Fuzhuan Cha茯磚茶

Fermentation of Dark Tea Different from Pu-erh Tea

Fuzhuan Cha is a type of Dark Tea made with the help of microbial fermentation. While Pu-erh Ripe Tea is well known for its microbial fermentation, there is a major difference in the fermentation process of Fuzhuan Cha.

Pu-erh Ripe Tea is fermented in a loose leaf state, whereas Fuzhuan Cha is fermented in a compressed block form. The different microorganisms involved result in the unique aroma and taste of Fuzhuan Cha.

200g block

The Aroma and Taste of Fuzhuan Cha

The aroma of Fuzhuan Cha is largely dependent on mold fermentation and has a distinctive woody aroma. It can be likened to the aroma of hay, wood, herbs, cheese, and raw mushrooms like porcini.

This might sound like an unusual aroma, but it is actually very well-received by customers and is a type of aroma that many people enjoy.

It is also one of the teas with a very high repeat customer rate at my shop. (Just as it is difficult to describe the aroma of cheese to someone who has never tasted it, the aroma of Fuzhuan Cha is very unique and difficult to describe.)

In terms of flavor, because the tea is grown with minimal fertilizer, it has an unexpectedly long aftertaste, a robust flavor, and a unique aroma, making it a very satisfying tea to drink.

Fuzhuan Cha Changes into a Dried Fruit-Like Aroma with Aging

Fuzhuan Cha, like Pu-erh Tea, changes its aroma as it ages.

The aging speed of Fuzhuan Cha is faster than that of Pu-erh Tea. The longer it is stored, the darker the tea leaves and liquor become, and the stronger the dried fruit-like aroma and the denser the sweetness felt in the mouth become.

In China, Fuzhuan Cha that has been stored for several years is traded at a higher price than new tea. In my experience, aging is best done in an anaerobic environment, but it can still age to an acceptable degree even when stored in an opened state.

Fuzhuan Cha is noted for its fat-reducing effects, and many studies have been conducted, mainly by Chinese researchers. According to Zhou et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014, 14:263, mice given Fuzhuan Cha showed a significant reduction in liver fat and triglycerides, and the effect increased with the amount of Fuzhuan Cha consumed. Another study by 肖文军 et al. 茶 叶 科 学 2007,27(3):211~214 also conducted experiments on both mice and humans.

According to the paper, as the intake of Fuzhuan Cha increases, cholesterol and triglycerides decrease, and good cholesterol (HDL-C) increases.

While the research results are promising, and I view them with some skepticism, they are certainly interesting for those of us concerned about fat.

Table 1 shows the cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and good cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in mice, and Table 3 shows the levels in humans before and after drinking Fuzhuan Cha.

In Table 1, as the dose of Fuzhuan Cha increases, cholesterol and triglyceride levels decrease, and good cholesterol levels increase. Table 3 shows a similar trend in humans, with the same tendencies observed before and after drinking.

Fuzhuan Cha: An Essential Part of Life for Mongolians

While Fuzhuan Cha is produced in China, it is mainly consumed in Mongolia, Tibet, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

These areas have harsh environments such as deserts and cold regions, with limited vegetation, leading residents to have a diet primarily consisting of meat, dairy products, and bread, resulting in a natural deficiency of vegetables.

Therefore, for them, Fuzhuan Cha serves as a supplement of minerals and vitamins, making it an essential part of their diet rather than just tea.

In Mongolia, it is also consumed with butter.

The History of Fuzhuan Cha

The history of tea trade between China and the Mongolian, Tibetan, and Uygur people in northwest China dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when tea was already being traded.

Tea was exported from China in exchange for horses from regions like Mongolia. This tea and horse trade was called "Chama Mutual Market," and from the Song Dynasty, a specialized trade department was established by the government, and tea was called "government tea" or "province tea," with trade conducted as a national policy.

The tea exported to regions like Mongolia at that time was a type of green tea, corresponding to what is now known as Heimao Cha (black hair tea). The tea was tightly packed and transported on donkeys or horses, taking several months.

