Anhua Shengjian Tea: A Relatively Affordable Grade of Dark Tea

Anhua Shengjian Tea is produced in Anhua County, Hunan Province. It is a type of “jian tea” (pointed tea) within Anhua dark tea (heicha), falling under the broad category of dark tea. Jian tea is graded into three tiers based on quality: Tianjian (Heavenly Point), Gongjian (Tribute Point), and Shengjian (Raw Point), with Tianjian being the highest quality, Gongjian second, and Shengjian the lowest. Crafted from grade-three dark rough tea (heimaocha) as its raw material, Shengjian tea is an entry-level Anhua dark tea. Despite this, its affordable price and stable quality make it a favorite for many tea lovers.

Characteristics of Anhua Shengjian Tea

While Shengjian tea belongs to dark tea, its physical form differs from other dark teas. It is typically not pressed into tea logs or tea bricks; instead, it is produced as loose tea or in clumped forms, often packed in bamboo baskets. The raw materials used for Shengjian are mostly dark rough tea with one bud and two leaves, or one bud and three leaves. It predominantly utilizes summer and autumn teas (which are of lower quality), whereas the finest spring teas are mostly reserved for Tianjian and Gongjian. Compared to other jian teas, Shengjian contains a higher proportion of tea stems.

Although its quality doesn’t match that of Tianjian and Gongjian, Anhua Shengjian tea still enjoys considerable popularity in the market due to its mellow taste and unique charred aroma. Most importantly, it is budget-friendly, offering great value for money.

Shengjian tea comes in various packaging formats, including boxed options and bamboo baskets, with weights ranging from 500 g to 20 kg. It is said that bamboo baskets not only facilitate the transportation of the tea leaves but also aid in their fermentation during storage, enhancing their flavor profile. Some well-packaged Shengjian teas with a bit of age can even fetch high prices if they have aged gracefully.