The truth about Da Hong Pao: 99% is blended tea

Since 2006, harvesting from the original Da Hong Pao mother trees in Wuyi Mountain has been prohibited. The so-called "pure Da Hong Pao" on the market mostly refers to the "Qidan Da Hong Pao" variety. The vast majority of commercially available Da Hong Pao is blended with highly aromatic varieties from Wuyi rock tea, using Rougui and Shui Xian as a base. High-quality Da Hong Pao often relies on extremely skilled blending techniques to restore the original flavor of Da Hong Pao. Blending is not a synonym for inferior quality, but rather one of the core techniques that tests the tea master's skill. Both Tieguanyin and Da Hong Pao belong to the category of oolong tea, not green or black tea.