Bohea (pronounced BOH-hee) is a historical Western term for Chinese black tea, derived from the Hokkien dialect pronunciation of “Wuyi” (武夷) — the mountain range in northern Fujian province where some of China’s most celebrated black and oolong teas have been produced for centuries. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Bohea was the dominant quality tier of Chinese black tea imported to Britain and the American colonies, reaching its peak trade importance before being gradually displaced by Indian and Ceylon teas in the nineteenth century. The term is now largely archaic in commercial use but appears in historical records, colonial documents, and tea history scholarship.
Also known as: Wuyi black tea (modern equivalent), Bohea tea (archaic)
In-Depth Explanation
The term Bohea entered the European trade vocabulary through the Portuguese and Dutch East India Company trade routes. The name derives from the Hokkien pronunciation of 武夷 (Wuyi) — roughly “Boo-ee” in Hokkien — which was then anglicised to “Bohea.” In early English usage, the term specifically referred to black teas from the Wuyi Mountains, which were among the first fully oxidized Chinese teas to be exported in commercial quantity to Europe.
Historical significance:
Bohea tea was at the centre of the eighteenth-century British tea culture. When Samuel Johnson described himself as “a hardened and shameless tea-drinker” who brewed his kettle morning and night, the tea he referred to would likely have been Bohea or a close equivalent. More famously, the Boston Tea Party of 1773 involved the destruction of 342 chests of tea — a significant portion of which was documented as Bohea — a detail that underscores the centrality of this specific tea to the colonial American tea trade.
Evolution of the term:
As the China tea trade expanded, “Bohea” broadened in usage from a specific origin to a general quality designation — roughly synonymous with “ordinary China black tea” as opposed to higher grades like Souchong, Pekoe, or Hyson (green). By the mid-nineteenth century, the term was used loosely for any medium-to-lower-grade China black tea regardless of geographic origin.
Wuyi teas today:
The Wuyi Mountains (Wuyi Shan) continue to produce some of China’s most celebrated teas: Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui, Shui Xian, and other Wuyi Rock Oolongs (Yancha), as well as Lapsang Souchong, the famous smoky black tea that descends from the same Wuyi tradition. The historical Bohea would have been an ancestor of the modern Lapsang Souchong and allied teas.
Note on Lapsang Souchong: Lapsang Souchong is the best-known modern descendant of Wuyi black teas, now deliberately smoked. It is sometimes encountered under the “Bohea” designation in historical re-enactment or heritage contexts.
Common Misconceptions
“Bohea refers to smoky tea specifically.”
Bohea did not always refer to smoked tea. The smoking of Lapsang Souchong developed as a specific sub-tradition. Many historical Bohea teas were not smoked — smoking emerged as a processing technique for certain Wuyi producers, not as a defining characteristic of all Wuyi black tea.
“Bohea is still a current commercial category.”
Bohea is primarily a historical term. No current Chinese tea grower would label their tea “Bohea” for the domestic market; the term survives mainly in historical scholarship, heritage tea enthusiast circles, and occasional Western specialty sellers using archaic nomenclature for marketing purposes.
Social Media Sentiment
- r/tea: Bohea appears occasionally in history-of-tea discussions, Boston Tea Party context, or posts about Wuyi teas. Most casual tea drinkers are unfamiliar with the term.
- Tea history enthusiasts: The term is a touchstone for enthusiasts interested in the colonial tea trade and British tea culture history — it appears in discussion threads about what eighteenth-century tea actually tasted like.
Last updated: 2026-05
Related Terms
Research
- Ellis, M. (2010). The Coffee-House: A Cultural History. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Summary: Describes the role of Bohea and other China teas in eighteenth-century British coffee house and domestic tea culture, documenting the social history of Bohea as a trade commodity.
- Ukers, W.H. (1935). All About Tea (Vols. 1–2). The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company.
Summary: Contains historical trade documentation of Bohea as a commercial category, its origin in Wuyi, its role in the China tea trade, and the evolution of the term through the nineteenth century.