Da Xue Shan Wild Tree Black Tea

About Da Xue Shan Wild Tree Black Tea

We discovered this rare Chinese black tea in Yunnan, and it is a truly outstanding and magical example of tea at its very best. Plucked from ancient, wild tea trees at the top of ‘Honeybee Mountain’, 2000m above sea level, the Tang family have been harvesting here for generations. The dry leaf itself is abundant with juicy, tropical fruit aroma, honey, and a touch of malt, and the infusion is much the same with lots of sweetness and a lasting finish. When we met the Tang family, we enjoyed this tea alongside small, wild apples, cobs of corn, whole walnuts, and their own honey.

About

‘Honeybee Mountain’ as the locals call it, is right at the very top before the peaks ascend into the wild forests that hold ancient tea trees, beehives, wild strawberries, pepper, and other herbs, plants, and roots. This stunning, remote area of South-West Yunnan (Lin Cang) is managed by Dr Tang who is also the village doctor. Here he produces incomparable raw puerh, black and white teas – some of the finest we have ever tasted (and we’ve tasted a lot).

Cultivation & Processing

The trees from which the tea leaves are plucked grow wildly across 70-ish hectares of diverse mountaintop with each tree significantly differing to the other – some of which are tall and must be climbed. Da Xue Shan Wild Tea is made from the large leaves of Camellia ‘Taliensis’ which is a recognised and highly sought after rare, wild cultivar. After slow withering, the leaves are pan fried in large metal pans evenly heated over burning firewood.

Effects

This tea imparts an energetic and happy feeling. Drinking lots of it can make you feel ‘tea drunk’ because it increases your blood flow. Tea is also abundant with antioxidants and amino acids that contribute to overall good health, potentially protecting against disease.

How to Enjoy

We would recommend enjoying this tea in the same way that we did when we visited: with bowls of fruit, nuts, corn and honey. The family also produced small batch cured ham, which also makes an excellent accompaniment.