Fu zhuan (zhuan means brick) is a compressed brick tea from Hunan, China that has been aging since 2015. Older leaves and a few buds are plucked and fired to deactivate oxidizing enzymes much like green tea, the tea is then rolled twice in machines and fermented via wet piling for 12-24 hours, a much shorter duration compared to other heicha (shu puerh is piled for weeks) this short piling means this tea does not feature the strong aromas and mustiness associated with other heicha. The real unique feature of this tea comes in the Jin Hua (golden flower), this is a fungus the tea is innoculated with after being compressed into a brick and baked, the fungus innoculation and the drying process take place at the same time, and the golden spores visible in the photos is proof that this secondary fungal fermentation has taken place.

Sweet, sour, funky, this tea has it all, the fungus imbues a unique aroma to the leaves, while initially sweet sometimes this tea surprises you with a delectable sourness that lingers on the sides of your tongue, especially in longer or higher leaf to water ratio brews. The taste reminds me of marmalade and the aroma is pleasantly wet, foresty, earthy, nutty, woody. There’s not a lot of bodyfeeling from this tea but it does fill your stomach with some wamrth and bring a flush to your cheeks after a few infusions.

You’ll receive one or several carefully weighed chunks of tea chipped off the brick pictured, if you’re interested in buying a full 1kg brick or 500g half brick please contact us and we can order you one.

Please note the fungus in this tea may have been innoculated using wheat meaning this tea may contain trace amounts of gluten and pose a risk to those with celiacs disease or a gluten intolerance.