Yīngdé hóngchá

Yingde Hongcha is a famous red tea (black tea) from Guangdong Province that rapidly gained international recognition in the second half of the 20th century. Alongside Yunnan’s Dianhong and Anhui’s Qimen Hongcha, Yingde Hongcha ranks among the three most renowned red teas of China. The region’s calling card became the cultivar Yinghong No. 9 (英红9号), specially developed for red tea production and serving as a symbol of the revival of Guangdong’s tea industry.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Red tea (black tea) (红茶, hóngchá), fully oxidized (oxidation degree ~85–95%). According to European classification — black tea.
• Category: Famous red teas of China (中国名茶, Zhōngguó míngchá). National geographical indication product (国家地理标志产品, guójiā dìlǐ biāozhì chǎnpǐn). Since 2019 — “World High-Aroma Red Tea” (世界高香红茶, Shìjiè Gāoxiāng Hóngchá) by decision of the International Tea Committee.
• Origin: China, Guǎngdōng Province (广东省, Guǎngdōng Shěng), Qīngyuǎn Prefecture (清远市, Qīngyuǎn Shì), Yingde County-level City (英德市, Yīngdé Shì). Yingde is the primary and benchmark production area. Tea gardens are also located in adjacent areas of northern Guangdong.
• Geographic coordinates: Yingde — approximately 24°10′ N, 113°24′ E. The region is located in the northern part of Guangdong Province, in the middle reaches of the Běijiāng River (北江, Běijiāng).

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History: The tea history of Yingde reaches back to ancient times. Already in the “Classic of Tea” (《茶经》, Chájīng) by Lù Yǔ (陆羽, Lù Yǔ), written in 764 CE, Sháozhōu (韶州, Sháozhōu) — the historical region to which Yingde belonged — is mentioned as one of the tea districts of “Lingnan” (岭南, Lǐngnán, “south of the mountain ranges”). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, local tea was presented to the court as tribute tea (贡茶, gòngchá). However, until the mid-20th century, Yingde primarily produced green tea from local small-leaf varieties.

  The turning point came in 1955, when saplings of Yunnan large-leaf variety (云南大叶种, Yúnnán Dàyèzhǒng) were successfully introduced to Yingde. In 1956, under the patronage of PRC leadership, an export base for red tea was established here. In 1959, the first batches of Yingde Hongcha were successfully released and received high evaluation both domestically and in international markets. Simultaneously, a research station was founded in Yingde, which later grew into the Tea Research Institute of Guǎngdōng Province Academy of Agricultural Sciences (广东省农业科学院茶叶研究所, Guǎngdōng Shěng Nóngyè Kēxuéyuàn Cháyè Yánjiūsuǒ).

  By the early 1960s, Yingde Hongcha was being exported to more than 70 countries. During its heyday (1970s–1980s), annual exports reached 4–5 thousand tons, bringing in 4–5 million dollars in foreign currency earnings. The tea received numerous international awards, including gold medals at international food exhibitions.

  The crisis of the 1990s, related to the abolition of the state procurement system and transition to a market economy, led to a temporary decline of the industry. Revival began in the 2000s, when focus was placed on the cultivar Yinghong No. 9, developed back in 1961 but gaining mass distribution only in the new millennium.

• Name:

  • Yīngdé (英德) — name of the county-level city, a major administrative center in northern Guangdong. The toponym dates back to the Song dynasty.
  • Hóngchá (红茶) — “red tea,” indicates the category.
  • Full name: “Red tea from Yingde.”

• Cultural significance: Yingde Hongcha is a source of regional pride and one of Guangdong’s key brands. According to popular legend, this tea was among the favorites of the British royal family and was served at receptions alongside Qimen Hongcha. Today, Yingde Hongcha is a key instrument for developing the rural economy of northern Guangdong, around which an entire industry of tea tourism, scientific research, and branding has been built. Yingde County-level City bears the honorary title “Hometown of China’s Red Tea” (中国红茶之乡, Zhōngguó hóngchá zhī xiāng).

