible cultural heritages of this region， Hunan Baishaxi tea factory took the lead in recovering the production of traditional Huajuan Tea in 1997， so as to ensure the sales of "Tea King in the world" in the market， which "absorbs the nimbus of the universe and the prime of the sun and moon"
Qianliang tea is of special drinking value due to its raw material of top-quality raw dark green tea and its plain processing method. It is in favor of the human body health and it is praised as "phantom of Chinese Tea culture".
Qianliang tea was dried by putting in sun and opening in dark， it may be said "absorbing the elite of the nature". The season of stamping and making the tea is very strict， or it is easy to become mildewed or burn in the heart. Qianliang tea stored for many years， has been filled with tea worms on the surface of it. Tea worms and their excrement not only cant damage the quality， but also make the pharmacologic efficacy more remarkable. Qian in the name means one thousand and liang refers to Chinas old measurement of weight-about 32 liang to a kilogram. The tea got its name because it is shaped in rolls that each weigh about 1 000 liang （Bailiang tea and shiliang tea are similar to Qianliang tea）. The secret recipe for Qianliang used to belong to a family in Anhua. It was later hand-made exclusively by Baishaxi tea factory in the 1950s and sold according to a government distribution plan. In 1958， the company began mechanized production and stopped making Qianliang tea. In the late 1990s， Baishaxi tea factory resumed production of Qianliang to meet demands from overseas enthusiasts. The tea is now mainly sold in Southeast Asia， Guangdong， Hong Kong and Taiwan[6]. The dark teas main functionality ingredient is the tea compound multi-carbohydrate compound， and this kind of compound by the medical arena was revealed that may adjust in vivo sugar metabolism （prevention diabetes）， to reduce the blood fats blood pressure， the anti-blood to congeal， the thrombus， to sharpen organism immunity ability. The clinical trial proof， dark teas these special functions are remarkable， is other teas cannot substitute. The dark tea soup colors principal constituents are the tea flavine and the Congo red element. The findings indicated that the tea flavine is not only one kind of effective radical scavenger and the oxidation inhibitor， but also has the anticancer treatment， the anti-sudden change， the bacteriostasis anti-virus， the improvement and the treatment heart cerebrovascular disease， treats diabetes and many other kinds of physiological functions. The teas mineral elements mainly concentrate in the mature leaves and the stems. The dark tea collects and processes raw material to be old， and the mineral element content is higher than other teas. Fluorine has obvious curative effect against dental caries and can prevent old age osteoporosis; selenium can stimulate the immunoprotein and the immune body production， strengthen the human body in disease resistance， treat coronary disease， suppress and cancer cell occurrence and development. In the tea， the selenium content may reach as high as 3.8-6.4 mg/kg. The dark tea is one kind of low caffeine healthy drink （raw material maturity is high， cures and so on factors）， compares with may happy as well as other teas， the black tea does not affect sleeping. The aging dark tea in the depositing process， a microorganism experience generation of multiplication and metabolism， has produced a series of not well-known small molecular activity material， namely the secondary metabolite. These material forming processes are slow. Moreover， the chemical property is unstable， only then maintains under the original natural condition， only then has the special effect to the human body. It has wonder the equally good results from different methods with the millennium ganoderma lucidum in the effect. The Anhua people mostly have this kind of experience， drank the aging black tea treatment stomach trouble effect to be possible saying that was "highly effective".
Tao MENG et al. Advances in China Dark Tea
Guangxi Liubao Tea
Variety： Liubao tea （loose）
The origin of this tea is from Liubao town， in the Cangwu county， Guangxi， China. The tea got its name as Guangxi Liubao. Liubao tea falls within the same category as Hunan dark tea， for it is fermented longer than Oolong tea but less than black tea. The raw tea leaves harvested in the region are piled up， and exposed to a high degree of humidity for a certain period of time until the desired level of fermentation is achieved. Water is sprayed on occasionally to keep the environment constantly humid and the pile is covered by blankets. Such a humid and warm temperature condition controlled humanly accelerates the fermentation of the tea， known as ‘wo dui in Chinese.
In the standard DB45 /T581-2009 Liubao Tea， it is defined as dark tea with Liubao flavor and "red， strong， stale and pure"， with bud leaf and tender stem of C. sinensis L.O. Kunts as raw material， and produced as per primary and refining processes in appropriate processing regions.
Semi-finished Liubao tea has thick and strong leaf and black auburn color. Soaked in water， it is red and yellow. The fragrance and taste are mellow and thick， comfortable and delightful. Tea dregs are yellowish-brown. Finished tea leaf is in black auburn color and mixed with golden flower （some fungi） healthy to people. Tea color is deep red and bright. The stale flavor is pure. It has smell of betel flavor. The taste is mellow， sweet and smooth. Generally， it features "red， heavy， stale and mellow". The tea dregs are auburn or black auburn， suitable for long time storage.
The technological process of Liubao tea： Processing of Liupao tea includes first manufacturing and refining.
Process of first manufacturing： Fresh leaves → de-enzyming→ first twisting → heaping → second twisting → dehydration→ semi-finished Liubao tea.
Process of refining： Semi-finished tea → screening→ blending → moisten heaping → steaming → brick tea processing→ staling → finished Liubao tea.
