The most famous tea of Guangxi is Liu Bao Cha. It is named Liu Bao as it was first produced Liu Bao Town of Cang Wu county. The history of Liu Bao tea is said to be more than 200 years in the making. The fermentation process (ou or wo dui) associated with the most current flavor of Liu Bao dates back to the late 1950’s and is most likely the prototype process for the development of fermented (Ripe) Pu-erh.
Liu Bao tea is processed in this way:
1. Picked and then quickly “kill green process” is executed.
2. Rolled
3. Wu Dui (fermentation)
4. Rolled (again)
5. Dried
6. Leaves are graded and in some classes blended according to recipes
7. In some cases steam compressed into cakes, bricks, tuos or into baskets.
8. Packaged
Liu Bao tea is drank in Guangxi, Guangdong as well as Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. It is said that properly aged Liu Bao tea takes on the flavor of betel nut (bin lang).
The brewed liquor of a semi-aged Liu Bao is a lovely deep red wine hue that makes it look similiar to well-aged 15 year Raw Pu-erh. It’s not surprising that Liu Bao tea has been sold in the loose form asaged Raw Pu-erh to unsuspecting Pu-erh novices by unscrupulous teasellers.