Guangxi Liu Bao Tea - Liu Bao Cha Dark Tea - Hei Cha 500g

Suitable for Long-term Storage

Tea addicts not only love this tea for it’s smooth texture. Liu Bao Cha is suitable for long-term storage and time allows the leaves to get a wonderful taste. Green and black tea are great to, but their flavours will get weaker over time. Yet, when you fall for this tea, it’s good to know that it will delight you even more in the future.

Store this tea in a dark place away from direct sun light. Also do not store this tea in places with the presence of any odours, such as in the kitchen. Unlike other teas, Liu Bao Cha some level of air circulation and humidity (<50%) can benefit the further aging of this tea.

Liu Bao Compressed Tea Versus Loose Leaf

Sometimes Liu Bao tea is compressed, but most often it's in loose form like on this page. Storage in loose form, lets air to circulate easily through the leaves, allowing for faster aging.

Origin: Guangxi

Liu Bao dark tea originates from Zhuang minority region in Guangxi. It’s located in the Southern part of China, bordering Vietnam. It’s mild climate with an average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius and about 1500 mm annual rainfall makes it optimal for growing tea. The growing region between 1000-1500 sea level and pollution free. The area grows small tea trees with medium sized leaves.

Though the area produces many kinds of tea, it’s mainly Liu Bao tea, the region is known for. This tea was produced in the 18th century in the Liu Bao village by wet-piling green tea allowing the leaves to ferment. The villages definitely deserve credit for this, because during the 70s, farmers from the Puer village decided to develop their own wet-piling methodology. This allowed them to create ripe (shou) pu erh teas, which became immensely popular.

Also read: How Liu Bao Cha is Processed

Liu Bao Tea Wiki: Can You ‘Cook’ This Tea?

Yes, definitely. This dark tea is so smooth and mellow that it won’t even cooking won’t make it taste bitter. In fact, you can draw even more flavour and nutrition out of the leaves. To prepare tea in such a way, simply bring the leaves to boil and then turn off the fire and let it cool to a drinking temperature. If you find this too much hassle, don’t worry. This tea also tastes beautiful when it’s steeped.

Want to steep it in an Yixing teapot? Than read this guide: How to Make Liu Bao tea

Liu Bao Tea Benefits

Drinking dark tea tea comes with many health benefits. A specific benefit of Liu Bao Cha is that it maintain a healthy spleen. The anti-oxidant content might be inferior to a fresh green tea, but the aged leaves of a dark tea isn’t as harsh on the stomach. In fact, drinking this tea can help you maintain a healthy body weight. It supports your digestive system and help you lose fat.

Six Treasure Tea or Six Fort Tea?

Liu bao cha literally means ‘Six Fort tea’ and is named after it’s original production region in Guangxi province. Internationally, it’s yet more often known as ‘Six Treasure tea’. We’re not sure why, but at least the pronunciation of ‘treasure’ and ‘fort’ are the same in Chinese. Because the leaves steep a beautiful red liquor, it’s also often known by the name ‘China Red’ (中国红).