"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
In a previous discussion Seb said Áù±¤ LiuBao is from Guangxi and
Áù°² LiuAn is from Anhui and both come in basket form. However I got
a basket of LiuAn labeled as such that taste sweet and nutty. I have
an older unlabeled LiuAn that just taste nutty. The sweet and nutty
brews black leaf and the older green leaf. Both look like the same
leaf when dry. I would like to find LiuBao also labeled as such.

Jim

Liu Bao is from Guangxi. Liu An is from Anhui, and in the recent years from
Guangxi as well.

Liu Bao is processed from tea varietals found in Guangxi, fermented first in
loose leaf and then pressed into baskets, sold as loose leaf, or compressed
into cakes as Oleg bought his.

Liu Bao comes in 2 disctinct forms, the small leaf and large leaf varietals.
Basically the taste is similar. The taste is sweet, nutty with a hint of
woodiness.

Liu An is produced in Anhui. Those produced in the city of Liu An is called
Liu An Tea, those produced outside of the city area but in Anhui is called
An Cha, or An Tea.

The varietals for this tea are from the green tea plants in Anhui.

The tea is processed as green tea, and while it is hot, pressed into
baskets, re-steamed and then dried on low heat. This tea is kept for
sometime to allow post fermentation before drinking it.

This tea is virtually not known in China, becuase it is another of the
accidental tea that turned 'black' from transportation to immigrants
overseas - in the old days, the people from Anhui were well known merchants
and traders who travelled throughout the country and overseas. The green
tea they brought along in baskets fermented and create the unique taste they
came to like. Hence Liu An Tea is almost unheard of in China, but the
immigrants in Hongkong, Taiwan and south east Asia are familiar with it.

In the recent years Guangxi factories adapted the methods from Anhui and
produced their own Liu An tea.

Danny