The mellow and sweet taste of Yunnan Dian Hong is different than all other black teas. The unique flavor of Yunnan’s original tea tree strains and the original Dian Hong tea fermentation process produce a black tea that is full bodied and strong while nearly devoid of astringency and bitterness. The “fermentation” process is a critical step in the production of Yunnan Dian Hong black tea, and it's this process that contributes significantly to the smooth, sweet and fruity taste of Dian Hong Tea. The special fermentation technique used to produce Dian Hong were developed in Yunnan during the early 20th Century. Today, the best Dian Hong black teas are still fermented according to the original method, in small batches using only the local tea tree strains and cultivars from Yunnan.