Aufuhou Dancong

Aufuhou, or as we have translated it, hidden cave, is a favorite dancong cultivar among dancong makers up around Wudong Mountain, and is also widely acknowledged and respected in the city of Chaozhou.  The name Aufuhou comes form their local Chaoshan dialect, meaning something like “behind the ditch” which is a reference to the location of the mother tree of this cultivar.  The name itself feels a bit like a treasure map, describing location instead of fragrance.

This cultivar is typically roasted in the traditional fashion, meaning three sessions of long hot charcoal roasting to give it a full, deep body that is conditioned for time.  The fragrance of the dry leaves in the hot gaiwan reminds us of melted chocolate and salted caramel with a hint of berries in the background.  When brewed the fragrances become more and more earthy, we get tobacco and leather on the leaves, but the tea itself is remarkably sweet.

The brew is a rich gold with hints of amber, suggesting a more aggressive roast.  This means that this tea will taste great even a year from now or longer, so its a fun tea to hold onto and taste through time.  The tea retains its sweetness throughout the session with the berry notes creeping back in after the roast subsides.  There is a complex spiciness that infuses this tea throughout the session this is likely due to the way the roast perfectly compliments the leaves themselves.

Aufuhou, or Hidden Cave, has been a long-standing touchstone cultivar on our dancong tea journey.  It is a very common cultivar that sits just under the radar of many people who are new to Dancong oolong.  The dancong types people see everywhere are the Milanxaing and the Yashixiang.  Unlike these more iconic cultivars, Aufuhou is a extremely versatile that differs from producer to producer and allows makers to showcase their production style, sometimes lightly roasted, sometimes very toasty.