Post-fermented Tea

Post-fermented Tea

Fermented teas (simplified Chinese: 后发酵茶; traditional Chinese: 後發酵茶; pinyin: hòu fā jiào chá) are a class of teas that have undergone an open-air fermentation, from several months to many years. The exposure of the tea to microflora, humidity and oxygen in the air causes it to undergo further oxidation through auto-oxidation, fermentation, and possibly some reactivated oxidative enzymes in the tea. This alters the smell of the tea, and typically mellows its taste, turning previously astringent or bitter teas into products that are thick and unctuous, with pleasant mouthfeels and aftertastes. In Chinese and Chinese-influenced East Asian cultures, certain specific fermented teas are referred to as "dark tea" or "black tea" (Chinese: 黑茶; pinyin: hēi chá) due to the dark brown infused liquors from this class of teas. This should not be confused with the black tea commonly referred in Western culture, which in East Asian cultures is called "red tea" (Chinese: 紅茶; pinyin: hóng chá).