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Appellation. For wine and other products, appellation offers legal protection. It prevents a tea labeled “Darjeeling” from being produced outside of the designated geographical region of Darjeeling. Even though it has been produced for generations, da hong pao tea does not yet have such a recognized (and enforced) appellation. So I asked 2 colleagues to help clarify what it means to have an authentic “da hong pao.”

Peter Luong is a second-generation owner of Red Blossom Tea in San Francisco. He and his sister Alice took over the family business from their father. They specialize in Taiwanese and Chinese teas.

Timothy Hsu created The Mandarin’s Tea Room to offer select, (even custom crafted) teas and a tea tasting atmosphere in New York City.

Both Peter and Timothy travel to origin, and are fluent Chinese speakers. Given the thorough visits and the relationships they have cultivated, they offer real, deep insight from farmers and industry experts on understanding Da Hong Pao (大红袍), or Big Red Robe wulong tea.

JW: Talking about the plants themselves, what makes da hong pao authentic?

PL We (Red Blossom) define Da Hong Pao as a cultivar, and we feel that that cultivar is best when grown within the actual Wuyi range. A truly authentic da hong pao is one that is a direct descendant of the original da hong pao. The general agreement amongst tea producers in Wuyishan that I have spoken with is that the one closest in genetic make-up to da hong pao is a cultivar called “beidou” (北斗).

TH
Da Hong Pao is a sub-varietal of ShuiXian. Like Golden Key or Tie Luo Han, each has their own special character profile besides the terroir. It should also grow around the original mother trees or at least inside the Wuyi Nature Reserve to be considered authentic.

JW: I noticed you both noted authenticity applies when the right plant grows in the right location.

TH
It is very much all about location if you are a tea connoisseur, in my opinion. Just like drinking Lion Peak Longjing or a champagne for example. Its not legally a champagne if the production is not from the Champagne region of France.

PL
Yes, it needs to come from the Wuyi mountains. It needs to be a zheng yan (正岩).  (Editor’s note: See this post on the differences between zheng yan and other classifications.) This is an issue in China, as a lot of wuyis do not come from the actual wuyi mountains but from surrounding tea gardens. It’s a huge issue in the US because I think most of the wuyis being sold here are not “zheng yan”. They are teas grown outside the wuyi mountains (the best tell is price for some of these teas). For example, it’s impossible to have a zheng yan at a price point that some of these teas are being sold for.

JW: But some Wuyi teas just get piled together and sold under the name “da hong pao.” Are there any tells that can help a discerning tea drinker distinguish the more authentic from the less?

PL
Today, the term da hong pao has become an almost generic marketing term, used as a label for “high grade” “wuyi” oolongs. I have quotes around both high grade and wuyi because sometimes, what is being sold is neither high grade nor from the wuyi mountains.

More often than not, what is being sold as da hong pao are blends that consists mostly of Huang guan yin, an incredibly floral cultivar. The use of Huang Guan Yin as a stand-in for da hong pao is based on the incorrect assumption that anything high grade needs to be incredibly floral. What’s amiss is that true beidou /da hong pao is not floral. It has a slightly medicinal character, but is prized for its balance. I like to think of it as a carrier of all the traits for which the individual Wuyi cultivars are known, but in a way that balances their various distinct notes (minerally, floral, rich, etc.).

JW: This conversation could go on, and I hope it does. We haven’t touched upon other potential points, like harvest time and processing factors contribute to authentic da hong pao character. My thanks to Peter and Timothy for contributing.

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Origin: Shan Lin Xi, Nantou County, Taiwan
Harvest: Winter 2011
Score: 90
Price (as of post): 50 g = $24
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Sample provided by Asha Tea House.
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Origin: WuYi, Fujian, China
Harvest: 2011
Score: 84
Price (as of post): 8 g = $9
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Mt. Wudong Huang Zhi Xiang Phoenix Dancong 2011 Sp Premium

Origin: Guanshi Village, Mt. Wudong, Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, China 
Harvest: Spring 2011
Score: 88
Price (as of post): 15 g = $2.10

Wudong Song Variety Haung Zhi Xiang Phoenix Dancong Nonpareil

Origin: Li Zai Ping Village, Mt. Wudong, Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, China
Harvest: Spring 2011
Score: 91
Price (as of post): 15 g = $5.40
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Samples provided by JK Teashop.
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Sample provided by International Tea Farms Alliance.
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Does the success of a tea inevitably lead to its degradation?

