In terms of repute, perhaps few teas equal Dahongpao aka Big Red Robe. There are some fanciful tales ranging from the emperor’s conferment, Nixon’s gift and the astronomical prices which you can read about here.
In this post, we will look at the 4 types of teas that are known as Dahongpao.
The Mother of all Dahongpao
This is about as close as you are getting to it no matter what anyone tells you- unless your connections to Beijing go all the way to the top.
Simply put, it is out of reach of the ordinary man, restricted for national leaders whoever they deign to bestow their favor upon.
The Accessible Dahongpao, relatively speaking
However that they are refer to as “mother tree” implies the existence of offspring and fortunately for us mere mortals that is the case.
Through grafting and asexual propagation as well as the efforts of a man named Chen Dehua, Dahongpao trees now number beyond the 6.
However, to be considered “true” Dahongpao it must be grown in the area known as the “Zheng Yan” (正岩) area or the core producing area of Wuyishan which spans no more than 72 square kilometers.
This is also the scenic area of the UNESCO heritage site, an area rich in flora and fauna, with over 5,000 species of animals and insects inhabiting this area.
The humidity and ample rainfall, coupled with the rich volcanic soil gives teas grown in this area a unique “yan yun” or harmony of the rocks that is not present in teas grown outside of the area.
The “Commercial” Dahongpao
Father of Modern Dahongpao
Chen Dehua is credited for bringing Dahongpao to the masses, first through widespread cloning then through the blending of what is known as ‘Commercial’ Dahongpao, a blend of Dahongpao, Rougui and Shuixian.
This blend was created to meet the market demand for Dahongpao and is the second most common type of Dahongpao on the market.
The 10 Successors of Dahongpao
Officially, there are 10 recognized “successors” of Dahongpao, the honored makers of Dahongpao.
The 10 are (in no order of merit)- Liu Baoshun, Chen Xiaowen, Wang Guoxing, Liu Feng, Chen Dehua, Ye Qitong, Wang Shunming, Wu Zongyan, Huang Shenliang, You Yuqiong, Liu Guoying and Su Bingxi (刘宝顺、陈孝文、王国兴、刘峰、陈德华、叶启桐、王顺明、吴宗燕、黄圣亮、游玉琼、刘国英、苏炳溪).
The Fake Dahongpao
Unfortunately this is the most common category of Dahongpao.
There are a few ways it can be faked.
The first manner is the tea does not contain any leaves picked from Dahongpao clones. If one is lucky, it could still be quite high quality with “Zheng Yan” Shuixian and Rougui (though it’s quite unlikely) leaves to create a pretty exquisite offering, albeit one that is still lower in value than a Dahongpao.
The second is the tea is grown outside of the Zheng Yan area. It is quite unlikely that these are Dahongpao clones since there is no record of any of these being grown outside the Zheng Yan area given how precious they are.
It could be grown at the surrounding areas such as Xingcun Town or worse outside of the region altogether.
These teas may well taste good but they are undeserving of the Dahongpao name and fame. Unfortunately because that is what most people come into contact with, they might be at a loss to why this tea is so revered, dismissing the hype.
So……
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Dahongpao for less than $10 per 50g?
Put it this way, if you can get genuine ones at that price, lots of retailers would happily buy up the entire inventory and sell at a handsome profit.
Unless you are an experienced tea drinker though, my suggestion is to stick with more affordable Wuyi Yanchas like Rougui and Shuixian, eventually you will get to Dahongpao, with or without my encouragement.
See here for other articles related to varieties of oolong tea.
See Dahongpao in stores