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Variety / Cultivar: Several cultivars are used for producing Yingde Hongcha, but the absolute dominant is:

  • Yinghong No. 9 (英红九号, Yīng Hóng Jiǔhào) — the main cultivar of Yingde Hongcha and the region’s calling card. Developed in 1961 through individual selection from an introduced population of Yunnan large-leaf variety by scientists from the Tea Institute of Guangdong Province. Original designation — “Yingcha 17” (英茶17号), renamed to “Yinghong 9” in 1964 after the location of the institute (Yinghong Town, 英红镇). Recognized as a provincial variety in 1988, included in the list of main agricultural varieties of Guangdong in 2010. Botanical characteristics: tree type (乔木型, qiáomù xíng), large-leaf. Tree upright, tall, with pronounced main trunk. Leaves elliptical, light green, with glossy surface and pointed tip. Flowers white-yellow, 3–4 cm in diameter. Vegetation period — 247–278 days (from mid-March to end of November). Polyphenol content in fresh leaf — up to 34.17%, caffeine — 4.35%, amino acids — 2.06%, water-extractable substances — 41.25%.

  • Other cultivars: Yinghong No. 1 (英红1号), Yinghong No. 3 (英红3号), Yinghong No. 5 (英红5号), local Shuǐ Xiàn (水仙, Shuǐ Xiān, with characteristic floral aroma), as well as introduced Yúnnán Dǎ Yè Zhǒng and Fènghuáng Shuǐxiān (凤凰水仙, Fènghuáng Shuǐ Xiān). However, Yinghong No. 9 accounts for more than 90% of plantings.

• Harvest: From March to November (long vegetation period — advantage of subtropical Guangdong). Spring harvest (March–April) — most valuable. Summer and autumn — less expensive, but constitute the main volume.

• Harvest standard: For highest grades — one bud and one-two young leaves (一芽一叶 / 一芽二叶). For standard grades — up to one bud and three-four leaves.

• Raw material requirements: Shoots must be elastic, fresh, with abundant down on buds. Yinghong No. 9 is distinguished by large, thick buds with characteristic golden down.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

• Yingde County-level City is located in the northern part of Guangdong Province, on the southern slope of the Nánlǐng Range (南岭, Nánlǐng), in the middle reaches of the Beijiang River. Terrain — hilly, transitioning to low mountains; three rivers converge on the territory of the county: Beijiang, Wěngjiāng (滃江, Wěngjiāng) and Liánjiāng (连江, Liánjiāng), forming moistened river valleys. Geologically, the region belongs to the zone of karst landscapes, which determines high mineral content in groundwater and soils.
• Growing altitude: 50–500 m above sea level, individual high-mountain gardens — up to 800 m. Significantly lower than Yunnan Dianhongs, which is compensated by favorable subtropical climate.
• Soils: Red soils (红壤) and lateritic yellow soils (黄壤) with deep fertile layer, acidic reaction (pH 4.5–5.5), rich in organic matter, potassium and phosphorus. Karst soils are additionally enriched with minerals.
• Climate: Subtropical monsoon, transitional between southern and central subtypes. Average annual temperature 20–22°C. Annual precipitation 1800–2200 mm — one of the highest among major tea regions of China. Frost-free period — more than 300 days. High humidity (78–82%), abundant diffused light, sufficient sunshine hours (1600–1800 h/year). Mild winters and long vegetation period allow harvesting raw material from March to November, ensuring high plantation productivity.

5. Production Technology:

Yīngdé Hóngchá is produced using classical orthodox red tea technology (工夫红茶, gōngfu hóngchá). In recent years, several large productions have implemented mechanized and even fully automated lines (for example, China’s first intelligent line for producing red tea from Yinghong No. 9), but the process principles remain unchanged.

