Dark tea from Hunan’s Anhua heartland, Golden Flowers is a classic hei cha rendered as Fu Zhuan — the brick style famous for its “golden flowers.” The base dark-tea maocha was made in 2017, then pressed in 2024 to encourage the famed Golden Flower to bloom inside the brick. Harvested around 800 m from a single 35 ha garden tended by the Zou family and a small farmer cooperative, it uses the Yuntai Daye tea cultivar. 

This is not pu-erh: pu-erh is a Yunnan tradition (sheng or shu) with different geography and methods; Fu Zhuan is Anhua dark tea shaped to invite a unique, beneficial fungus known as Jin Hua. Think of it as a cousin in the broader post-fermented family, distinct in craft and character. 

The making is precise. Fresh leaf is fixed and rolled, then gently moistened and formed into bricks. In a warm, aerated “flowering” room, the desired microbe — Eurotium cristatum — blooms inside the brick as countless golden specks. This fungus reshapes the tea from within: it digests simple sugars, nudges polyphenols toward oxidation, and smooths rough edges while building a honeyed, cereal-like depth. Proper airflow, temperature and humidity are the difference between a clean, fragrant brick and a muddled one. 

Expect a very specific profile — not for everyone, and proudly so. Fu Zhuan leans bready and grain-sweet rather than woody; the best examples feel clean, gentle and quietly nourishing. If you love the clarity of pu-erh but want a softer, bakery-like depth driven by living fermentation, this hei cha is a striking counterpoint. Its appeal rests on process and microflora, not on punch — a calm, golden-flecked brick that rewards an open palate. 

FAQ

What makes this not pu-erh?
Pu-erh is from Yunnan and is either sheng (unfermented) or shu (wo dui). Fu Zhuan is Anhua hei cha from Hunan with a different, fungus-led fermentation inside bricks.

What are the “golden flowers”?
They’re Eurotium cristatum, a desirable fungus that grows inside properly made Fu Zhuan, appearing as tiny golden dots and shaping flavor and texture.

Is the fungus safe?
Yes. E. cristatum is the dominant, beneficial organism in Fu Brick fermentation and is intentionally encouraged by makers. 

Why note 2017 maocha and 2024 pressing?
Resting the dark-tea maocha since 2017 softens edges and builds depth; pressing in 2024 then encourages Golden Flower to form, refining aroma and texture further.

Who produced this lot?
Zou’s family and a farmer cooperative harvested and finished the Yuntai Daye material before controlled brick fermentation.