Pinghe Wild Red Tea is a rare, traditionally processed Gongfu-style black tea made from wild tea trees growing in the remote highlands of Pinghe County, Fujian Province. Harvested in early spring 2025, around the Qingming Festival, this tea is produced using classical Fujian red tea techniques, yet its raw material—wild, uncultivated tea bushes—gives it a distinctly different character.
The tea is picked as one bud with two or three leaves from naturally grown, unsprayed, and untended wild tea trees. The soil in these areas is untouched by conventional agriculture, allowing the roots to draw deep from mineral-rich ground. This contributes to the tea’s high concentration of polyphenols, minerals, and aromatic compounds.
Processed with withering, rolling, oxidation, and slow drying, the resulting tea displays tight, dark twisted leaves with a subtle sheen. When brewed, it produces a rich amber liquor with layered aromas of dried fruit, wildflowers, and warm wood. The taste is full-bodied and sweet, balanced by a subtle but pleasant bitterness that gives it depth and structure. Its wild origin gives the tea excellent resilience—retaining its flavor across many infusions.
For brewing, use 5–6 grams of tea in a gaiwan or teapot with water at 95–100°C. Steep for 10–15 seconds at first, then gradually increase the time. Suitable for 6–8 infusions or more.