The collection, in depth
Dayi Puerh Tea — Iconic Recipes, Dry-Stored in Xi'an
Compare Dayi raw and ripe recipes, read batch information in context, and choose among the specific releases offered here. Our Xi’an storage follows natural ambient humidity, without artificial humidity control.
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Menghai Tea Factory and Dayi
Menghai Tea Factory and Dayi
Menghai Tea Factory dates to 1940 and is closely associated with the development of modern ripe pu-erh in the 1970s. Today, the Dayi range includes both raw and ripe teas, from familiar numbered blends to named releases.
For a buyer, the useful distinction is between the recipe, the production year and the batch. A familiar recipe name tells you which blend you are looking at; it does not mean every year or batch will taste identical.
2016 Dayi 7532 Raw Puerh Tea Batch 1601 - Dry Stored →What Blending Contributes
A blended pu-erh combines selected leaf materials to build a particular style. Leaf size, growing area, season and processing can all contribute. Blending can support consistency, but the raw material and production choices still vary between releases.
Compare the actual year, batch, format and storage description on each product page. Neither a named mountain nor a famous recipe is a substitute for tasting the tea itself.
How to Read Dayi Recipe Codes (唛号)
How to Read Dayi Recipe Codes (唛号)
Many Dayi teas are identified by a four-digit number, such as 7542 or 7572. This system was introduced in the 1970s for export standardization:
- First two digits: The year the recipe was first created (e.g., "75" means the recipe was developed in 1975). It is not the year the tea was harvested.
- Third digit: The average grade/size of the leaves used in the blend, ranging from 0 (smallest buds) to 9 (coarsest leaves).
- Fourth digit: The factory code. In these traditional Dayi recipe codes, the number "2" represents the Menghai Tea Factory (Dayi).
1975
Grade 4
Menghai
A recipe code describes the blend. It does not state the harvest year.
What Do Dayi Batch Numbers Mean?
When buying Dayi tea, you will see a batch number listed with each product (such as 201, 1501, or 2001). This code indicates the year of production and the specific pressing run:
- Year information: Four-digit batches such as 2001 are commonly read as 2020, first batch. Shorter codes need the packaging and release era for context; a single digit cannot identify a decade on its own.
- The batch sequence (Last 2 digits): "01" means it is the first batch produced that year, "02" is the second, and so on.
2020
First batch
Example: 2020 Dayi 7542, batch 2001. The recipe and batch are two different codes.
2020 Dayi 7542 Raw Puerh Tea 150g Cake Batch 2001 - Dry Stored →Why Batches Can Taste Different
Different batches of the same recipe can vary in raw material, processing and storage history. “01” identifies a production sequence; it does not guarantee early-spring leaf or superior quality.
Where you want to compare batches, start with the same recipe and similar brewing conditions. Read the batch on the specific product, then let the cup establish whether the difference matters to you.
Why We Store Dayi in Xi’an
Why We Store Dayi in Xi’an
We store our teas in Xi’an under naturally occurring ambient humidity. We do not artificially control humidity. Conditions follow the seasons rather than a fixed humidity target; we keep the tea protected from moisture, direct sunlight and strong odors.
We favor the cleaner, slower-developing character of our natural dry-storage approach. Humid and dry storage can produce different styles; a city name alone does not establish the condition of a particular tea.
Leaf quality, fermentation, packaging and the complete storage history all influence the finished cup. We describe the tea we have rather than promising that one storage method guarantees a better result in every case.
Reading the Classic Dayi Recipes
| Recipe | Type | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| 7542 | Raw / sheng | 2020 Dayi 7542 · 150g · batch 2001 |
| 7572 | Ripe / shou | 2006 Dayi 7572 or 2022 Dayi 7572 · batch 2201 |
| 7592 | Ripe / shou | 2019 Dayi 7592 · batch 1901 |
| 8542 | Raw / sheng | 2019 Dayi 8542 · batch 1901 |
7542 and 7572 are familiar reference points for Dayi raw and ripe tea respectively. The four digits are read as a recipe identifier: the first two are conventionally associated with the recipe year, the third with leaf grade, and the last with the factory code. “42” or “92” is not a separate formula number.
Start with raw versus ripe, then compare an available sample or format. The numbered recipe does not independently establish the picking season, quality of a batch or its remaining aging potential.