「テアフラビン」という、色素をご存じですか？美味しい紅茶にはたくさん含まれているという黄色の色素です。HOJOの英徳紅茶を淹れると、まるで皆既日食のような、濃いゴールデンリングが形成されます。これがテアフラビンの存在を示す証拠です。同じ赤色の紅茶でも、赤い色素（テアルビン）と黄色の色素（テアフラビン）の含有比により、円やかさが全く異なるのです。
英徳紅茶の香りは蜜のように甘く、HOJOの女性スタッフには絶大な人気です。味、香りは、金芽とやや似たところがあり、まろやかで、芳醇、ボディーがあり、それでいて、どんなに長く蒸らしても渋みが感じられません。
特別に高級な紅茶ですから、普段紅茶では使わないような、オシャレなグラスで飲まれてはいかがですか？
茶殻を観察してみてください。大きな茶葉・・・大きいにもかかわらず、指にはり付くほど柔らかく、よく見るとゴールデンチップを含んでおります。実は英徳紅茶は英紅9号と呼ばれる独自の品種のみから作られます。茶葉が大きいのは、大きな葉を用いているのではなく、もともと大きな葉の品種なのです。
英紅9号を用い、高品質の英徳紅茶を作っているのは、中国でも１社のみといわれております。HOJOの英徳紅茶は、広東省のお茶の研究所内にある農場で作られた製品です。私たちは英徳紅茶の品質に惚れ込み、是非とも日本に紹介したいと思いました。様々な苦労がありましたが、試行錯誤のあげく、この幻の紅茶の入手に成功しました。もちろん、最高品質のお茶は甘い香りを高めるため、無農薬茶園製です。
英徳紅茶という名のもとで、本物とは明らかに異なる製品が数多く流通しております。英紅9号から作られた茶葉は茶色く、大きくてごわごわとした形状をしております。本物でない品質として一般的に良く流通していることで知られる製品に、「Golden Monkey」と呼ばれる紅茶があります。この茶葉は金芽のように外観が金色をしておりますが、英徳紅茶と比べると、味も香りも格段に劣ります。
英徳紅茶ほどの高級紅茶をレストランやカフェで飲めることがありません。
50gが3400円するHOJOの英徳紅茶は15回（１回3g）淹れることが出来ます。もちろん高級茶ですので、1煎だけでなく何煎も淹れることが出来ます。3gの茶葉から最低数煎（3～4回）淹れられることを考慮すると4～5カップ分の紅茶に相当します。
つまり、3400 ÷ 15（3g x 15だから）=226円、226 ÷ 4 カップ=57円、つまり、１カップあたりのコストは約57円と言うことになります。中国で一社しか製造していない、幻の高級紅茶が一杯57円で飲めるのは意外にお得ではありませんか？
Guang Dong Black Tea is one of China historical tea which is only sold to the overseas market. It is produce at Ying-de City (英德市 Ying-de Shi) at Guang Dong Province (广东省 Guang-dong Sheng)
It was originated from the Yunnan Big Leaf Cultivars (云南大叶种 Yun-nan Da Ye Zhong) which was planted at Guang Dong since year 1956. After the third year, the Guang Dong Black Tea was successfully produced. As a result of the research carried out by the tea institute, the new cultivar was bred and named as Ying-hong No. 9 (英红九号 Ying-hong Jiu-hao). Since then, it has been widely planted and its product covered a full range of grading for black tea, i.e., BOP, OP, FBOP up to fanning and dust. It gives a very strong flowery flavor with a thick red liquor; these distinctive cup characteristic has gained much attention. During the 19th century, great amounts of Guang Dong Black Tea were exported to European countries. The yearly production quantity reached 5,000 tones from about 5500 hectare of tea garden.
In 1963, the Queen of Britain particularly selected this tea to serve Her honored guests during the royal banquet. Its strong flavor with thick and mellow taste was highly praised and renowned.
Guang Dong Black Tea has been awarded numerously at international and domestic tea contests. The main awards are:
1986年: Guang Dong Black Tea BOP won the Gold Prize from the Paris Food and Travel Association. (巴黎美食旅游协会)
1991年: Awarded the Gold Prize at International Expo
1992年: The series of Guang Dong Black Tea products won the Silver Prize at the 92nd International Food Expo held at Hong Kong.
