At a glance
This entry concerns a Fu-tea blend described as containing Cordyceps militaris. It needs a complete ingredients label and product-specific instructions; ordinary Fu tea is not automatically the same blend.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 蛹虫草茯茶 |
| Tea family | Dark tea |
| Associated origin | The old entry associates a blend with Xianyang / Jingyang, Shaanxi; actual maker unconfirmed |
| Leaf form | Tea-based Fu blend described as containing an added fungal ingredient |
Taste and appearance
The older comparison describes a dark brick, bright orange-yellow liquor and a clean, mellow taste with a fermentation-associated aroma. It does not establish the quantity, identity or quality of the added fungal ingredient. The original duplicated liquor and infused-leaf photos are withheld.
The original liquor and infused-leaf photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Neat brick, moderate pressing and abundant flowering | Fairly neat brick, moderate pressing and even flowering |
| Dry colour | Lustrous black | Black with fair oily lustre |
| Liquor | Orange-yellow and bright | Orange-yellow and bright |
| Aroma | Clean fungal-flower note | Clean fungal-flower note |
| Taste | Clean and mellow | Old cell repeats an aroma description; taste attribution unresolved |
| Infused leaves | Yellow-brown, whole leaves | Yellow-brown, fairly whole leaves |
The inherited two-column comparison is not a verified current standard for this blend. Its no-extraneous-microbes wording is a quality requirement, not something established from photos. One taste cell repeats aroma wording and remains unresolved. Neither flowering nor a named fungal ingredient establishes a clinical benefit, ingredient dose or safe condition.
Names and origin
Yongchongcao is associated with Cordyceps militaris, distinct from the fungus sold as dongchongxiacao. A northern-winter-cordyceps alias does not make them the same species or ingredient. The earlier page locates its example in Shaanxi, but gives no traceable maker, ingredients declaration or addition percentage. That remains a gap. Do not identify a particular formula from a generic dark brick or assume every similarly named product is identical.
Everyday benefits
This is a tea-based blend described as having an added fungal ingredient. Its tea component contains caffeine. Evidence about fungal extracts or laboratory experiments does not establish a benefit from this particular cup, whose formula and serving amount are unconfirmed. Do not use it as treatment or a nutritional replacement. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed.
Who may enjoy this tea
This is not recommended by a symptom, age or traditional constitution category. First establish the exact formula and product instructions; people seeking a plain dark tea may prefer a clearly identified unblended product.
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.
Added ingredient: check the complete formula and ingredient warnings. If you have a relevant fungus or ingredient allergy, do not use that ingredient. If pregnant, breastfeeding, considering it for a child, or taking medicines, take the actual label to a clinician or pharmacist before choosing this blend. This review has not established a safe dose or compatibility for the unconfirmed formula. Do not apply findings from one cordyceps species or concentrated supplement to this tea automatically.
How to brew
Formula check first: the original page gives no fungal inclusion amount or verified product label. The following preserves its old tea method as documentation, not a checked serving recommendation for an unknown blend. Obtain the actual maker’s complete directions before choosing a portion.
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
Inherited illustration, not a verified blend dose: about 8 g, 100°C / 212°F, warming empty teaware, a 3–5-second rinse discarded, then 3–4 seconds before decanting the first drink. It supplies no measured actual water, vessel capacity or ratio, and shares its graphic with a different Fu-tea page. It does not identify how much Cordyceps militaris is present. Do not treat the pictured 8 g as an independently checked serving recommendation for your blend.
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
Require a complete ingredients label, named manufacturer, fungal species/form, amount and serving instructions, date, storage conditions and any product warnings. A generic name is insufficient to assess an unknown blend. Do not buy it as treatment for fatigue, immune problems or disease.
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) | 500 | 100 |
| 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.
Blend limitation: the preceding storage account is the inherited plain-dark-tea handling note. Added ingredients can have their own conditions. It does not establish that this particular blend can be aged indefinitely; the complete blend label takes priority.
Origin, processing and history
The original map shows a general Fu-style winding sequence of cleaning, cutting, sieving, blending, preparing tea liquor, paper-envelope handling, heating, forming, tying, flowering and drying. It does not show when, in what form or at what amount the fungal ingredient is added. This cannot verify the blend formula. The earlier claimed decades of innovation and nutritional superiority are not independently established here. Different cordyceps species, cultured materials and extracts must not be substituted for one another in a factual or health claim.
Common questions
Is this just ordinary Fu tea with a different name?
No. The old entry describes an added fungal ingredient. Confirm the species, form, amount per serving and full directions on the actual packet. A standard Fu recipe or a tea-knife portion cannot establish a suitable amount of an unknown blend.
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 Jingyang Fu 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.