• Plucking (采摘, cǎizhāi): Hand or mechanized harvesting of young shoots.
• Withering (萎凋, wěidiāo): Freshly picked raw material is spread on trays in ventilated rooms or processed in special trough installations (槽萎凋, cáo wěidiāo) with forced warm air supply. Duration — 10–16 hours. Target moisture — 60–65%. Yinghong No. 9 with its thick, fleshy shoots requires careful control of withering uniformity.
• Rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn): Conducted on rollers in several cycles with increasing pressure. Goal — destroy cell walls, ensure juice release to leaf surface and initiate intensive oxidation. For Yingde Hongcha, rolling is repeated 2–3 times with intermediate cooling pauses, forming tight, firm twist.
• Oxidation (发酵, fājiào): Rolled raw material is spread in a room with controlled temperature (25–30°C) and high humidity (over 90%). Oxidation lasts 3–5 hours. Thanks to high polyphenol content in Yinghong No. 9 (up to 34%), oxidation proceeds actively, forming rich liquor color and bright aroma. Key oxidation products — theaflavins and thearubigins.
• Drying (烘干, hōnggān): Two-stage: primary at 110–120°C for immediate oxidation stoppage; final at 85–95°C to residual moisture of 5–6%.
• Sorting and finishing (精制, jīngzhì): Finished tea undergoes stages of sifting (筛分, shāifēn), selection (精选, jīngxuǎn), grading (分级, fēnjí) and batch blending (拼合, pīnhé) before packaging.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: Tightly twisted tea particles in “eyebrow” shape (眉形, méi xíng) or slightly curved strips, uniform in size. Color — black with oily luster (乌润, wū rùn), with abundant golden tips. Buds large, noticeable, covered with dense golden down — characteristic feature of Yinghong No. 9.
• Dry leaf aroma: High, bright, sweet. Floral-honey range dominates with distinct notes of sweet potato (番薯香, fānshǔ xiāng — “sweet potato aroma”), rose, lychee, caramel. Sweet potato aroma is considered the signature marker of Yinghong No. 9 and distinguishes it from most other Chinese red teas.
• Liquor aroma: Intense, high, persistent. Sweet floral-fruity dominance: honey, rose, lychee, sweet potato. As the liquor cools, notes of baked bread, nutmeg and light spice unfold.
• Taste: Concentrated, strong, fresh and sweet (浓强鲜爽, nóng qiáng xiān shuǎng — four-character formula established for Yinghong No. 9). Body full, dense, with “tea energy” (茶气, cháqì). Sweetness natural, deep, honey-fruity. Astringency present but harmoniously balanced with sweetness. Aftertaste (回甘, huígān) prolonged, clean, with sweet “potato” trail. Tea exceptionally resistant to brewing.
• Liquor color: Red, bright, rich (红浓明亮, hóng nóng míng liàng) — from ruby to deep red-amber. Clear, with pronounced luster and golden ring (金圈, jīnquān). When cooling, high-quality batches may show “cold haze” (冷后浑, lěng hòu hún) — sign of high theaflavin content.
• Spent leaves: Buds and young leaves, even, elastic, red-copper color with good brightness (红亮, hóng liàng). Buds clearly distinguishable, large.

7. Chemical Composition:

Yinghong No. 9 has one of the most “saturated” biochemical profiles among Chinese red teas.

• Polyphenols: Content in fresh leaf — up to 34.17% (for comparison: Qimen — about 20–25%). This ensures intense color and strength of liquor. In finished tea, polyphenols are transformed into theaflavins — 1.514% (high indicator, determining brightness and “golden ring”) and thearubigins — 11.159% (providing depth and fullness). Total tea polyphenol content in finished tea — about 11%.
• Amino acids: 0.782–2.06% (varies between fresh leaf and finished tea). L-theanine — main component, responsible for sweetness and relaxing effect.
• Alkaloids: Caffeine — 4.35% of fresh leaf dry mass (above average for red teas), determining pronounced tonic effect and strength. Theobromine and theophylline present in smaller quantities.
• Water-extractable substances: 41.25% — indicator determining “richness” and liquor persistence.
• Catechins: 152.13 mg/g in fresh leaf.
• Essential oils and aromatic compounds: Among volatile components, linalool and its oxides dominate; terpene index (萜烯指数) reaches 0.938 — exceptionally high indicator, indicating genetic predisposition of the variety to form intense floral aroma.
• Vitamins: C (partially), B₁, B₂, PP, E, K.
• Minerals: Potassium, magnesium, manganese, fluorine, zinc, iron, selenium. Karst soils of Yingde enrich tea with calcium and strontium.

