Tea is an intrinsic part in many cultures but in India, it is an emotion. It is the conversations that stretch over a cup, the excuses we make to take a break and the calm it brings after a long day. But if you call yourself a tea lover, would you be willing to spend crores of rupees on a single kilogram of tea? China is home to one such variety that has fetched such staggering prices. The twist? The country has banned the original tea and people cannot officially buy it even if they have the wish and the money.
Known as the world's most expensive tea, Da Hong Pao has become a prized name among tea enthusiasts. For years, this legendary Chinese oolong has been the most cherished possession among the elites of the world. But interestingly it isn't famous just because of its flavour. Its rarity, centuries-old history and royal associations have made Da Hong Pao one of the most prized teas in the world.
Da Hong Pao, which translates to ‘Big Red Robe’ in Mandarin, comes from the Wuyi Mountains in China's Fujian Province. The rocky terrains high up in the mountains gave birth to six original Da Hong Pao bushes known as the legendary Mother Trees, and it stood as the only ones in the whole wide world. The plants are considered as national treasures as they are believed to be more than hundred years old and are still alive and protected.
As per reports, the original Da Hong Pao tea fetched 208,000 yuan (around INR 1.23 lakh) for just 20 grams at an auction in China in 2005. That works out to roughly INR 6.15 crore per kilogram, based on the historical auction price and its reported rupee conversion. However, this was the price of a rare batch harvested from the original Mother Trees, not the retail price of Da Hong Pao sold today. China stopped harvesting from the six original bushes in 2006, so the authentic Mother Tree tea is no longer commercially available.
While you can still purchase the flavour, the original tea was banned from the global market long back. The 6 plants were banned from commercial cultivation to protect its historic rarity from the newer generation. However, the tea is still available today for commercial use. The tea sold under the name today is produced from cultivated descendants of the original bushes, or is blended using other Wuyi rock teas. These teas can offer some of the qualities associated with the famous variety, although they do not come directly from the six original trees.
Da Hong Pao tea prices vary widely, ranging from around INR 238 to over INR 18,342, depending on the variety, quality and seller. These prices apply to commercially available loose-leaf and powdered teas, not the rare original tea harvested from the Mother Trees.
For those who want to experience the tea available today, brewing is an important part of the ritual. Da Hong Pao is traditionally prepared in a small Chinese teapot or a gaiwan, a lidded bowl used for steeping and pouring tea. Freshly boiled water, at around 95–100°C, is commonly used for Wuyi rock oolongs. Rather than leaving the leaves to boil for a long time in one go, tea drinkers often use short infusions, adjusting the steeping time according to the tea and their taste.
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