Fu brick Tea, Hei brick tea, and Hua brick tea all belong to the Compressed tea category of Anhua dark tea, and they all undergo a post-fermentation process. However, these three types of brick tea each have their own characteristics. Let's explore them below.

Fu Brick Tea

Fu brick tea was first produced around 1860. At that time, Hunan-produced dark rough tea was pressed into 90-kilogram bamboo-wrapped packages of Fu brick tea, which were then transported to Jingyang, Shaanxi for further processing into Fu bricks. Early Fu brick tea was called “Hu tea,” and because it was processed during the summer heat, it was also known as “Fu tea.”

The production of Fu brick tea involves several steps: raw material preparation, steaming and fermentation, pressing and shaping, flowering and drying, and packaging. The pressing procedure is similar to that of Hua and Hei bricks, but differs in the thickness of the bricks. A unique aspect of Fu brick tea is the “flowering” process, which requires the tea to be neither too tightly nor too loosely packed, allowing microorganisms to thrive. Another difference is that after being removed from the mold, the Fu bricks are not directly sent to the drying room but are first wrapped in brand labels before entering the drying room. The drying process is slower than for Hei and Hua bricks, allowing for gradual “flowering” (the growth of Eurotium cristatum).

Fu brick tea has a rectangular shape with dimensions of 35 × 18.5 × 5 cm. Special-grade Fu bricks have a blackish-brown exterior and an aroma that is pure, with a thick and smooth taste, bright red-yellow liquor, and uniformly dark-brown leaves. Regular-grade Fu bricks have a yellowish-brown exterior and a pure aroma, with a thick and slightly strong taste, a reddish-yellow liquor, and coarse, dark-brown leaves. Each brick weighs 2 kilograms. Starting in 1986, Fu bricks began to be made smaller. When brewed, Fu brick tea should produce a clear red liquor without turbidity, a clean aroma without coarseness, a thick taste without bitterness, and be robust and resistant to multiple infusions. It is particularly required that the golden mold (commonly known as “golden flowers”) within the brick is large, and when dry, emits a fragrant aroma reminiscent of yellow flowers.

Hua Brick Tea

The name “Hua brick” comes from two factors: the transformation from a roll shape to a brick shape, and the presence of patterns on the four sides of the brick, distinguishing it from other types of brick teas. Historically, it was known as “Huajuan” because one roll weighed 1,000 liang (an old unit of measurement), so it was also called “Qianliang tea.” Hua brick tea has patterns on the front side, a blackish-brown color, a pure aroma, a pure and slightly astringent taste, a reddish-yellow liquor, and evenly aged leaves. Each Hua brick weighs 2 kilograms.

The manufacturing process of Hua brick tea is basically the same as that of Hei brick tea. In the past, the raw materials for Hua brick tea were divided into surface tea and inner tea, with lower quality tea pressed inside and higher quality tea on the outside. In the mid-to-late 1960s, specifically in 1958, Basha Xi Tea Factory improved the production process by mixing both grades of tea together rather than separating them into surface and inner layers.

As the highest grade among the “three bricks,” the raw materials for Hua brick tea are similar to those for Huajuan tea, mostly consisting of third-grade dark rough tea and a small amount of downgraded second-grade dark rough tea, with a total stem content not exceeding 15%. After the dark rough tea arrives at the factory, it undergoes cold fermentation, baking over a seven-star stove, sieving, sorting, blending, and other processes to create semi-finished products. Then, the tea goes through weighing, steaming, box packing, pressing, cooling, demolding, trimming, inspection, drying, and packaging to become the final product. The production process is the same as that of Hei brick tea. Compared to Fu brick tea, Hua brick tea is more tightly pressed, with a glossy, dark surface, clear slanted patterns, and distinct edges, making it a true work of art in the world of dark tea.

Hei Brick Tea

Hei brick tea is named for its use of dark rough tea as raw material, giving it a dark luster, and its finished product resembling a brick in shape.

Traditional Hei brick tea weighs 2 kilograms and is rectangular, measuring 35 cm long, 18.5 cm wide, and 3.5 cm thick. The surface is smooth and flat, with distinct edges; the tea has a pure aroma, a yellowish-red liquor with a slight brown hue, and a relatively strong and mellow taste. To meet popular demand, small-sized premium Hei brick strip tea has been developed, with even more refined production techniques, making the tea highly user-friendly. This type of tea is tightly packed, resisting mold and spoilage, and can be stored for years without losing its flavor, suitable for cooking and drinking, and can be enjoyed with milk and Sugar added.

The history of Anhua's dark tea production dates back to the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period, when the Ministry of Revenue officially designated it as “official tea” for trade with horses in the northwest regions. Merchants from Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Shanxi would travel to the tea-horse offices established by the court in various locations to exchange gold (currency) for “tea permits” (according to the Ming dynasty regulations, a tea permit allowed the holder to purchase 5,000 catties for the upper permit, 4,000 catties for the middle permit, and 3,000 catties for the lower permit). They would then come to Anhua to buy large quantities of Hei brick tea, which they would transport to the northwest regions for trade with horses (according to the regulations set in the 22nd year of Hongwu in the Ming dynasty, tea traded for horses was divided into three grades: 120 catties for an upper-grade horse, 70 catties for a middle-grade horse, and 50 catties for a lower-grade horse). Most of this tea would be transported to Lanzhou and then resold in the minority regions of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Tibet. By the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the majority of “border tea” in the northwest regions was supplied by Anhua dark tea, much of which was compressed into tea bricks in Jingyang, Shaanxi.

In 1939, the Hunan Provincial Tea Administration set up a factory in Anhua County to produce Hei brick tea on a large scale. The products were divided into four grades: “heaven,” “earth,” “human,” and “harmony,” collectively referred to as “dark tea bricks.” In 1947, Anhua Tea Company established a factory in Jiangnan Town and printed the character “eight” on the surface of the tea bricks, which became known as “eight-character tea bricks” and were in high demand. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Anhua Brick Tea Factory (the predecessor of Basha Xi Tea Factory) actively expanded production, changing the product name to “Hei brick tea,” primarily sold to ethnic minorities in the northwest regions.