Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
Tian Jian is the top loose grade within the Anhua category, sold in baskets rather than compressed. It is the easiest Anhua tea to portion.
Point by point
| Dimension | Tian Jian | Anhua dark tea |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Dark tea and pu-erh · not applicable · post-fermented (microbial wet piling) | Dark tea and pu-erh · not applicable · post-fermented (both) |
| Production | In order: Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Wet piling (wo dui) → Basket ageing. bud and two leaves and spring harvest. | In order: Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Wet piling (wo dui) → Ageing and storage. mature leaf and summer harvest. |
| Origin | China — Anhua | China |
| Flavour | smoky, sweet and woody. full bodied and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: pine smoke, dried longan, wood. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | smoky, woody, earthy and sweet. full bodied and rich in the mouth. Aroma: pine smoke, damp wood, dried date, earth. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 8s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. | Boiling and decoction: 0.5–1 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 600s. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and is willing to drink something several times before it makes sense. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.