H-CN-067
Kuding Bitter Tea
苦丁茶
Bitter herbal, from Hainan, China.
Herbal tisanes
Kuding Bitter Tea is strongest on bitterness, finish length and vegetal. Typical tasting words: spinach, herbaceous, bark, wet stone. A traditional Chinese bitter infusion documented since the Tang Dynasty, valued for internal heat clearing. Infused using only one or two rolled spikes per pot; renowed for its intense initial bitterness followed by lingering sweet aftertaste.
Also known as Ku Ding Cha, Broadleaf Holly Tea and One Leaf Tea.
The profile
Taste, 0 to 5
Flavour families, 0 to 5
Facts
- Origin
- Hainan, China
- Plant
- Ilex kudingcha leaves
- Harvest
- spring
- Elevation
- low
- Oxidation
- to %
- Roast
- unroasted
- Leaf
- needle
- Price band
- affordable
- Availability
- fairly common
- Ageing
- a little
- Forgiving to brew
- 1 of 5
- L-theanine
- none
Made by: harvesting, then withering, then rolling_into_spikes, then drying.
Caffeine
Kuding Bitter Tea is caffeine-free. Figures are estimates for a 240 ml cup. Low enough to suit the evening for most people. The caffeine planner turns this into a daily total.
How to brew it
| Method | Leaf | Water | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western, 250 ml | 1 g | 80 to 90 °C | 45 s, 90 s |
| Gongfu, 100 ml | 1 g | 85 to 90 °C | Rinse, then 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, 45 s, 60 s |
Up to 6 infusions. Scale for your own pot with the brew calculator.
Drinking it
- afternoon
- after_meal
- meditation
Pairs with fried_food and dim_sum. Milk: no. Iced: no. Sweetener: no. Good for beginners: no.
Tasting words explained
Similar teas
- H-BR-048Yerba Mate (Green, Unsmoked)
shares vegetal and bitterness - H-CN-071Lotus Leaf Tea
shares vegetal and bitterness - H-BR-049Yerba Mate Chimarrao
shares finish length and vegetal - D-CN-005Lao Man E Pu-erh
shares bitterness and finish length - H-GB-028Raspberry Leaf
shares vegetal and astringency - H-KR-045Ginseng Tea (Insam-cha)
shares bitterness and finish length
More: all herbal tisanes teas, teas from Wuzhishan, Hainan, China, or filter the whole drawer.