Its original plants are protected by a state ban. Here is the history, astronomical prices and secrets of Da Hong Pao, the most exclusive (and misunderstood) tea on the planet.
There is a tea that is worth more than gold, it’s called From Hong Paoor “Great Red Robe”, a delicacy grown in China that represents the absolute pinnacle of global luxury in terms of drinks.
The history that makes this tea even more fascinating is rooted in legend and botany. Da Hong Pao, in fact, is a cultural symbol, an example of centuries-old craftsmanship and one of the most discussed and misunderstood teas in the world.
The legend of the “Great Red Robe”
According to a widespread tradition, the name Da Hong Pao was born in the Ming era. It is said that the mother of an emperor became seriously ill and that, after drinking tea from the Wuyi Mountainshe recovered.
In gratitude, the emperor would send red imperial robes to drape over the tea bushes, to protect them and make them sacred. Hence the name “Great Red Robe”. Beyond the legend, what matters is that Da Hong Pao is a semi-oxidized oolong, so not a green tea nor a black teaproduced in Fujian province, in the Wuyi Mountains area.
It is the most famous example of “Wuyi Rock Tea”, or rock tea: a tea that grows on mineral soils, between mists and particular microclimates, and which owes part of its fame to a simultaneously mineral and floral character, often described as “yanyun”, the resonance of the rock.
The six mother plants and protection since 2006
Now, the true original mother plants of Da Hong Pao, with centuries of life, are six. They are ancient shrubs, estimated to be three hundred years old or more, growing on a cliff in the Jiulongke area of Mount Wuyi.
Their production is tiny, less than a kilogram per year, and from 2006 commercial collection has been banned to protect them. Their harvest therefore no longer ends up on the market, but is destined for research, conservation and institutional opportunities.
There is also an infinitesimal amount of tea produced before the ban, stored in state reserves and considered a collector’s item, but cannot be purchased at retail.
Clones, blends and prices
Today the commercial Da Hong Pao belongs to two large families. The first is that of clonesobtained by “cutting” from mother plants. They preserve the genetic heritage of the original shrubs and are cultivated in other areas of Mount Wuyi.
The second family is that of commercial blendswhich represent the vast majority of tea sold. They are blends of other local cultivars, such as Shui Xian and Rou Gui, assembled by tea masters to recreate a coherent, toasted and mineral style. Prices for blends start at around £20-50 per 100 grams and can go up to £50-200 per 100 grams in higher quality versions.
As for the original plants, although the leaves are no longer for sale, the historical prices are truly impressive: in 2005, 20 grams were sold at auction for 208,000 yuan, about 28,000 dollars at the time, equivalent to over 1,400 dollars per gram. A value greater than that of gold.
Taste profile and processing
From an organoleptic point of view, Da Hong Pao is known for its full, soft and persistent taste. Roasting over charcoal, which can take many hours and great skill, gives it notes of dried fruit, caramel and toast; under toasting, floral scents emerge, similar to orchids, and hints of longan and almond.
The finish is often mineral, fresh, with that “rock resonance” that Chinese tasters consider the hallmark of true Wuyi teas. The processing, on the other hand, is long: drying in the sun, partial oxidation of the leaves, rolling and roasting.
The result is an oolong that can be infused several times and which changes progressively, going from more toasted notes to sweeter and more floral nuances. A tea of contrasts, therefore, from the myth of the six untouchable plants, a market made up mainly of clones and blends, but a taste that still remains one of the most complex and fascinating on the world scene.