Special quality of Liubao tea is inseparable from its special production and processing procedure. Among the processes， moisten heaping is deemed as the key process for formation of special quality of Liubao tea. Enzyme and microbial species groups in fermentation of moisten heaping have highly correlation. The essence of moisten heaping is a series of chemical change of chemical compositions （mainly tea polyphenol） occurred in the action of damp and hot and microbial enzyme. Action of microbial enzyme determines quality of Liubao tea， so microbial species groups play a decisive role in quality of Liubao tea. Main factors influencing microbial species groups include large environment （water， soil and climate） and small environment （ temperature， humidity， trace element， and flora type）. According to records of historical documents， since Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty， there have been many factories and farmers engaged in production， processing and sales of Liubao Tea in Liaobao Town of Cangwu County. In the 1950s to 1980s， Liubao tea has been a stable export commodity of Guangxi Province. Liubao tea is one of the 24 kinds of famous tea in whole country in Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty， but its domestic market shrinks in the middle and latter periods of 1990s， and Liubao Tea has once been reduced to a "Declining Industry".
Sichuan Tibetan Tea
Variety： Southern route tea （Kang zhuan brick tea Jinjian tea）/Western route tea（Fangbao tea Fu brick tea）
As Sichuan Province was nearest， it became the most preferred source of tea. In order to transport the product conveniently， Sichuan people invented a way to compress the tea into tightly packed bricks， and during the long treks the tea aged and became wet from the weather， resulting in this double fermentation process.
The Sichuan Southern route tea is a unique type of tea in China， and it has the massive historical connotation and the cultural deposits. It is still the Tibetan compatriots necessities of life. Pile-fermentation is considered the pivotal process which forms the unique quality of the brick tea. The purpose is to promote the tough fresh leaf of raw material through a certain degree of fermentation. Then it forms the characteristic of mellow-taste， pure aroma， and bright red color. What is the primitive factor of chemical change during pile-fermentation and the relations which to form with the brick tea quality？ The majority viewpoints thought mainly reason of that is the function of microorganism. In the process of pile-fermentation， it produces a large number of microbes and under the function which in the course of their metabolism or the lyoenzyme which released of it， caused the inclusion ingredient to have the transformation， the degeneration and so on. thus formed the special quality of the brick tea.
In short， The Tibetan tea made in Yaan， Tianquan， Rongjin and sold to Xikang Tibet is called Southern route tea. The Tibetan tea made in Guan city， Chongqin， Sanyi and sold to Song fan， Li city is called Western route tea.
Hubei Dark Tea
Variety： Qing Brick Tea/Dong Brick Tea/Mi Brick Tea
Hubei dark brick tea is a unique dark tea in China， belonging to the latter fermented tea. Mainly produced southern areas in Hubei province. Its the necessities of life of minority people in Inner Mongolia， Xinjiang， Qinghai， Gansu and other regions. The Processing of Hubei dark tea is very likely Hunan Hei brick tea. Laoqing dark tea
Laoqing dark tea is produced in Hubei and Lingxiang county of Hunan and dried in the sun during primary processing.
Qing brick tea
Qing brick tea is processed from Laoqing dark tea. It is mainly sold to Mongolia and Russia.
Dong brick tea
Dong brick tea is the predecessor of Qing brick tea. It is originated in Yangloudong Town of Hubei. Compressed with black tea fanning， its also called Xiaojing Drick Tea.
Chuanzi dark tea
Chuanzi dark tea refers to the Qing brick tea with the Chinese character "川" on the surface of it.
Xiaojing drick tea
Compressed with black tea fanning in Hubei ， its mainly sold to Mingolia and Russia.
Pailou Brand Mi brick tea
Pailou Brand Mi brick tea refers to the Mi brick tea with the patterns of Chinese ancient decorated archway on the surface of it.
Phoenix Brand Mi brick tea
Phoenix Brand Mi brick tea is the Mi brick tea with the pattern of phoenix on the surface of it.
Locomotive Brand Mi brick tea
Locomotive Brand Mi brick tea is exactly the Mi brick tea with the pattern of Locomotive on the surface of it.
Another Tea： Luan Basket Tea （An Cha）
Liuan basket tea is Luan guapian （green tea） that is fired， steamed and compressed into baskets for aging. Like most dark cha， Liuan begins similar to green tea and is aged to undergo flavor and aroma development via post-fermentation. Liuan tea is a famous tea originating in Anhui Province in China. This region has a long tradition of making post-fermented teas like their neighbors in Guangxi who make Liubao dark tea. The manufacturing process is similar to Liubao tea， and Luan is a much sought after favorite among tea connoisseurs.
The tea is from a small leaf variety of C. sinensis. The aging process of Luan basket tea is even more complicated than Luan Gua Pian. It is baked over a small fire and braized into a small bamboo basket. The process and storage are similar to Liubao dark tea.
Luan is traditionally brewed by gongfu style. Also it is a tradition to brew a piece of the bamboo wrapping with the tea together. Medicinally， dried aged mandarin orange peel is sometimes added to the tea， though this might add unsavory seasoning to unglazed pots， such as Yixing teapots.
References
[1] CHEN ZM， YANG YJ. China tea classic[M]. Shanghai： Shanghai Cultural Publishing House， 2011. （in Chinese）
[2] SHI HG. Atlas of famous Chinese tea[M]. Shanghai： Shanghai Cultural Publishing House， 2011. （in Chinese）
[3] CAI ZA， TANG HP. Hunan dark tea： The mysterious tea of the Ancient Silk Road in China[M]. Changsha： Hunan Science and Technology Press， 2006. （in Chinese）
[4] WU XA. Anhua dark tea[M]. Changsha： Hunan Science and Technology Press，2008. （in Chinese）
[5] QIN DD. A brief history of the development of dark tea[J]. Journal of Tea Business， 1983（6）： 33-35. （in Chinese）
[6] TANG KR. Development status of Chinas dark tea industry[J]. China Tea， 2008（10）： 4-5. （in Chinese）