Heicha (Dark Tea) is unfamiliar to many—some have never tasted it or even heard of it.

The color of dry tea indicates the degree of fermentation during processing. Green teas like Longjing and Xinyang Maojian are unfermented; yellow teas such as Tieguanyin are lightly fermented; Keemun black tea and oolong tea are about 50% fermented; Pu'er tea and Anhua dark tea are over 90% fermented. Pu'er undergoes raw fermentation, while Anhua dark tea is fermented after pan-firing. Deeply fermented teas use coarse, mature tea leaves, akin to whole grains, whereas green teas use tender leaves, similar to refined grains. Thus, dark tea is considered more health-beneficial.

Anhua Dark Tea: Older Than Pu'er

Pu'er tea is widely known, not necessarily because it is the finest tea, but due to a commercial campaign five years ago—the "Horse Caravan to Beijing." A caravan of 120 mules and horses and 43 drivers from Yunnan retraced the ancient Tea Horse Road, traveling over 4,000 kilometers to deliver "Pu'er tribute tea" to Beijing. Though commercially motivated and leading to nationwide speculation on Pu'er, this event made the health benefits of fermented tea widely recognized.

Dark tea is a post-fermented tea. It uses relatively coarse raw materials and undergoes prolonged piled fermentation, resulting in dark brown or blackish leaves—hence the name. Dark tea is one of China's six major tea categories and is unique to China. By region, it includes Hunan Anhua dark tea, Sichuan dark tea, Yunnan dark tea (also called Pu'er), and Hubei dark tea. Dark tea first originated in Anhua, Hunan, making Anhua the "birthplace of dark tea." Anhua dark tea has been renowned since ancient times, known as the "mysterious tea on the Silk Road."

Anhua Dark Tea: Cutting Greasiness and Neutralizing Rich Foods

Many are unaware of dark tea mainly because it has long been supplied to ethnic minorities in border regions (hence also called "border-sale tea"). Tibetan, Mongolian, and Uyghur ethnic groups consider dark tea a daily necessity, praising it with the saying, "Rather go without food for three days than without tea for one day."

Why do ethnic minorities particularly favor dark tea? The answer lies in their diet. People in border regions primarily consume beef and mutton, which are greasy. Unlike inland areas, border regions lack ample fresh vegetables and fruits to counteract greasiness. The solution? Drink dark tea. Because dark tea helps "cut greasiness" and "neutralize rich foods," it has become the life-sustaining tea in border areas. Veteran tea expert Xiao Hong humorously remarks that dark tea "ensures rich food passes through without harm." Using dark tea to reduce greasiness originated as a folk dietary habit, later supported by scientific research from Japanese scholars.

Nutritional Benefits Hidden in Coarse Leaves

Dark tea aids digestion and reduces greasiness because it uses coarse, mature leaves. An Anhua proverb says: "Leaves big enough to wrap salt, stems sturdy enough to pole a boat." This is exaggerated, but dark tea made from coarse leaves indeed has unique advantages over so-called "high-grade teas" made from tender leaves. Its nutritional benefits lie entirely in this "coarseness."

First, coarse leaves are rich in木质纤维 (lignocellulose), which enhances intestinal motility and repairs gut function. Second, coarse leaves contain abundant tea polysaccharides—5–10 times more than tender leaves—which can lower blood pressure and protect the activity of pancreatic islet cells. Third, coarse leaves are rich in tea pigments, which effectively inhibit the formation of plasma lipids and delay the formation of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular血栓 (thrombi).

Dark tea's many benefits are also related to its processing. As a post-fermented tea, it undergoes higher fermentation than other teas. The wet-piling process during thermal fermentation causes a significant loss of caffeine, making dark tea calming and gentle on the stomach. More remarkably, the beneficial microorganism—Eurotium cristatum—produced during fermentation is classified as a national二级机密 (second-level secret). Eurotium cristatum contains over 450 beneficial components, with outstanding effects including anti-cancer, anti-radiation, anti-aging, promoting digestion, and preventing intestinal fat absorption.

Reducing blood lipids, aiding weight loss, lowering blood pressure, and preventing thrombosis—these are precisely what modern urbanites, who often consume rich foods, need most. Thus, as ethnic minorities who grew up drinking dark tea for generations tell us, "One day without tea leads to stagnation, three days without tea leads to illness."