# Chinese black tea: styles and brewing

Hong cha (红茶), literally “red tea” in Chinese, is the category usually called black tea in English. It includes whole-leaf and broken-leaf teas with varied flavours and strength. Loose tea and teabags are formats, not quality grades.

![Dian Hong with golden tea buds.](https://www.dao-cha.info/articles/dian-hong.jpg)

Dian Hong with golden tea buds. Photo: [Sjschen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GoldenDianHong.jpg) · [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0).

![Dry Jin Jun Mei black tea.](https://www.dao-cha.info/articles/jin-jun-mei.jpg)

Dry Jin Jun Mei black tea. Photo: [Difference engine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jin_Jun_Mei.jpg) · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

## How it is made

Leaves are withered, rolled or broken, allowed to undergo enzymatic oxidation, then dried. The tea trade often calls this oxidation stage fermentation. “Fully oxidised” is a conventional category description rather than a claim that every substance has oxidised by 100%.

Microorganisms play a substantial role in processing dark teas such as Liu Bao and ripe pu-erh. A similar infusion colour does not make them hong cha.

## Flavours to explore

Yunnan’s Dian Hong often offers honey, malt or fruit notes. Keemun, or Qimen, from Anhui can be floral and fruity. Jin Jun Mei is a bud black tea; golden buds alone do not prove origin or quality.

Zhengshan Xiaozhong comes in smoked and unsmoked styles, so check which you are buying. Names narrow the search, but a sample tells you more about the particular batch.

## Mug or gaiwan

For a mug, try 2–3 g per 250 ml at 90–95 °C for about 3 minutes. Use a roomy infuser and remove the leaves at your preferred strength. Small leaf particles may brew faster.

For a gaiwan, start with 4 g per 120 ml at 90–95 °C. Allow 10 seconds from starting to fill to starting to pour for the first infusion. Drain fully and adjust later infusions by taste. The number of enjoyable infusions depends on the tea and recipe.

If the tea is too astringent, shorten the time or use fewer leaves. If it is too weak, increase the time or temperature. Try adjusting the temperature within the 85–100 °C range. Some black teas made from buds also brew well with boiling water.

## Milk and storage

Add milk to any of these teas if you enjoy it. Set aside a little plain tea, then add milk to the rest and compare.

Keep dry tea tightly sealed, away from light, heat, moisture and odours. Follow packaging and maker’s advice rather than assigning a shelf life from the tea category alone.


## Questions and answers

**Should I rinse Chinese black tea?**

Loose tea can usually be brewed and drunk straight away. A rinse is optional and cannot make questionable tea safe.

**Does “red tea” mean rooibos?**

This guide concerns hong cha from Camellia sinensis. Rooibos comes from a different plant but is also sometimes sold as red tea. Check the ingredients.

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Source: https://www.dao-cha.info/en/guide/red-tea