Such a case could be made of some teas of Wu Yi Mountain (武夷山) in Fujian Province. The region is home to several classic and popular wulong teas. Da Hong Pao (大红袍), Shui Xian (水仙), and Tie Luo Han (铁罗汉) are just a few of the famous ones. In addition, new varieties are being developed. Golden Buddha (金佛) and Golden Key (金钥匙) are but some of the newer Wuyi teas that have been developed in recent decades.

The legendary nature of the 36 peaks and 99 cliffs of the protected Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area help feed a growing business. So much growth that there was talk of a Da Hong Pao bubble just a few years ago. The Wall Street Journal and tea businesses reported on it.

Separating fact from fiction in Wuyi teas can be challenging. If you want an ultimately authentic Wuyi wulong tea experience, there are a few keys that will help.

First is the classification of teas by area. Teas grown in the authentic scenic area are called zheng yan (正岩). Unless you fully trust the provider of a zheng yan, and paid very dearly for it, most of us will never taste a handmade, traditionally processed, authentic zheng yan tea. Another category is ban yan (半岩). Ban yan teas are grown on or just across the border separating the scenic area from other lands. While zheng yan can be grown at elevations of 400 meters above sea level in mountainous pockets with their unique micro-climates, ban yan teas may be in more open, lower areas. Below and beyond ban yan lies wai shan (外山), which literally means “outside the mountain.” These broader areas produce most of the commercial grade product on the market.

Secondly, varietals come into play. Beidou, a village approximately 20 miles away from the town of Wuyi Mtn, grew some of the early clones of the original Da Hong Pao bushes. The tea from these plants is descended from the mother plants, so does that make it authentic “Da Hong Pao”? If cuttings from these daughter plants are then grown in other zheng yan, ban yan, or wai shan regions, does this placement increase or decrease their authenticity? Many will say extended periods of time will cause these plants growing in these distinct locations to develop different characteristics. In other words, they are already on the path to becoming new varietals.

Thirdly, processing determines character. It is said that some farmers/processors may take portions of different teas: shui xian, tie luo han, or other wuyi wulongs and combine them. Then they deeply roast this concoction to even out differences in taste among the components. The resulting heavy roasted tea is deemed “da hong pao.”

With the rising popularity of these teas, increased tourism to the area, and appeal of da hong pao speculation, the answers to these questions may get cloudier before they get clearer.
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Origin: WuYi Mountain region
Harvest: mid-May 2011
Score: 91
Price (as of post): 2 oz = $25
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Sample provided by Red Blossom Tea Company.
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Origin. Harvest. Varietal. Grade. Processing choices. These are some of the factors to consider when choosing an artisanal loose leaf tea. Depending on the kind of tea, these choices are generally more straightforward.

But teas like Dan Cong throw a wrench into the works. Dan Cong is a Chinese wulong (oolong) with a history that extends back to the Song Dynasty. There are extremely rare dan cong tea trees that date from that time, still producing treasured tea. Other tea bushes from the area are clones, daughters of those ancient mothers or other tea bushes of the area.

Sometimes dan cong (单枞) teas come from a single tree/bush. Sometimes they come from a set of bushes that are clonal daughters of the same mother bush. Some varieties have almond aromas. Others have peach, orchid, honey, magnolia, or osmanthus aromas.

With the staggering number of considerations to make, choosing the right dan cong can be challenging. So I asked some of my tea colleagues to talk about how to recognize and select dan cong teas.

