At a glance
Qionglai dark tea is a Sichuan regional tea that includes loose and compressed products. The older Huofan Bing name belongs in its historical discussion, not as proof that every modern product is an ancient cake.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 邛崃黑茶 |
| Tea family | Dark tea |
| Associated origin | Qionglai, Chengdu, Sichuan; precise protected scope depends on the document/date |
| Leaf form | Loose dark tea and compressed forms |
Taste and appearance
The older pressed-tea comparison describes full red liquor, a rich aged-style aroma and a mellow body with a sweet finish. Its lower comparisons have brown dry colour and infused leaves. The old extra-grade deep-green wording conflicts with the reviewed pressed-tea description and is not used as an authenticity rule.
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) | Grade 2 (old table) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Neat symmetrical pressing; no delamination | Neat symmetrical pressing; facing covers filling | Neat symmetrical pressing; facing covers filling |
| Dry colour | Black-brown for the reviewed pressed form; old deep-green cell corrected | Brown | Brown |
| Liquor | Deep red and clear | Deep red and bright | Deep red and bright |
| Aroma | Rich, lasting aged note | Strong aged note | Rich, clean aged note |
| Taste | Full and mellow, sweet/brisk finish | Rich and mellow, sweet finish | Full and mellow, sweet finish |
| Infused leaves | Brown (old comparison) | Brown (old comparison) | Brown (old comparison) |
The old page provides three columns; the reviewed 2020 regional text distinguishes loose and compressed sensory tables and four grades. The deep-green top-grade pressed-tea cell is corrected to black-brown because it conflicts with the matching reviewed table. Remaining inherited details are not a full current standard or proof that the photographed tea meets a grade. Price labels below remain the old labels, not new market measurements.
Names and origin
Qionglai is in Chengdu, Sichuan. The original page lists eleven later township/street names, while the reviewed 2015 notice and 2020 regional standard list sixteen historical townships. Those lists come from different administrative descriptions; this review has not reconciled their boundaries or established current eligibility for a particular producer. The broad regional association can be stated, but an exact current protected-area map cannot be inferred from either list alone.
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 a full red cup with a mellow, aged-style character. This describes flavour and preparation, not a medical suitability category. Buy a small, clearly identified drinking portion first.
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: leaf occupying about one-fifth of the pot, water labelled 100°C / 212°F, two separate 5-second rinses discarded, then a first drinking infusion of about 5 seconds. Later infusions increase in time. It gives no measured grams, actual water, vessel capacity or ratio. The final 3–5 seconds is holding a sip, not brewing. The depicted 10 cm pouring height is not required; pour carefully to avoid splashing.
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 loose versus compressed form, maker, lot, actual processing and storage history. For a GI claim, check the producer’s current entitlement rather than relying on this page’s historical township lists. Do not use liquor colour as an age certificate.
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.
Origin, processing and history
The inherited primary map shows fresh leaves, spreading, heat-fixing, initial rolling, piling, pan-heating, re-rolling and staged drying. The refining map shows raw-material preparation, steaming/piling, forming and drying. The reviewed product definition supports loose tea and subsequent compressed forms; this diagram is a simplified variant, not one compulsory flow for all producers. Precise ninth-century origin dates, founder claims and unqualified birthplace-of-all-dark-tea statements are not established here.
Common questions
Is Qionglai dark tea always a compressed cake?
No. The reviewed product definition includes loose tea and further-processed compressed forms. The historical Huofan Bing label and a photograph of a brick do not describe every modern Qionglai product.
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 Jinjian 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.