What is Black Tea?
Black tea, characterized by processes such as pile-fermentation, roasting over pine wood fires, and fermentation, is unique in that it can be stored for a long time, with its aged flavor becoming more pronounced over time. It is named for its mellow taste and dark brown lustrous color and is one of China's six major tea categories. Black tea, with its special raw materials, complex processing techniques and mechanisms, distinctive quality and taste, and remarkable effects, is considered a superior tea.
The Special Nature of Black Tea Raw Materials
The uniqueness of black tea originates from its distinct raw materials. Black tea is generally made from mature leaves processed through a unique method. Mature leaves contain higher levels of tea polysaccharides, proteins, special amino acids, tea pigments, and tea saponins than tender shoots, several times over. Aromatic components are mostly retained within the mature tea stalks. Therefore, the health benefits of black tea are to some extent closely related to the maturity of its raw materials. Additionally, higher maturity leaves are more conducive to the post-fermentation of black tea, hence aged black tea exhibits even more outstanding quality.
The Remarkable Pharmacological Effects of Aged Black Tea
Aged Fu Brick Tea produces a large amount of polyphenol oxidase, cellulase, peroxidase, pectinase, and protease during post-fermentation and contains various essential amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements. Its constituents effectively prevent the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the human body.
Hundreds of precious enzymes are produced in aged Fu Brick during storage, which can benefit the kidneys and eliminate toxins, having a good effect on kidney diseases. Due to cell wall disruption, aged Fu Brick has strong penetration capabilities, reaching deep into areas where regular medicines struggle to reach, such as the prostate, producing unique effects. Mongolian doctors consider black tea to be beneficial for the kidneys, which makes sense.
What is Fu Tea?
“Among the many varieties of black tea, Fu tea is the most distinctive.” In the past, it was called “Fu tea” because it was traditionally made during the hot summer months, and since it is shaped into bricks, it is also known as “Fu Brick Tea.” Fu tea undergoes a unique fermentation process that produces “golden flowers,” which have medicinal and health benefits according to traditional Chinese medicine, including aiding digestion and reducing fat and cholesterol. Hence, it is also beautifully referred to as “Fu tea.” Fu tea, due to its beneficial fungi “golden flowers,” is considered a treasure among black teas and is known as “the mysterious tea of the ancient Silk Road.”
“Golden Flowers” in Fu Tea – Eurotium Cristatum
The development of “golden flowers” is a characteristic process in Fu brick tea, where Eurotium cristatum (commonly known as “golden flowers”) grows and reproduces under specific temperature and humidity conditions. This type of fungus is non-toxic to humans and, through its metabolism, produces a series of functional chemical active substances beneficial to the human body, such as lipase, protease, α-amylase, polysaccharides, and lipolytic enzymes.
Clinical trials have shown that Fu tea significantly reduces lipids, sugar, and blood pressure in the human body.
Main Benefits of Black Tea
Through animal experiments, human clinical trials, toxicology studies, safety evaluations, and epidemiological surveys conducted by authoritative experts, it has been demonstrated that extracts from the “golden flowers” in Fu tea activate PPARγ and PPARα. Two new active substances, Fu-tea-sophoroside A and Fu-tea-sophoroside B, found within the “golden flowers,” have significant effects in lowering lipids, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels in the human body. Long-term consumption of Fu tea promotes regulated metabolism, strengthens the human constitution, delays aging, and plays an effective role in preventing and treating diseases.
The Healthy Drink of the 21st Century
Black tea is an indispensable beverage for people living in the northwest border regions. The Japanese refer to it as slimming tea, the Koreans call it beauty tea, and the Chinese describe it as a healthy and digestive tea. It is recognized worldwide as the healthy drink of the 21st century. The saying “Three days without food is better than a day without tea” speaks to the centuries-old significance of black tea.
The problems that black tea addresses in the past are reflective of today's urban dietary structures. Urban sub-health, mental stress, increased work pressure, a diet heavy in spicy and fatty foods, high energy intake with reduced expenditure and physical activity, constipation, insomnia, gout, obesity, sore throat, fatty liver, and gastrointestinal dysfunction are all issues that can be prevented by drinking black tea!