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In India, the beginning of the morning is considered incomplete without tea. From ‘cutting’ of Rs 10 available at a corner shop to tea worth a thousand rupees available in a five star hotel, we have tasted many as per our pocket and taste. But have you ever heard of a teacup that costs more than a luxury car or a luxurious bungalow in a posh area? The price of tea leaves named ‘Da Hong Pao’ produced in China is around Rs 9 crore per kg. This figure is enough to surprise any common man. After all, what is the specialty that makes it the most expensive beverage in the world?

‘Rock Tea’ mystery of China’s hills

This premium tea is mainly grown on the rocks of the Wuyi Mountains located in the Fujian province of China. Due to their growth in the crevices of the mountains, these plants get complete nutrition from the natural minerals present there. Due to this special geographical location, it has been given the status of ‘Rock Tea’ in business language. The huge difference between its demand and supply determines its record breaking price. According to a report in the International Journal of Natural Resources, this is the rarest tea in the world. Its demand in the market can be gauged from the fact that during a global auction held in 2002, only 20 grams of Da Hong Pao tea leaves were auctioned for approximately Rs 26.17 lakh.

Magic leaves that saved the queen’s life

There is an interesting historical story behind this precious tea. Once during the reign of the Ming dynasty, the empress fell seriously ill. Then this tea was given to him as a traditional medicine, which miraculously improved his health. In celebration of the Queen’s recovery, the Emperor covered those special tea plants with red royal robes to honor her. Since then this tea leaf came to be known as ‘Big Red Robe’ or ‘Da Hong Pao’. In China it is still seen as a national asset. According to experts, it has a special kind of mild sweetness with a sweet fragrance, whose taste remains in the throat for a long time.

The real reason why it is more valuable than gold

There is a simple rule of the market – the rarer the thing, the higher the price. The same applies to the case of Dr. Hong Pao. At present, only six original and hundreds of years old ‘mother bushes’ of this tea are left. To protect this rare natural wealth, armed soldiers are deployed there all the time. In the year 2006, the Chinese government took a strict decision and completely banned plucking leaves from these ancient plants. The original Da Hong Pao available on the market today is part of old inventory. However, the expensive commercial tea leaves sold in the market are obtained from new plants (clones) prepared from the shoots of these mother plants.