Photo courtesy of Tiny Tony
What is Chinese red tea and how does it taste like?
* In China, this tea is referred to as congou tea
* The leaves have soil-like color.
* Has very strong and distinguished fragrance
* The taste is bold and consistent even after adding lemon, milk, or sugar.
* The tea makes the tongue feel wet rather than dry
How does red tea look like?
The dried product of Chinese tea has a soil like color. It’s kind of reddish black.
Dried products can come in a powder-like form or in broken-leaf form. When brewed, the tea gives a distinct red color.
This tea has bold and stronger taste. The taste and the fragrance can be consistent even after lemon or milk is added. This kind of tea has the ability to induce saliva production in the mouth. You can still feel the taste and the fragrance even after you already swallow the tea.
What are common kinds of red tea?
There are some common known Chinese red teas such as Keemun, Pinguey, and Nilgiri. Each type has a unique taste and fragrance.
-Keemun tea has rich and slightly sweet taste. This is one of the finest red teas in China.
-Pinguey tea is originated from China. This tea has milder taste. Some people say that this tea has a rich and full-bodied flavor.
-Nilgiri tea is produced in India. This tea taste a bit fruity and savory.
Interested in a little story of red tea?
…Don’t worry! It’s quite short but still interesting!
Initially, China did not have red tea, mostly green teas. More than a century ago, there was a man working as an official in a big city. He was far from home. No one knows for sure why, but he was fired after a few years. Probably embarrassed by this step back in life, he moved to a tea-producing region.
Living there for a while, he learned the ways to cultivate and process teas. Armed with skills of tea growing and production, he returned to his hometown, Keemun, and applied his knowledge. Wanting to create a new tea with stronger and more memorable taste, he modified the method of tea processing. Myth or fact, this story somewhat explains the birth of the most piercing and bold tasted tea.