Dafang tea Dafang tea Da Fang (; pronounced ), also named Zhupu Da Fang or Zhuye Da Fang, is a Chinese green tea. It is considered one of China's top ten teas by some Chinese tea experts. Like Longjing tea, it has sharp flat shapes and a similar production process. Some Chinese tea experts believe Da Fang tea is an ancestor of Longjing tea. It is more accepted that Da Fang tea is the earliest tea with flat leaves. Da Fang tea is produced near Lao Zhuling () mountain and Fu Guanshan () mountain of She County (), Anhui Province. Its dried
Wuyi tea technique for stopping the oxidation process of tea, pan-firing the leaves in a dry wok rather than steaming them as had been done previously. Songluo-style green tea became popular, and the new production method spread to other regions. In the 16th century, Wuyi tea makers invited monks from Songluo to teach their techniques to them. Eventually they discovered that by allowing the tea to partially oxidize before firing, they could produce a darker, fragrant type of tea which came to be known as oolong ("wulong", "black dragon") tea. European merchants began purchasing tea in Canton (Guangzhou) during the 17th century.