2018 Liu An Lan Cha “Basket Tea” Dark Tea from Anhui

Liu An Basket Tea (六安篮茶), also known as An Cha (安茶), is a historically significant Chinese tea style originating from Qimen County of Anhui Province. The exact time of its creation remains uncertain, but it is believed to have emerged during the late Ming or early Qing Dynasty. Note that this tea does not come from Lu’an city of Anhui, and it should not be confused with the Lu’an Gua Pian green tea.

In the first half of the 20th century, An Cha was popular in homes throughout South China and Southeast Asia. It gained a reputation as a miraculous cure due to its medicinal effect in alleviating heatiness and treating various ailments.

Although there’s much debate about which tea category An Cha belongs to, it’s usually considered under the category of dark tea. Different from other semi-oxidized teas, An Cha is unique due to its special “Ye Lu” (night dew) processing technique, which involves sun-drying during the day and absorbing dew at night.

Before the “Ye Lu” step, the semi-processed tea leaves were roasted over high fire. After this step, the tea leaves were softened by steam and compressed into bamboo baskets wrapped with bamboo leaves, each basket weighing 250g. The bamboo leaves can be steeped together with tea leaves to enrich the flavor.

The key characteristics of An Cha include tightly twisted tender leaves, a dark reddish-brown appearance, a floral aroma in dried leaves, an orange-yellow or slightly red liquor, a bright yellow-brown wet leaves, and a rich and mellow taste often accompanied by nutty or floral fragrance.