During the journey, the tea was exposed to wind, rain, and high temperatures, causing unintentional microbial fermentation. Surprisingly, the aroma produced by fermentation was well received by people, leading to the development of the current method of intentional microbial fermentation of Fuzhuan Cha in Shaanxi Province around the 1300s during the Ming Dynasty.

Fuzhuan Cha, along with similar styles of tea, began to be produced not only in Shaanxi Province but also in Hunan Province and even Sichuan Province.

How Fuzhuan Cha is Made

The production of Fuzhuan Cha involves two stages.

① Production of Heimao Cha

Heimao Cha may sound complicated, but simply put, it is Maocha (crude tea) for producing Dark Tea.

Maocha refers to tea that has not yet been finished. The production of Heimao Cha involves the following processes.

In many books, piling during the production of Heimao Cha is described as fermentation, but since it occurs after pan-frying, the enzymes involved in fermentation are no longer present. Also, considering the short piling time of 12-24 hours, microbial fermentation is unlikely.

The piling process is more like the "menhuang" process in yellow tea, where the tea is left in a wet state for a long time to promote gentle oxidation of the components, resulting in a milder taste.

In the production of Pu-erh Raw Tea, the tea is also piled for about 12 hours after rolling. This process removes the fresh green aroma of green tea, giving it a milder taste instead.

Baking is not unique to Heimao Cha production but is also a method used in making green tea in China, such as Shuixian Green Tea in Phoenix Mountain and Liu Bao Cha.

② Fafa (Flowering)

Heimao Cha is compressed into square or rectangular shapes and stored in a high-humidity environment. This process promotes the growth of mold from the tea leaves and the environment.

If fermentation is done well, golden dots called "Jinhua" can be observed within the tea leaves. Jinhua is the spore of the mold Eurotium Cristatum and is essential when discussing Fuzhuan Cha.

The more Jinhua there is, the better the fermentation process is considered to be. However, Jinhua itself does not contribute aroma or flavor; its presence indicates the occurrence of microbial metabolism.

That said, more Jinhua does not necessarily mean higher quality. The quality of tea is primarily determined by the quality of the tea leaves used (plucking season, altitude, plucking standards, cultivation methods, etc.).

Jinhua is an indicator of well-controlled fermentation.

The yellow dots are the spores of the mold "Jinhua"

Fuzhuan Cha: Prices Vary Greatly by Grade

Fuzhuan Cha comes in various grades. Generally, the larger the compressed block, the lower the grade.

Lower grades mean that tea plucked in summer is used instead of spring tea, and the plucking standards for tea leaves also vary by grade.

Lower-grade tea uses larger tea leaves plucked in summer, resulting in stronger astringency and a coarser taste. Both Hunan and Shaanxi Provinces produce the highest grade of Fuzhuan Cha in 200g blocks.

HOJO imports 200g blocks, which are considered to be of the highest quality. This tea uses 1 bud and 3-5 leaves plucked in spring.

Below this grade, 357g or 400g blocks, and even 1kg or 2kg blocks, are more common. In fact, 200g blocks of Fuzhuan Cha are rarely consumed in Mongolia and are mostly sought after by tea enthusiasts both domestically and internationally.

In the photo above, the left is a 400g block, and the right is a 200g block. You can see that the left one is generally rougher, including the stems.

In the case of spring tea used in 200g blocks, the tea leaves are generally smaller and richer in components, resulting in a darker color.

For 1kg or 2kg blocks, larger tea leaves plucked in summer are used as the raw material.

Selecting Tea that Meets Pesticide Standards

HOJO imports 200g blocks, which are considered to be of the highest quality, and further selects those from tea gardens that meet Japanese pesticide standards.

We test for 360 types of pesticides at SGS and only import tea that meets Japanese pesticide standards. HOJO has been selling Fuzhuan Cha in Malaysia for the past 10 years, and we used to import tea from Hunan Province.

However, due to the instability in the quality and price of Fuzhuan Cha from Hunan Province in recent years, we now work with producers in both Shaanxi and Hunan Provinces, checking the quality, price, and pesticide levels.

The current product being sold is from Shaanxi Province, harvested in 2020.