However, starting from the late 19th century, the Guang Dong Province has undergone rapid development in the industrial sector, and agricultural products no longer remained as the main economy index. Tea products faced the same situation. Up to date, the only place in the world which produces this tea is the Tea Institute located at the Guangdong Agriculture School of Tea at Ying-de City. It is specially treated solely for the purpose of preserving the cultivar: Ying-hong No. 9. The production is carried out during April and May. Only very limited quantity is produced: about 50kg or less.
1. Shape of dry leaf
Leaf is thick, robust, tightly rolled taut strips.
2. Color of dry leaf
Leaf in dark, almost black in color and looks glossy and lustrous. It contains bud in orange gold color.
3. Aroma
Dry leaf gives flowery flavor with mild sugar syrup flavor. When brewed, the liquor gives the same aromatic profile.
4. Color of liquor
When brewed, the tea produces liquor with thick red color, with is lustrous and bright. One of the distinctive criteria of Guang Dong Black Tea is it gives a very bright golden ring appeared near the edge of liquor to the cup. The presence of the golden ring indicates that the tea leaves are rich in theaflavins that signifies for good quality. When added with milk, the bright golden brown color remains
5. Taste
Smooth and thick. The taste is lingering on the tongue and mouth, giving a refreshing note with mild sweet after taste.
6. Brewed leaf
The brewed leaves show a bright brownish red color, very consistent and even over the leaf, indicating good quality and well-made tea. When touched with finger, the leaves are thick, soft and elastic. If the tea is of poor quality, leaves are a mixture of greenish brown and red color. When touched, the leaf is very thin but stiff, with a very thick and coarse leaf vein. Besides, the green color spot is found on surface of leaf indicating insufficient oxidation. The leaf looks dull and lack of brightness, and in dark color indicating inappropriate process.
Use teapot and cup made from glass or porcelain. Use soft water for preparation of tea. It is suitable to effectively extract most of the substances from tea leaf. Hard water is not suitable because it contains higher level of mineral ions which suppress extraction of substances from leaf, subsequently, the taste become very flat and thin. Besides, mineral ions react with polyphenols substances and give a dark brown color. Use fresh water which has not been boiled before. Bring the cold water to boil, and then pour in boiling water that has been freshly drawn which the temperature is > 95˚C.
For black tea, the main component is tannin which required high temperature for utmost extraction. It is necessary to keep container warm in order to maintain adequate temperature in brewing water.
Place tea leaves into warmed tea pot.
Do not pour water from high position. It would damage tea leaves and cause astringent taste.
Brew for 1-2 mins
Warm up tea cup. But it is up to you whether or not to warm it.
After 1st brewing, tea leaves must be filtered well and kept without water. This is to avoid the liquor becoming bitter and stewed, and also to avoid unpleasant feeling of bits of tea leaves on your palate when drinking. Besides, it prevents tea leaves from being over cooked. In addition, tea after filtration will be ready for second brewing.
Some teapots have a filter to retain the tea leaves. For teapot without the filter, place a tea strainer on top of the cup before pouring the tea into the cup. It is not recommended to use the traditional tea ball that could be placed into the teapot; tea leaves are locked in and not fully expand when brew in hot water, thus they cannot release their full aroma and taste.
If the tea is too strong, add boiled water to the cup. 
Avoid direct sun shine and humid condition and store in cold and dark place. Storing in an ambient environment (room temperature); further maturation of tea leaves will occur (non-enzymatic oxidation) that enhances the sweet taste and create a dry fruit like flavor. Tea leaf is very dry at 5% of moisture. It is very easy to absorb the smell of the surrounding environment as well as moisture. Please make sure it is tightly sealed in the bag and is kept in a well ventilated place.
Maturation will make black tea sweet in taste but less in aroma. As represented by the Oriental Beauty, these teas with muscatel flavor will be drastically improved in terms of the intensity of flavor and taste. In Taiwan, those matured oriental beauties are sold at a much higher price in the overseas markets.
In the event that you want to maintain the quality profile as exactly how it was when your purchase the tea, please store inside the fridge. The package must be tightly sealed in order to avoid water condensation. When the tea is taken out from the fridge, it has to be kept aside for a while in order to warm up the tea leaves to room temperature before opening the package.. If the bag is opened immediately from the fridge, condensation will occur in the package which will accelerate quality deterioration.
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