Jason Chen (a.k.a. JC) is founder of C.C. Fine Tea Corp and author of A Tea Lover’s Travel Diary: Phoenix Single-Tree Oolong Tea Tie Kuan Yin Oolong Tea.

Austin Hodge (a.k.a. AH) is President of Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas.

Imen Shan (a.k.a. IS) is Owner of Tea Habitat, an L.A. based and online store specializing in dan cong teas. She has also blogged prolifically on the subject of dan congs. Some of this material is directly from her posts.

1. What makes a dancong tea true and authentic?

JC: Region, varietal and processing skill are critical. The rich, volcanic soil of Phoenix Mountain, its altitude, clean air, spring water, and weather all shape the character of authentic dan cong tea.

AH: The Phoenix Mountain Range covers a lot of ground, and the question of authenticity is a multilevel issue. The tallest mountain in the range, Wudongshan, is where dan cong was originally grown and some of the trees there date back to the Song Dynasty. There are 24 families that control Wudong, and all of the tea grown there comes through them. Starting price for those teas recently ranged $400 – $500 USD per kilo ($181 – $227 USD per lb). These teas are usually bought by collectors, tea masters, and private connoisseurs before they get to the open market.

Moving outward from the specific peak of Wudongshan, one can find dan congs in the larger Chaozhou “zone.” These teas often lack the maturity and depth of history as those original Wudong Mountain trees/bushes. This zone is also home to many of the “commercial” grade dan cong gardens consisting of multiple bushes cloned from a mother tree.

Good dan congs are very strong in taste with the astringent/bitterness as part of their complex character. The larger American tea palate may not be accustomed to this character profile, especially at such a high price. I don’t expect that this tea will be popular until the American palate matures, and people are willing to pay the price.

IS: They must be Feng Huang Shui Xian varietal grown within the Phoenix Mountain range in Chao An County. Wudong mountain produces the best flavor dan cong teas.

Cloning technology is widely used by tea plantations, but do not expect tea from cloned trees to taste exactly like that from the mother trees. The age of the tree dictates the maturity and richness of the dan cong’s flavor. Cloning allows for the production of dan cong tea for commercial trade. Because the clones come from dan cong trees, they are marketed as dan cong commercial products. It’s a commercial product name, just like commercial Da Hong Pao.

JW: It would then seem safe starting assumption that much of the dan cong available in the US and online is actually from the lower “Shui Xian,” or “commercial” grade being sourced from clonal gardens in the greater Chaozhou or Phoenix Mountain “zone.”

2. Why are there so many grades and flavors of dan cong? How do names like Huang Zhi Xiang (orange flower fragance) or Zhi Lan Xiang (orchid fragrance) relate to the tea’s grade or quality?

IS: There are 3 sub divisions from the main category Phoenix (Feng Huang) Shui Xian:
(1) Dan Cong, (2) Lang Cai and (3) Shui Xian by grade. Within each sub division, there are 4 more grades of each: special grade, first grade, second grade and third grade. Each grade has 3 ranks. This makes a total of 36 grade/rankings. In the ranking, Dan cong 3rd grade 3rd rank is better than Lang Cai special grade 1st rank.

Dan Cong is the highest grade due to careful selection from the vast number of Feng Huang Shui Xian varietal tea trees. In the past, single bushes were harvested and processed one tree at a time. Today, single bush processing is still practiced in some cases, averaging 3 lbs of final product per tree per year. Most of these limited production teas don’t travel out of Chaozhou.
In the last 50 years, the Chinese government has attempted to better systematize the use of fragrance names in the commercial market. 10 dan cong fragrances were recognized:

Yu Lan Xiang – magnolia flower fragrance 玉兰香
Huang Zhi Xiang – orange flower fragrance 黄栀香
Xing Ren Xiang – Almond flavor 杏仁香
Zhi Lan Xiang – Orchid fragrance 芝兰香
Mi4 Lan Xiang – Honey Orchid fragrance 密兰香
Gui Hua Xiang – Osmanthus fragrance 桂花香
You Hua Xiang – Pomelo/grapefruit flower fragrance 柚花香
Jiang Hua Xiang – Ginger flower fragrance 姜花香
Rou Gui Xiang – Cinnamon flavor 肉桂香
Mi3 Lan Xiang – Milan flower fragrance 米兰香

These are signature fragrance types of dan cong teas and commercial product names for clones. Old trees that have those same fragrances are referred to by their individual tree names.

