金花
Term · Processing
golden flowers
Literal meaning
golden flowers
Definition#
The yellow speckles in Fu brick tea: reproductive bodies (cleistothecia) of the fungus Eurotium cristatum (冠突散囊菌), cultivated deliberately during 'flowering' (发花). Dense, even golden flowers are a quality sign in Fu tea. They are not wanted in pu'er, where similar-looking growth would be a storage defect.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | golden flowers Eurotium cristatum colonies in Fu tea translation |
Also acceptable
Avoid golden mould technically true but reads as spoilage to consumers |
| Deutsch | Goldene Blüten Eurotium-cristatum-Kolonien im Fu-Tee calque |
Also acceptable
|
| Русский | золотые цветы колонии гриба Eurotium cristatum в фу чжуань calque |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字繁體字 | 金花 | |
| 日本語 | 金花 |
Common confusions#
- Consumers confuse golden flowers with harmful mould; conversely, sellers sometimes describe moulded pu'er as having 'golden flowers'.
- Translators render 金花 literally as 'gold flower' as if a botanical additive.
- T/WZCR 001-2023 defines 发花 as golden-flower fungus growing in the tea and forming golden spores; the existing definition speaks of cleistothecia. Both describe the visible yellow bodies.