武夷茶
Term · History
Bohea
Literal meaning
Wuyi + tea
Definition#
'Bohea', the English trade name that arose in the 17th-century Canton trade from the Hokkien pronunciation Bú-î of 武夷 (Wuyi). For a time it was a blanket English name for the more heavily oxidised teas, before 'black' and 'oolong' were told apart, and it was the bulk tea of the 18th century (the Boston Tea Party chests). Later it narrowed to mean black tea of the lowest quality. It is a historical trade term, not a synonym for modern yancha.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | Bohea historical English name for Wuyi tea translation |
Also acceptable
Avoid Bohea as modern synonym for yancha historical, with a low-grade connotation |
| Deutsch | Bohea historische englische Bezeichnung translation |
Also acceptable
|
| Русский | бохея историческое английское название уишаньского чая translation |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字繁體字 | 武夷茶 | |
| 日本語 | ボヒー | Also acceptable
|
Common confusions#
- Listed as an alias for yancha in some databases; historically it shifted to cheap black tea.
- From Hokkien Bú-î (武夷), not the Mandarin reading. In the 18th century it was a blanket English name for the heavier-oxidised teas; it later came to mean the lowest grade of black tea.
- Babelcarp: in 18th–19th-century Western usage Bohea covered Wuyi black tea and oolong and also a low (mature, large-leaf) grade.
- Most of the tea dumped at the Boston Tea Party (1773) was Bohea (English Wikipedia, Wuyi tea).