Chinese black teas are various shades of red. A spectrum of colour ranging from sparkling coppery tints to the more intense burgundies. The teas are normally accompanied by floral & fruity flavours. Almost always mellow with moderate astringency & 'full' on the palate, (a flavour profile very much unlike the Indian black teas). The provinces of China noted for their gongfu style tea are located in central & southern regions. Anhui, Sichuan and Yunnan making the most outstanding teas. While other regions grow and process black teas few rarely make it to the international scene. A noteworthy list would include; Hubei in central China making the 'burnt' Hubei Black. Yixing to the east with their rarely seen Yixing Black: a tea noted for its rich flavour & sour-dry aftertaste. Hunan, which manufactures what might be described as the definitive Chinese black tea export: soft & fruity palate with a dazzling depth of redness. Guangdong province in the south has a relatively well-known kind of black tea called, Ying-de. A tea previously exported to continental Europe. Close by there's Fujian with its many specialty gongfu blacks. Lapsang Souchong from Wuyi Shan perhaps being the most famous (although this pine-smoked leaf is often made from oolong). Scarcely seen kinds of tea are made on the island of Hainan. The Hainan Blacks are big leaf teas possessing mildly astringent flavours. But, as good as these Chinese black teas are, in terms of flavour and original character, towering above all are the highland grown teas of Anhui and Yunnan. Receiving most attention from international commentators are those teas grown at Qimen

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