Hongcha, as China calls black tea, made from the leaves of old tea trees and dried slowly in the sun rather than over heat. One family of producers picks and makes it by hand.
Honey and dried fruit; smooth and warming, with a long sweet finish.
Three ways, from the most attentive to the simplest. The numbers are a starting point: use more leaf or a longer infusion for a stronger cup, and less for a lighter one.
The traditional way in China: generous leaf, short infusions and many small cups, each a little different from the last. A gaiwan is a porcelain cup with a lid, made for brewing.
The easiest way at home or in the office. For service in a hotel or restaurant, scale by weight: 1 g of leaf for every 100 ml of water.
For warm days: smoother than hot tea, with less bitterness. Steep the leaves in a covered jug.
Ease a piece from the edge with a tea knife, following the layers so the leaves stay whole, and use the same weight as loose leaf. Rinse it once: pour hot water over it and pour it away after a few seconds. The first infusions may need a little longer while the leaves open.
Soft, fresh water makes the clearest cup: filtered, or a low-mineral bottled water. Boil it once only. No thermometer? For 90–95 °C, pour just off the boil; for 85–90 °C, let the water rest for a few minutes first.
Keep the tea sealed in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from spices, coffee and perfume: tea takes on other scents easily. Keep it out of the fridge, and keep a pressed cake in its paper wrapper.