Fu Cha (Jin Hua) (茯茶)
archetype: Yellow flower of winter
A golden mould-flower winters in a dense brick: a warm woody sweetness, a mushroom depth, a caravan strength.
History
Fu Cha (Jin Hua) — 'tea with the golden flower' — is a pressed brick inoculated with the fungus Eurotium cristatum. Made in Shaanxi (Xianyang) since the Ming era, originally as a 'caravan tea' for the trade routes with the nomads of the north-west. The fungus forms golden specks within the brick (hence 'jin hua', 'golden flower') and during ageing gives the tea a characteristic mushroomy sweetness and a warming profile. The denser the 'golden flower' in the brick, the higher the quality.
The nomads of the northern steppes had no vegetables, and without tea they fell ill. When Fu Cha was first brought to them, they opened the brick and saw within it golden specks — like stars. Ever since they say: 'the stars enter the stomach, and the stomach becomes the sky'. Fu Cha is 'a brick of stars': drunk when one needs to warm up where there is nothing else.
Terroir
varies (raw material). varies (raw material); decisive — the technology of fermentation in the brick. the dry northern climate of Shaanxi is ideal for the development of Eurotium cristatum. The standard is Jing Wei Fu Cha from Xianyang. The 'golden flower' develops in the third to fifth month of ageing and stabilises after one to two years.
Leaf
dry leaf: a dense pressed brick with noticeable golden flecks within; in the hand it smells of dry mushroom and warm wood
warmed: the warmed brick — sweet mushroom, warm wood, honey, the caravan
after pour: after the rinse — mushroom, wood, honey, warm earth
taste: warm wood, sweet mushroom, honey, a long warming note
finish: very long, warming; the aftertaste — a 'golden trail' in the chest
Properties
TCM: warm, yang; warms the middle and the kidneys, moves qi, helps the digestion of heavy food (meat and fat)
Modern: rich in helpful strains of Eurotium cristatum and natural sugars; traditionally — against obesity, for cold tolerance, for immunity
Cha qi: dense, warm, warming; felt as 'a winter stove in the chest'
Caffeine: low to moderate (20–35 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 150 ml clay kettle; 100 °C; 6 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first warm note: wood, mushroom; 12s — the peak: sweet mushroom, honey, the caravan; 16s — a long warming depth; 25s — a late note: warm earth, incense; 40s — the finale — a golden trail; 70s — a very late warming tail.
When to drink
day and evening. winter and late autumn. when there is cold in the bones, for warming up, after a heavy meat meal. dates, honey, dense meat dishes, incense, warm pastry, pilaf. a family table in winter; a conversation by the stove
Tea meditation
- Winter is not emptiness. Winter blooms from within.
- This tea teaches one to wait.
- A warm flower — there, where the sun does not reach.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Fu Cha (Jin Hua)?
a 150 ml clay kettle; 100 °C; 6 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first warm note: wood, mushroom; 12s — the peak: sweet mushroom, honey, the caravan; 16s — a long warming depth; 25s — a late note: warm earth, incense; 40s — the finale — a golden trail; 70s — a very late warming tail.
What does Fu Cha (Jin Hua) taste like?
warm wood, sweet mushroom, honey, a long warming note
How much caffeine is in Fu Cha (Jin Hua)?
low to moderate (20–35 mg)
What are the effects of Fu Cha (Jin Hua)?
rich in helpful strains of Eurotium cristatum and natural sugars; traditionally — against obesity, for cold tolerance, for immunity
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