8. Health Properties:

• Pronounced tonic effect: High caffeine content (higher than many red teas) combined with L-theanine provides powerful but “clean” alertness without tremor and rapid heartbeat.
• Warming action: Red tea of “warm” nature warms the body, stimulates circulation and is especially beneficial on cool days.
• Antioxidant activity: Studies showed that Yinghong No. 9 has significantly higher antioxidant activity compared to several other red teas, explained by high theaflavin and thearubigin content.
• Cardioprotective action: Theaflavins — “soft gold of tea” (茶中软黄金, chá zhōng ruǎn huángjīn) — suppress cholesterol synthesis and reduce LDL levels. Research results published in international medical journal JAMA.
• Digestive support: Stimulates digestive enzyme secretion, improves peristalsis, helps digest heavy food.
• Antibacterial action: Polyphenols suppress growth of pathogenic bacteria in oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract.
• Metabolic support: Studies showed that regular consumption of red tea with high polyphenol content may contribute to weight reduction and lipid profile improvement.
• Neuroprotective action: L-theanine promotes serotonin and dopamine production, improving mood and cognitive functions.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 90–95°C. Yinghong No. 9 with its powerful structure tolerates hot water well.
• Tea amount: 5 g per 150 ml (gongfu method); 3 g per 200 ml (European teapot or cup).
• Teaware: Porcelain gàiwǎn (盖碗, gàiwǎn) — recommended option, allowing control of extraction time and evaluation of aroma from lid. Also suitable: porcelain teapot, glass teapot for visual enjoyment. To soften powerful taste, Yíxīng purple clay teapot (紫砂壶, zǐshā hú) can be used.
• Process:
  1. Warm teaware: Rinse gaiwan and fairness cup with boiling water for even wall warming.
  2. Add tea: Place tea in gaiwan. Inhale dry leaf aroma — distinct notes of honey and sweet potato.
  3. Rinse (醒茶, xǐngchá): Pour 90°C water, drain after 3–5 seconds.
  4. First infusion: Steep 10–15 seconds (gongfu method). Completely pour into fairness cup.
  5. Subsequent infusions: 2nd and 3rd — 10–15 seconds; then increase by 5–10 seconds. Important: when brewing Yinghong No. 9, it’s recommended to pour water along gaiwan wall (沿壁注水, yán bì zhùshuǐ), not directly on tea leaves — this prevents excessive extraction and bitterness.
  6. Number of infusions: 8–10 steeps. Yinghong No. 9 has exceptional brewing resistance (极耐冲泡, jí nài chōngpào). First steeps — brightness and strength; middle — maximum sweetness; final — soft, woody-honey range.

10. Storage:

• Container: Airtight opaque container: tin, ceramic, porcelain jar with tight lid. When purchased in factory vacuum packaging — store unopened.
• Conditions: Dry, cool (15–25°C), dark place, away from foreign odors. Humidity not exceeding 60%.
• Tea enemies: Moisture (especially relevant for humid climate of Southern China), direct light, strong odors, high temperature.
• Storage period: 24–36 months under proper conditions. Some connoisseurs note that well-stored Yingde Hongcha after 1–2 years acquires additional roundness and softness, though special aging for red tea is not practiced.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

Yingde Hongcha is a tea with wide price range. Standard grades are available at moderate prices, while top batches of Yinghong No. 9 (especially spring, from old gardens in core production area) can reach very high price levels — premium “Jin Hao” (金毫, Jīnháo, “golden down”) from pure buds costs at the level of elite Dianhongs and Qimen.

Factors affecting cost: grade (tip proportion), season, specific garden and its age, producer reputation, processing method (hand vs. machine). Approximate prices by Yinghong No. 9 grades: Jīnháo (金毫, pure buds) — 3,000–10,000+ yuan/jin; Jinmaohao (金毛毫, bud + first leaf) — 1,500–3,000; Jinyinghong (金英红, bud + two leaves) — 600–1,500; standard spring Yinghong No. 9 — 200–600; regular Yingde Hongcha (summer/autumn, other cultivars) — 100–300 yuan/jin.

How to avoid counterfeits:

