'Golden Flower'- Fu Zhuan Hei Cha-Organic

What is Fu Zhuan Hei Cha?

Hei Cha means "dark tea" or "black tea" which is something quite different than what we call "black tea" here in the west. Hei Cha is tea that has undergone an accelerated fermentation process, similar to composting. The most well known example of hei cha is shou puerh, also known as "ripe puerh" or "cooked puerh" from Yunnan, but several other tea producing regions have their own style of post fermentation.

This hei cha was produced in Anhua County-located in the Wuling Mountains, in the western central region of Hunan Province. Fu Zhuan Hei Cha is unique in that it contains a fungus proven to be beneficial to human health- "eruotium cristatum" or "jinhua" in chinese. "jinhua" translates to "golden flower".

In fu zhuan cha, this golden flower is the main fungi which grows in the fermentation process. It is known to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and support a healthy gut microbiome. It has been known to significantly help digestion, lower blood sugar levels and regulate metabolism. The fungi also improves the quality of the tea by helping to transform monosaccharides and promote the oxidation of tea polyphenols. Consequently, the coarse flavor in tea is eliminated and the taste becomes smoother and sweeter. The brewed liquor becomes a wine red color.

All that is to say that this is a delicious fermented tea with proven health benefits, and its certified organic..enjoy!

**Allergen Alert** Since there is a possibility that the golden flower fungus may be inoculated on wheat flour- those with a high sensitivity to gluten may want to try our other fermented teas (shou puerh) instead.