Eurotium cristatum (Golden Flower)

Eurotium cristatum (Golden Flower)

Eurotium cristatum (E. cristatum), commonly known as “golden flower”, is the dominant strain in the microbial fermentation process of Fu brick tea. E. cristatum has favorable biological characteristics, including enzyme production, antimicrobial properties, immune regulation, antitumor properties, fat reduction capabilities, and weight loss benefits. With its probiotic characteristics, E. cristatum can be combined with different varieties of tea substrates to make a variety of fermented teas. More importantly, in the process of tea fermentation, E. cristatum can secrete a variety of extracellular enzymes, including some hydrolytic enzymes and oxidoreductases. They metabolize and transform various chemical components in tea through a series of reactions such as oxidation, degradation, and condensation, which significantly affect the quality of tea.


Fu Zhuan Cha 茯磚茶 - Tea Brick from Hunan

Fu Zhuan Cha 茯磚茶 - Tea Brick from Hunan

Dark tea has a long history in China, with different types produced in several provinces. The most important types include dark tea from Hunan, and its most distinctive variant is Fuzhuan Cha. The origin of Fuzhuan Cha dark tea is closely related to the nomadic peoples of northern and western China, such as the Mongols, Tibetans and Uighurs. Their diet, rich in meat, milk and bread, lacks fiber and vitamins, making tea essential for digestion and nutritional balance. They consider tea indispensable, even more so than food for a short time.


Post-fermented Teas Hei Cha 黑茶

Post-fermented Teas Hei Cha 黑茶

Dark tea (Hei Cha 黑茶) is post-fermented tea, which means that after the tea leaves are oxidized after harvesting, they undergo accelerated controlled fermentation. For accelerated fermentation, the wet layering process ((Wo Dui 渥堆) is most often used, when biochemical reactions occur under the influence of microorganisms. In oxidation, biochemical reactions occur when interacting with atmospheric oxygen and typically last for several hours. The fermentation process can take several hours to several months, but can then continue without limitation for decades.