The Six Classic Categories of Chinese Tea

There are six Classic Categories of Chinese Tea, namely Green Tea, Yellow Tea, White Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea and Dark Tea. 

Green Tea: A type of tea has been processed and dried without fermenting. It contains the maximum amount of polyphe nols and volatile organic compounds, which affect aroma and taste process. Traditionally, the first flush in the spring brings the best quality leaves.

Yellow Tea: The process for making yellow tea is similar to that of green tea but with an added step of encasing and steaming the tea. One of the primary aims of making yellow tea is to remove the characteristic grassy smell of green tea.

White Tea: This type of tea is merely dried with no additional processing. There is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement.

Oolong Tea: This type of tea is traditionaly semioxidized. The manufacture of oolong tea involves withering, rocking, fixation, rolling, and drying. Specifically, rocking or stirring the green leaf, Yaoqing in Chinese, is a very unique process for producing Chinese Oolong Tea. Oolong teas are also known as Qingcha or Dark green tea.

Black Tea: A type of tea that is more oxidized than ool ong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas.

and Dark Tea: This type of tea has undergone microbial fermentation, from several months to many years. It is produced mostly in the warmer southern provinces. Dark tea is commonly pressed into bricks or cakes for ageing. The most famous fermented tea is Pu-erh Tea. Liu Pao Tea is also classified as Dark Tea.