Chuan Hong vs Ning Hong

Chuan Hong

Chuan Hong is Sichuan's classic black tea, produced inland long before Yunnan's Dianhong existed. The leaf is surprisingly large for a black tea — Sichuan's big-leaf assamica-style bushes — and the cup brews bright orange with a smooth, gently malty body, fruity sweetness, and a faint natural spice note. It is lighter and more fragrant than Dianhong, making it an easy-drinking morning tea.

Ning Hong

Ning Hong, from the old Ningzhou prefecture of northwestern Jiangxi, is one of China's oldest congou black teas and a staple of the historic Russia trade. The cup is smooth and composed: malty sweetness with dried-fruit depth, woody undertones, and a clean finish that holds up to milk. Compared with Keemun's orchid perfume, Ning Hong is quieter and more structured — a workhorse black with real polish.

Chuan Hong

Water temperature

90–95°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

2–3 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Ning Hong

Water temperature

90–95°C

Leaf to water

3g / 250ml

Steep time

2–3 min

Re-steep

1–2 times

Chuan Hong

Medium caffeine — roughly 30–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Ning Hong

Medium caffeine — roughly 30–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Chuan Hong

China · Sichuan (Yibin / Ya'an)

Sichuan black tea production predates Dianhong by decades; Yibin and Ya'an remain the main producing areas.

Ning Hong

China · Jiangxi (Xiushui / Ningzhou)

Ningzhou (today Xiushui county, Jiangxi) has produced congou black tea since the Qing dynasty, much of it once exported to Russia.