V93 and Xiaguan's Classic Tuocha: Jiatuo and Xiaofa Tuo

When tea drinkers think of tuocha, two images often come to mind: old tuocha from Xiaguan Tea Factory, and 100-gram V93 tuocha. The two are often discussed together, but they actually come from different factories: V93 is Menghai Tea Factory (Dayi)'s ripe tuocha, while Jiatuo and Xiaofa tuo are Xiaguan Tea Factory classics.

What Is V93?

V93 is a ripe tuocha from the Dayi brand, commonly 100 grams each, five to a stick. Most overseas tea merchants say it was launched in 2005, and it quickly became a popular everyday ripe tea. Some merchants say new vintages continue to be produced according to "the 2005 V93 recipe."

Why V93 Differs from Ordinary Recipe Codes

Ordinary Menghai recipe codes have four digits, read as "year + material grade + factory code," as in 7572. V93 has just one letter and two digits, so it doesn't fit that system:

• What the V means: Dayi hasn't explained it publicly. Tea drinkers have various guesses, none with a reliable basis.
• What the 93 means: likewise there's no official explanation, and it can't simply be read as 1993.

So the safest understanding is that V93 is a Dayi product number and not part of the four-digit recipe code system. For recipe code rules, read How Recipe Codes Work and 7542, 8582, 7572: The Stories Behind Pu'er's Classic Recipes.

What Makes V93 Distinctive

• Fermentation level: overseas merchants describe its fermentation as just right, removing raw tea's bitterness and astringency while keeping a little of raw tea's huigan and liveliness.
• Taste: a smooth, full liquor with a sweet, thick finish, often described as having notes of caramel, cocoa, and nuts.
• Liquor: deep red, somewhat brighter than heavily fermented ripe tea.
• Shape: bowl-shaped tuocha is tightly pressed, so it ages and releases flavor a bit more slowly than a cake.

How to Brew V93

Tuocha is tightly pressed, so give the first few infusions time to open up:

1. Taking tea: start at the hollow on the underside of the tuocha, insert a tea needle at an angle, and pry off 7–8 grams at a time.
2. Rinse: rinse once or twice with boiling water at 100°C to loosen the pieces.
3. Gaiwan: 110–120 ml, about 10 seconds for the first few infusions, then lengthen gradually once the leaves are fully open.
4. Large mug: about 4 grams in roughly 350 ml, steeped in boiling water for 2–3 minutes and then strained.

For how to pry tuocha and its shape, read Tuocha: Bowl-Shaped Pu'er and Xiaguan; for brewing ripe tea, see How to Brew Ripe Tea.

Xiaguan and Tuocha

Xiaguan is in Dali, Yunnan. The usual account is that merchants from Xizhou created tuocha in Xiaguan in 1902; a factory was formally established in 1941 and later became Xiaguan Tea Factory. Xiaguan's tuocha-making technique was added to the national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Xiaguan's factory code is 3, as in 8653. The factory's history is in Xiaguan Tea Factory: Tuocha and Iron Cakes.

What Is Grade A Tuocha?

"Jiaji" (Grade A) is a grade name for Xiaguan tuocha. Xiaguan grades its tuocha by material, and Grade A is a common higher grade, mainly raw tuocha, most often as a 100-gram boxed piece or five to a stick. Overseas merchants call it a classic recipe that Xiaguan has made for decades, direct and strong in flavor, often with a touch of Xiaguan's characteristic smoky note, and well suited to long-term storage. "Jiatuo," as tea drinkers say, is short for Grade A tuocha.

What Does "Xiaofa Tuo" Mean?

"Xiaofa tuo" means "tuocha sold to France." The usual account is that from the 1970s to the 1980s, Xiaguan Tea Factory produced a ripe tuocha for the French market, and the name stuck. It's also written with a different character as "Xiao Fa Tuo" in the sense of "little France"; both spellings are common.

There are two accounts of when it began: one says production started in the 1970s; another says the recipe was set in the 1980s for large-scale export to France. Different years of Xiaofa tuo show different recipe numbers on the packaging, such as 7663 and 7513. Xiaofa tuo is a ripe tea, commonly 100 grams each, with a deep red liquor, jujube and woody notes, and a smooth mouthfeel.

Classic Tuocha Products

Besides bowl-shaped tuocha, Xiaguan's heart-shaped "jincha," sold to Tibetan areas in the early days, is also well known, and its "Baoyan" trademark can be traced back to 1942.

FAQ

Is V93 a Xiaguan tea? No. V93 is a ripe tuocha from Dayi (Menghai Tea Factory); Jiatuo and Xiaofa tuo are Xiaguan's classic tuocha.

Does the 93 in V93 mean 1993? There's no official explanation, and it can't be read as a year by the recipe code rules.

Is Xiaofa tuo raw or ripe? Ripe. The name comes from its being sold to France.

Can Jiatuo be stored? Grade A tuocha is raw tuocha, tightly pressed, and many tea drinkers buy it for long-term storage. It changes a little more slowly than cakes.