1851 Tanyang Gongfu

Zhuangyuan Tanyang Gongfu - 5g

1851 Tanyang Gongfu - 5g

This set is an accessible way to sample two of the highest end versions of Panyong Congou. The two teas in this set have been hand-refined. The hand-refining process is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage techniques of Panyong Congou red tea.

The hand refining process involves the use of bamboo sieves of varying sizes and multiple techniques to sift the coarser leaves from the finer leaves and buds. After this, a single batch of tea is divided into several separate grades. Then the producer blends the tea together again, according to their desired proportion of buds and leaves. Historically this was done to ensure consistency across batches when Tanyang Gongfu was exported, but today producers do it to customise their own teas according to their desired taste.

The hand refining process is enormously labour-intensive, requiring hours of standing and shaking the bamboo sieves. This is why Tanyang Gongfu is called ‘Gongfu’ and also why the teas in this set are so expensive. Most producers do not, or cannot, do this refining anymore. Most refining (but not all) can now be done by machine, but machines lack the intentionality of human producers. Since every batch is different, the human element is still required for the very best teas.

The Zhuangyuan Tanyang Gongfu is already a very high end Panyong Congou. The 1851 Tanyang Gongfu is the only possible higher grade, named after the birth year of Tanyang Gongfu. The labour involved in going from the Zhaungyuan to 1851 increases the price from around 90 cents per gram to over $4 per gram. For that reason, we have kept the quantities small to make these teas more accessible. Given the price however, we would only recommend this set to those interested in handmade red tea.

Suggested brewing: 5g in a 100ml porcelain vessel