Ding Gu Da Fang Tea takes its name from a Buddhist monk, Ding Gu, remembered for his wisdom and piety and venerated as the patron saint of tea and the Buddha of Medicine. The tea grown in his memory comes from China's Wuyi Mountains, in the shadow of Mount Lao Zhuling, and its history reaches back centuries, gaining real prominence during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when it was favoured by connoisseurs and nobility alike.
Pickers work each spring, and the leaves are withered, rolled and roasted by hand. That roasting shapes the cup: sweet and nutty at the front, with a trace of dried date and floral notes underneath, a warm roasted character settling in afterward, and a faint clay note coming through as it cools. Later infusions open into something closer to woodland and orchard blossom, with more depth the longer you spend with it.
A clay teapot or gaiwan suits the leaf better than a mug. Teatico's suggested brew is 95°C water for about ten seconds a round, using roughly 150ml per infusion; the traditional recipe calls for 5 to 7 grams of leaf per 150ml and a quick rinse before the first proper steep. The leaves hold up to repeated brewing, five infusions is realistic, adding ten to fifteen seconds to each round as you go. Almonds or dried fruit make a fair pairing. Kept in an airtight container, somewhere cool and dry, away from light and strong odours, it should hold its character well.
It carries a moderate dose of caffeine, around 30 to 50mg a serving, enough for a gentle lift without tipping into jitteriness. In its home tradition the tea has long been credited with more than flavour alone, taken as an aid to digestion, a boost to focus through that caffeine, and, like other antioxidant-rich teas, a small contributor to general wellness and heart health. None of that makes it medicine, but it is part of why the tea has stayed in daily use for so long.
