At a glance
Zunyi Hong is a Guizhou Gongfu black-tea reference associated in this collection with Meitan. The older account describes modern development from the 2000s and a connection with earlier Meihong production. It is separate from the green tea Meitan Cuiya.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 遵义红 |
| Tea family | Black tea |
| Associated origin | Meitan, Zunyi, Guizhou, in the original profile |
| Leaf form | Tight, curled or worked strands with golden hairs |
Taste and appearance
The inherited table describes tight, curled and clean material, golden hairs, bright red liquor and a strong, lasting fruity or sweet fragrance. The cup is fresh and mellow with body and briskness, and infused material is tender, even and bright red. Dry-leaf colour wording varies from reddish to lustrous brown across the tiers; preserve the old comparison without making colour an authenticity test.
The original liquor photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Tight curls, even and clean | Tight strands, even and clean | Substantial tight strands, fairly even and clean |
| Dry-leaf colour | Reddish, golden hairs visible | Brown, fairly lustrous, golden hairs | Yellow-brown, fairly lustrous, golden hairs |
| Liquor | Bright, vivid red | Red and bright | Red, fairly bright |
| Aroma | Strong fruity fragrance, long lasting | High sweet fragrance, fairly lasting | High fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh and mellow, with body, strength and briskness | Full and mellow | Fairly full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Bright, even and tender, red and bright | Red and bright, fairly even | Even red |
The retained three sensory tiers do not supply a missing third price. Historical name changes and a current pack’s official grading require separate evidence.
Names and origin
The original focuses on Meitan and Qianmei-series planting material. Its nineteenth-century 1840s wording is a century error: the historical account concerns Meitan’s twentieth-century experimental tea work, including Meihong in 1940. The older modern revival account refers to development since 2008, not an unchanged recipe from 1840. Dates for later Qianhong naming vary between accounts and are not forced into one newly certified timeline. This profile does not certify every packet’s current protected-origin eligibility.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may suit someone seeking a full, fruity or sweet-fragrant Guizhou black tea. A regional history or an expert’s reported praise is not proof that it treats digestive problems or ranks above every other black tea.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: short gaiwan infusions
The earlier Chinese prose gives a white porcelain gaiwan, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio, 95–100°C / 203–212°F water and a 5-second pour after adding water. It does not specify a tea dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are an editorial illustration of the prose, not measurements inferred from the separate graphic.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g loose Zunyi Hong as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz, measured; 5 g at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan with room for the measured water and leaves |
| Water temperature | 95–100°C / 203–212°F |
| First infusion | 5 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling and pouring time |
| Leaves | Kept separate from the liquid after each pour |
Use your packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The earlier five-to-seven-infusion statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. The prose does not specify a leaf rinse; any rinse shown in the separate image is not added silently to this version and is not a validated disinfection step. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Additional original prose sequence
The old page also records a separate sequence at 95°C / 203°F: an initial 5-second tea-waking/rinsing step, then drinking infusions of 5–7 seconds, 15 seconds and 30 seconds. That sequence does not supply a separate measured dose or actual water amount. It differs from the general 5-second prose above and the 3 g/7-second drawing below; do not splice the three into one supposedly tested recipe. The initial rinse is an inherited instruction, not validated decontamination.
Read the original illustration separately
The original drawing gives 3 g in a gaiwan, 95°C / 203°F water, a covered wait of 7 seconds and decanting for drinking. Actual water and vessel capacity are not supplied. It does not show the separate prose’s rinse or later 15/30-second sequence. Keep the drawing as its own incomplete method instead of silently relabelling it 5 g or 1:20.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Check maker, actual locality, cultivar, harvest and packet grade. The original provides three sensory tiers but only Extra grade and Grade 1 prices, so there is no invented Grade 2 price below. Separate general history from the traceability of the product you are buying.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 600 | 120 |
| Grade 1 | 400 | 80 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
No Grade 2 price was supplied in the Chinese source, despite its three-column sensory table. No figure has been invented.
How to store
Original storage method
The earlier entry uses a sealed foil or kraft-paper pouch inside a closed, dry container such as a tin, kept cool, dry and away from light and smells. Its casual tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions: use a suitable cupboard if a shelf is sunny or near steam. Reseal the inner pouch after taking tea. Plain paper without a moisture-resistant lining is not equivalent to a sealed foil pouch.
Its historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F and below 50% relative humidity, with a 24-month general shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry date or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. The actual product label, seal and storage conditions take precedence. The earlier ordinary-storage method does not require refrigeration; follow any different instruction for your own product.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep the packet away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, direct sun and spice containers. A decorative outer tin does not replace the inner seal. Keep a small daily portion separate if that helps resealing the main supply. Do not assume a long shelf life from the tea’s dark colour. For opened-packet handling, read storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map shows fresh leaf, withering, rolling, oxidation, drying/shaping and a final aroma-finishing step. Regional accounts place experimental Meihong work in 1940 and modern Zunyi Hong development in the 2000s. The old nineteenth-century wording is corrected; contested later renaming dates and universal superlatives are not adopted as an exact authenticated history for every product.
Common questions
Is Zunyi Hong the same tea as Meitan Cuiya?
They are different tea references: this entry concerns black tea, while Meitan Cuiya is a flat green tea. A shared locality or planting resource does not make the finished products interchangeable. Follow the actual packet’s tea family and complete brewing method.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Meitan Cuiya, or browse the black tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.