Yunnan black tea (Dian Hong)
Dian Hong (滇红)is a Yunnan black tea from Xigui in southwest China, made from leaves picked off trees around 80 years old. "Dian Hong" literally means "Yunnan Red" — in China, what we call black tea is actually called red tea, named after the colour of the brew rather than the leaf.
This tea is sweet, smooth, and naturally malty, with gentle notes of wood and honey. There's no astringency or bitterness — it's one of the most forgiving black teas we carry. Even if you steep it a bit longer than intended, it stays gentle. Customers who switch from English Breakfast or other blended black teas often notice the difference straight away: no need for milk or sugar to make it comfortable to drink.
The leaves are pesticide-free and hand-picked from mature arbour trees, which tend to produce tea with more body and natural sweetness than younger plantation bushes. Our 2025 spring harvest has that same clean sweetness as previous years, with a bit more body.
Brewing guide
Western style: Use 2g per 250ml with 90°C water. Steep 3 minutes. Good for 2 infusions.
Gongfu style: Use 4g per 120ml gaiwan or teapot. Pre-warm the vessel. Brew with 90°C water, 20 seconds for the first infusion. You can get up to 10 infusions — the sweetness really builds through the middle steeps. If you have a gaiwan, this is a good tea to use it with.
Tea profile
Taste: Clean and bright, malty-sweet, rich
Type: Black tea
Origin: Xigui, Yunnan, China
Harvest: Spring 2025
Net weight: 40g
Caffeine: High
Ingredients: 100% tea leaves from Yunnan pesticide-free arbour tea tree. No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container, away from light and moisture.
If you enjoy this tea's malty sweetness, our Yunnan Golden Tips takes that character further with a more refined, floral edge. For something completely different from the Fujian black tea tradition, try our Lapsang Souchong Smoked.
About Yunnan black tea
Yunnan province is home to some of the oldest tea trees in the world. Dian Hong uses leaves from these mature trees, which produce teas with more body and natural sweetness than younger plantation tea. It's been a staple in Chinese tea culture for decades, though it's still relatively unknown in Australia compared to Indian or Sri Lankan black teas. Browse our full black tea collection for more options, or see our morning tea picks — all our black teas work well as a morning cup.
Joanne's tip
One of our Tea Bar regulars described it as "nice for a chat" — and that's exactly right. It's the kind of easy, comforting tea you can sit with for a while without thinking too much about timing or temperature. If you're curious about how Yunnan black teas differ from each other, grab a sample of this ($8) alongside our Golden Tips ($8) and compare them — Dian Hong gives you malt and body, Golden Tips gives you florals and sweetness.
