Da Fang大方
She County, Huangshan, Anhui, China
Da Fang is a green tea from She County, Huangshan, Anhui, China. Brew it at 80°C with 3.5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 5 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.
Quick facts
- Origin
- She County, Huangshan, Anhui, China
- Category
- Green tea
- Cultivar
- Local Anhui cultivar
- Oxidation
- none
- Roast
- light
- Water temp
- 80°C
- Leaf ratio
- 3.5g / 100ml
- Infusions
- up to 5
- Rinse
- No
Tasting notes
Before Long Jing existed, Da Fang was already being pressed flat against the wok in Anhui, and you can taste the lineage — but Da Fang is the rougher, older cousin. Where Long Jing aims for silk, Da Fang is warm almonds and toasted corn and a slight savoury weight that sits in the mouth longer. The light roast is what pulls it sideways from every other green: there's a malty, baked-grain edge you won't find in Zhejiang teas. Give the first steep a little extra time — the flat leaves are stubborn about opening, and if you rush the opening pour you'll get a thin, under-committed cup. At 80°C it's forgiving. Push to 90°C and the nuttiness turns papery. Where this tea really earns its price is the third and fourth infusion, when the roast has faded and what remains is a clean mineral sweetness that keeps finishing on your tongue after the cup is gone.
Flavor profile
Considered the ancestor of all flat-pressed Chinese green teas, predating Long Jing by centuries. The leaves are yellowish-green, sleek and flat with hidden buds covered in golden down. The cup is sweet and nutty with deep mineral notes, hints of corn and almond, and a warm malty aroma. Fuller-bodied than Long Jing with a distinctive savoury quality and no astringency. The light roast imparts a warm, toasty character unique among green teas.
Terroir
Lao Zhuling and Fuguanshan mountains, ~600-1000m, misty with mineral-rich soil
Cultivar: Local Anhui cultivar
Brewing
- Steep 1: 20 seconds
- Steep 2: 20 seconds
- Steep 3: 30 seconds
- Steep 4: 40 seconds
- Steep 5: 55 seconds
The flat-pressed leaves need a moment to open — the first steep can be slightly longer. The warm toasty character emerges best around 80°C.
Aroma & taste
Aroma
- malty
- nutty
- floral
Taste
- nutty
- mineral
- sweet
- almond
Processing
- pan-fired
- flat-pressed
Sources
- https://www.curioustea.com/tea/green-tea/ding-gu-da-fang/
- https://what-cha.com/products/china-huangshan-da-fang-green-tea
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dafang_tea
- https://verdanttea.com/ding-gu-da-fang-flat-pressed-anhui-huangshan-green-tea
- https://www.teaguardian.com/quality-varieties/tea-varieties/roasted-green-tea-dinggu-dafang/