At a glance
Anhua dark tea is a Hunan tea family, not a synonym for one brick. This entry keeps the original Fu-brick focus while separating it from Hei brick and Hua brick.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 安化黑茶（茯砖茶） |
| Tea family | Dark tea |
| Associated origin | Anhua, Yiyang, Hunan |
| Leaf form | Fu brick in this entry; Anhua dark tea is a wider family |
Taste and appearance
The earlier Fu-style comparison describes a mellow, full cup with orange-yellow to orange-red liquor and a clean fermentation-associated aroma. Yellow-brown infused leaves and visible stems occur in its lower comparisons. These are inherited sensory descriptions, not a tasting of a current packet.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade (old table) | Grade 1 (old table) | Grade 2 (old table) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Firm rectangular brick; flat face, clear pattern and defined edges | Even face and edges; moderate pressing and abundant flowering | Even face and edges; moderate pressing and abundant flowering |
| Dry colour | Black-brown | Black-brown | Somewhat paler lustrous black |
| Liquor | Red-yellow | Orange-red | Orange-yellow |
| Aroma | Clean fungal-flower note | Clean fungal-flower note | Clean fungal-flower note |
| Taste | Full and mellow | Mellow | Mellow |
| Infused leaves | Yellow-brown, fairly tender and fairly whole | Yellow-brown, fairly whole; visible stems | Brown or yellow-brown; visible stems |
The inherited table mixes descriptions and uses Extra / Grade 1 / Grade 2 labels. Do not treat those as the pressed-Fu classifications. The reviewed 2021 Anhua Fu text distinguishes loose and pressed forms; pressed tea uses Super, Special and Ordinary names. The old table is retained for comparison, not relabelled as a standard. Flowering is a manufacturing feature, not a home test of safety or health value.
Names and origin
Anhua is in Yiyang, Hunan. Its dark-tea family includes several processed forms. Fu tea has a distinct flowering stage; Hei brick and Hua brick have separate definitions. The old introduction described Hei brick even though this entry was labelled Fu brick; that description is not used to identify all Anhua tea.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
Consider this tea if you enjoy mellow dark tea and short, fully decanted infusions. The description is about flavour and preparation, not a medical suitability category. Try a small, clearly labelled packet before buying a large brick for ageing.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: gaiwan or Yixing teapot
The earlier prose uses a white porcelain gaiwan or Yixing teapot, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio and 100°C / 212°F water. It includes rinsing/moistening the leaves, then describes a drinking infusion of 10 seconds after adding water. The prose gives no rinse duration. Its claim of ten or more infusions is retained as a description of the original method, not a guarantee for your packet.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz; measured water at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Porcelain gaiwan or Yixing teapot with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 100°C / 212°F at pouring; let the drink cool before sipping |
| Rinse | Included in the prose, with no duration specified; discard it |
| First drinking infusion | 10 seconds after adding water, then decant fully |
These inherited directions and arithmetic examples are awaiting hands-on testing. A nominal vessel capacity or drawn fill fraction does not measure actual water. Keep this prose recipe separate from the illustration below, which may use a different ratio or timing. For a tightly pressed brick, use an appropriate tool carefully, pointing it away from your hands and body; weigh the separated portion rather than judging by brick size.
Read the original illustration separately
Illustration method: 5 g with 150 mL actual water, 1:30, 100°C / 212°F. The first 5-second pour is a rinse, which is discarded, followed by a 30-second rest with the liquid drained. The next pour is the first drink at 10 seconds; pours 3–4 and 5–6 also show 10 seconds, 7–8 about 30 seconds, and 9 onward about two minutes. These are the image’s stages, not a promise of nine good cups. Its 1:30 differs from the prose’s 1:20.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Check the precise form, maker, production date, raw-material information, grade system and storage history. Do not buy an unspecified Anhua brick solely because a seller promises plentiful golden flowers or indefinite appreciation.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade (old price list) | 600 | 120 |
| Grade 1 (old price list) | 250 | 50 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The earlier Chinese edition describes long-term storage under suitable conditions: below 25°C / 77°F and below 70% relative humidity, away from sunlight, moisture and smells. These inherited limits are not an instruction to raise humidity, a measured condition in your home or a guarantee that every packet will improve with age. Follow the actual product label and packaging conditions first.
It describes paper bags, clean bamboo baskets or ceramic containers for loose tea, and clean, odour-free cardboard boxes for small baskets, bricks and cakes. Keep a protective enclosure with suitable air circulation around the storage area; do not leave tea exposed to kitchen air. Keep different products and strong aromas separate. A paper wrapper is not a waterproof barrier.
In a UK or US home
Choose a clean, dry cupboard away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, spices, heaters, direct sun and damp basement walls. Handle tea with clean, dry tools and keep an opened portion protected between uses. Do not automatically transfer green tea’s refrigerator method to dark tea. Long-term ageing conditions depend on the product and package; do not recreate a factory’s humid fermentation room at home.
Long storage does not guarantee better flavour or freedom from spoilage. Do not brew tea that appears spoiled; if its condition is uncertain, stop using it and ask the maker or seller. A short rinse is a brewing step, not a safety inspection. See storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
Anhua dark tea includes multiple processing routes. Fu tea adds controlled flowering to a sequence involving prepared dark tea, sorting/blending, piling, steaming, forming where applicable and drying. The earlier introduction’s embossed 2 kg Hei brick belongs to a different brick form, not a universal Fu specification. No process image was supplied for this entry. Exact historical firsts and claims that stored tea cannot mould or becomes medicinal are omitted.
Common questions
Is all Anhua dark tea Fu brick tea?
No. Anhua dark tea is the family name here. Check whether the packet says Fu brick, Hei brick, Hua brick or another form; those names do not share one interchangeable grade table.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Hei Brick Tea, or browse the dark tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.