Fu Zhuan vs Hei Zhuan

Fu Zhuan

Fu Zhuan, or Fu Brick, is a pressed dark tea from Anhua in Hunan, famous for the golden flowers — Eurotium cristatum fungus — that bloom inside the brick during processing. The cup is smooth and lightly sweet: hay, dried grass, and a clean earthy depth with a distinctive herbaceous note from the flowers. Bricks are often brewed or even simmered, and the tea is a staple of northwest China's border regions.

Hei Zhuan

Hei Zhuan, or Dark Brick, is a dense pressed dark tea from Anhua, Hunan, made from coarser leaves pressed into standardized bricks. The cup is straightforward and grounding: smooth earthy depth, old wood, and a mild natural sweetness with very little bitterness. It was historically produced for trade along the Tea Horse Road, and its compact form made it easy to transport. Brewing is forgiving — rinse, then steep or simmer.

Fu Zhuan

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Hei Zhuan

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Fu Zhuan

Medium caffeine — roughly 25–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Hei Zhuan

Medium caffeine — roughly 25–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Fu Zhuan

China · Hunan (Anhua)

Fu Zhuan is produced in Anhua county, Hunan, and its golden flowers are a protected hallmark of the style.

Hei Zhuan

China · Hunan (Anhua)

Hei Zhuan is one of the classic Anhua dark tea bricks traded from Hunan into Tibet and Mongolia.