Fu Zhuan vs Hua Zhuan

Fu Zhuan

Fu Zhuan, or Fu Brick, is a pressed dark tea from Anhua in Hunan, famous for the golden flowers — Eurotium cristatum fungus — that bloom inside the brick during processing. The cup is smooth and lightly sweet: hay, dried grass, and a clean earthy depth with a distinctive herbaceous note from the flowers. Bricks are often brewed or even simmered, and the tea is a staple of northwest China's border regions.

Hua Zhuan

Hua Zhuan, or Flower Brick, is a pressed dark tea from Anhua, Hunan, developed in the 1950s as a more refined counterpart to Hei Zhuan. Despite the name it contains no flowers — 'hua' refers to its patterned surface. The cup is smooth and mildly earthy with woody depth, gentle sweetness, and a clean finish. It brews steadily and handles long sessions, often loosening noticeably in character across infusions.

Fu Zhuan

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Hua Zhuan

Water temperature

95–100°C

Leaf to water

5g / 250ml

Steep time

0.5–1 min

Re-steep

5–8 times

Fu Zhuan

Medium caffeine — roughly 25–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Hua Zhuan

Medium caffeine — roughly 25–50 mg per brewed serving

A moderate, steady lift without an intense spike.

Fu Zhuan

China · Hunan (Anhua)

Fu Zhuan is produced in Anhua county, Hunan, and its golden flowers are a protected hallmark of the style.

Hua Zhuan

China · Hunan (Anhua)

Hua Zhuan is pressed in Anhua, Hunan, from finer leaf material than standard Hei Zhuan.