Six Major Types of Chinese Tea(Part one)

China has a long history of tea culture. Based on fermentation levels and processing methods, Chinese tea is broadly classified into six main categories - green tea, yellow tea, White Tea, oolong tea, Black Tea, and Dark Tea. Each type has its own unique feature and distinctive charm. This is a brief description about six major types of Chinese tea.

1. Green Tea

It’s one of the most well-known tea among Chinese teas. This type of tea is well recognized as unfermented tea which enables the leaves as much as possible to preserve its original fresh as well as retain its natural green color. As a result, the brewed tea soup tends to be light green in color. The taste is refreshing as it has a herbal essence and light yellow-green overview.

Fixation is one of the most important processing steps in green tea making to preserve its fresh aroma and green color in dry tea appearance. Based on the fixation method, green tea can be classified into: pan-frying, steaming, baking and sun-drying. There is no one best fixation way while each has their celebrities. For example, Longjing (the Dragon Well) is processed under pan-frying fixation and the Huangshan Maofeng green tea is using baking fixation. The steaming fixation is using for Enshi Yulu. The unfermented raw pu’er, is also known a sun-drying-fixation green tea.

Among Chinese tea drinkers, the harvest or the picking time of tea leaves is a big factor to distinguish its taste, aroma, flavor and even pricing. The green tea harvested and processed before Qingming festival (Pre-Qingming) in the early April typically has the tender taste, fresh aroma and refreshing flavor. With the increase in temperature and sunlight, the taste of Pre-Guyu tea (Grain Rain, ard April 20) would appear in rich taste while not as stunning fresh as Pre-Qingming tea. It is well-understood for its long-lasting fragrance and stronger durability of brewing. Additionally, the price of Pre-Guyu tea is generally cheaper than that of Pre-Qingming.

Representative Green Teas

1.West Lake Dragon Well (Xihu Longjing) - Grown around the West Lake of Hangzhou in Zheijiang, it is one of the most renowned green tea in China. The tea has a refreshing aroma and mildly sweet taste. The supreme grade of Longjing is coming from the five core producing areas, Shifeng, Longjing, Yunxi, Hupao and Meijiawu.

2.Huangshan Maofeng – The tea comes from Huangshan mountain, Anhui. Known for its white fur and bird's tough shape like dry tea leave. The tea soup has a sweet and fresh taste, and orchid scent.

3.Biluochun - Its origin is the Dongting mountain near Taihu Lake in Jiangsu. As it is grown under flower and fruit intercropping circumstances, its taste possesses floral and fruity nice flavor. It is known for its white hairy and spiral shaped dry tea shape.

To be continued...

#Chinese tea #Green Tea #production process #harvest time#dragon well#Huangshan Maofeng #Biluochun