Liu An (Basket Tea)

Liu An Basket Tea (not to be confused with Lu'an Guapian green tea) is a post-fermented dark tea from Qimen County in Anhui province, traditionally packed into small lined bamboo baskets for aging. Each basket holds roughly 500 grams and is wrapped in bamboo leaves and lined with reed. This distinctive packaging allows controlled microbial fermentation during storage. Aged Liu An develops a smooth, mellow character with notes of dried plum, aged wood, and a subtle medicinal sweetness. Popular in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, well-aged baskets from the 1950s-1970s are prized collectors' items.