• Purchase from verified sellers: Look for producers with confirmed geographical indication “Yingde Hongcha.”
• Evaluate sweet potato aroma: Authentic Yinghong No. 9 has characteristic baked sweet potato aroma — this feature is difficult to imitate. Absence of this note with claimed Yinghong No. 9 variety — reason for doubt.
• Evaluate persistence: Real Yinghong No. 9 withstands 8–10 infusions. Tea “giving up” by 3rd–4th infusion likely made from lower quality raw material.
• Check liquor color: Ruby-red, bright, clear, with golden ring. Dull, cloudy liquor — sign of technology or storage violations.
• Beware variety substitution: Market encounters substitution of Yinghong No. 9 with Yunnan Dianhong (both from large-leaf raw material and externally similar). Can be distinguished by aroma: Dianhong — malty-honey; Yinghong No. 9 — floral-sweet potato.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Tea with shortest history — and shortest path to fame: Yingde Hongcha is one of the “youngest” great red teas of China. From creation (1959) to international recognition took only 4–5 years — unprecedented speed for tea industry.
• One variety — one industry: Yinghong No. 9 is a rare case when a single tea cultivar became the driver of an entire regional economic rise. Today, Yinghong No. 9 accounts for more than 90% of all tea plantings in Yingde.
• “Four words” of quality: Formula “浓强鲜爽” (nóng qiáng xiān shuǎng — “concentrated, powerful, fresh, clean”) became official descriptor of Yinghong No. 9 and is used in marketing and tasting protocols.
• Path from laboratory to plantation: Journey of Yinghong No. 9 from single plant selection in 1961 to mass distribution in 2010s — almost 50 years. This reminds how long and laborious the process of creating new tea cultivar is.
• Ideal for milk tea: Thanks to high strength, intense color and taste stability, Yingde Hongcha is traditionally considered one of the best Chinese red teas for brewing with milk — in this it’s closer to Ceylon and Assam teas than to most Chinese reds.
• Tea in space: In 2016, 50 g of Yinghong No. 9 cultivar seeds went to orbit with space station “Tiangong-2” (天宫二号) and returned to Earth after 33 days aboard “Shenzhou-11” — longest space experiment with tea seeds in history.
• Diplomatic tea: In April 2023, Yingde Hongcha was served at “tea meeting” (茶叙, cháxù) of PRC Chairman Xī Jinping and French President Macron in Sunyuan Garden (松园) in Guangzhou, becoming part of diplomatic tea ceremony protocol.

13. Comparison with Other Red Teas:

• Qímén Hóngchá (祁门红茶, Qímén Hóngchá): Famous red tea from Anhui Province. Made from small-leaf variety (褚叶种, zhǔyèzhǒng). Aroma — “rose-honey,” with characteristic “Qimen note” (祁门香, Qímén xiāng). Taste more delicate, “silky,” with floral-fruity accents. Less strong than Yingde Hongcha. Historical fame significantly older.
• Diānhóng (滇红, Diānhóng): Yunnan red teas, also from large-leaf raw material. Close to Yingde Hongcha in strength and density, but differ in aromatic profile: malty, chocolate, spicy notes predominate (unlike floral-sweet potato in Yinghong No. 9). Dianhong liquor generally more amber, less ruby.
• Zhèngshān Xiǎozhǒng (正山小种, Zhèngshān Xiǎozhǒng): Lapsang Souchong from Fujian — small-leaf, with unique smoky aroma (in traditional version) or pronounced floral-fruity range (in modern “unsmoked” versions). Taste lighter and “drier” than Yingde. Completely different stylistic profile.
• Jiǔqū Hóngméi (九曲红梅, Jiǔqū Hóngméi): Zhejiang red tea with subtle, delicate, floral character. Much lighter and more delicate than Yingde Hongcha. Different taste scale — chamber vs. orchestral.

14. Varieties of Yingde Hongcha:

• Yinghong No. 9 Jīn Háo (英红九号金毫, “Golden Down”): Highest grade, exclusively from buds. Abundant golden down. Most delicate and aromatic, with maximum floral sweetness.
• Yinghong No. 9 Jīn Yá (英红九号金芽, “Golden Buds”): Predominantly from buds with minimum young leaf. Balance of delicacy and strength.
• Yinghong No. 9 Gāoxiāng Hóng Tiáo Chá (高香红条茶, “High-Aroma Red Strip Tea”): Standard grade, bud and one-two leaves. Main commercial product. Bright aroma, full strength.
• Yīngdé Hóng Suì Chá (英德红碎茶, “Yingde Broken Red Tea”): CTC granules for export. Historically constituted main production volume in 1960s–1980s. Very strong, ideal for milk tea.
• Yīngdé Lǎo Shú Hóngchá (英德老树红茶, “Old Tree Red Tea”): From raw material of old plantations from 1950s–1960s. Deeper, “mature” profile.

In conclusion:

Yingde Hongcha is a phenomenon tea that proved great tea tradition can be created in less than a century. Born in an era of change, forged by science and craftsmanship, it absorbed the generosity of southern Chinese sun, mineral strength of karst soils and genetic perfection of Yinghong No. 9 cultivar. Bright ruby liquor, persistent floral-honey aroma with signature sweet potato note and powerful but balanced taste — formula “浓强鲜爽” — make this tea unforgettable. Yingde Hongcha suits those seeking red tea with character: strong but not rough, sweet but not cloying, aromatic but not pretentious. This is tea that feels equally confident in gongfu-cha master’s gaiwan, porcelain teapot at business breakfast, and cup with milk — universal and invariably magnificent.