GABA Da Hong Pao Oolong

This tea brick began its journey high in the Wuyi Mountains, where cliff-grown cultivars like Qi Dan produce some of China’s most storied oolongs. After careful handpicking in spring, the leaves for this Da Hong Pao were semi-oxidized and roasted according to traditional techniques—but with one crucial innovation: a nitrogen-rich, oxygen-free fermentation phase that boosts the tea’s natural GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) content.

Originally developed by Japanese scientists, this oxygen-free processing method encourages GABA accumulation in tea leaves, valued for its calming and focus-enhancing effects. After this specialized step, the leaves were carefully roasted and then pressed into a distinctive brick shape—easy to break like a bar of dark chocolate.

This brick format not only preserves freshness during aging but also reflects the long-standing tradition of tea bricks as portable, trade-friendly formats throughout Chinese history. Each infusion offers the deep roasted warmth of Wuyi oolong, softened by the GABA process into a more soothing, mellow cup—an ideal bridge between centuries-old craftsmanship and modern well-being.