To illustrate the confusing nature of this approach, consider Huang Zhi Xiang (orange flower fragrance). There are 40+ varietals that can produce the flavor of Huang Zhi Xiang (HZX). Each village named their own HZX after their village name or mountain name. There now exists Wu Dong HZX and Shi Tou HZX. There are also Qing Xiang (light fragrance) varietals, and Nong Xiang (intense fragrance) varietals. Overall, more Huang Zhi Xiang is produced than any of the other top 10 fragrances.

Names of old bushes can be anything you can imagine. These names do not change much. Thief Shit, Duck Shit, Old Duck, Big Dark Leaf, Song Zhong, Song Zhong Jai (Next generation Song Zhong), Jiang MuXiang (Ginger Mom), Red Lady Umbrella, Dong Fang Hong, are just a few of the many colorful names of old trees.

AH: Tea left to grow on its own, relatively untended for centuries, will be subject to a lot of cross-pollination. When the seeds are planted or are spread naturally, different unexpected varietals occur. Asexual reproduction (e.g. clonals) is the only way to ensure that you will get the same cultivar. Planting by seed is very unpredictable. It is not hard to find the tea plants growing in forest in the mountains of the Phoenix Mountain. Just because it is a unique bush doesn’t necessarily mean it is good tea. Aside from the commercially recognized dan cong fragrances, new varietals may develop. Sometimes these qi zhong (surprise, or unusual varietal) have excellent character, and sometimes they do not.

JW: It sounds as if the fragrance name gives no real indication of the tea’s origin (e.g. specific mountain peak) or quality level. Quality level could still vary greatly within a fragrance category as well.

3. Is this range of variation sustainable, or will we see a move toward more uniformity in dan cong being offered by tea retailers?

AH: I don’t think that you will find Chaozhou tea people being willing to do anything to change the market. Chaozhou is really a very tricky place to source tea. There is a lot of money being made the way things are. There is plenty of tea being grown at lower elevations that is getting passed off as the real thing. The only way that I would trust that a dan cong came from Wudong and one of the 24 families, I would want to be buying from them directly. I would also expect to be paying a high price. Dan congs are a very small specialized niche in the Chinese market.

IS: This is not a trend decided by the sellers. As tea drinkers become more educated about specialty teas they will better know what they like, and will most likely stay within a small range of quality grade teas.

4. How can a tea drinker know if she is purchasing an authentic dan cong?

AH: One of the most certain ways is if it was purchased directly from one of the 24 Wudong families.

JC: The best way to know if the tea is authentic is to know if the tea is from the origin of Chaoan Phoenix Mountain Area in Guangdong province. Finding a reliable tea company is another good way. For an experienced tea lover, learning the signature characteristics and flavor profiles will also help.

IS: The easiest way is by finding a reliable source and familiarizing yourself with commercial grade and single tree grade dan congs. Once you can recognize and memorize their characteristics, you can distinguish dan congs.

JW: Special thanks to Austin, Imen, and Jason for their eager participation in this dialog. In the process of researching, I also discovered a relatively newer form of dan cong from a location distinct from the Phoenix Mountain range. Ling Tou, or white leaf dan cong will have to be a topic of future conversation.

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Origin: As with many aged wulongs with this history, its particulars are obscure
Score: 97
Price (as of post): 25 g = $16.75
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Sample provided by Camellia Sinensis.
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Information on the Global Tea Taster’s Club can be found here. 6 times per year, 150 grams (about 5.3 oz) will arrive at your door. Subscription payments can be made on a monthly or annual basis.

Find out more at teafarms.org.

Sample provided by International Tea Farms Alliance.
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