The six main types of Chinese tea
According to Chinese legend, tea was discovered in ancient China over 4,000 years ago during the reign of Emperor Shen Nong. The story goes that leaves from a nearby tea tree fell into boiling water and he decided to consume it anyway, inventing the aromatic beverage we now know as tea.
Regardless of when and how tea was actually discovered, over the years it has become an integral part of Chinese society, eventually becoming woven into rituals, art, and everyday life. As a result, many regions of China have developed unique processing techniques and distinct styles of tea that reflect their climate, culture, and traditions.
Although there are many different types of Chinese tea, they are generally divided into 6 categories or classifications: Green tea, black tea, oolong, white tea, yellow tea, and post-fermented teas, a category that would include teas like pu-erh or liu bao.
Green tea, although quite popular throughout the world, was first harvested, produced, and consumed in China and has since become an emblem of culture and tradition.
To produce green tea, the leaves are steamed or quickly roasted after being picked to prevent oxidation as much as possible. This process, known as fixation or Sha Qing, helps preserve the plant's natural vibrant color and flavor.
The aroma profile of green tea is often described as grassy, vegetal, nutty, and floral.
Famous varieties of green tea are Longjing and Bi Luo Chun.
Black tea is known as "hong cha" or red tea, due to the red hue it produces when brewed.
To produce black tea, after the drying process, the leaves are rolled or crushed to further oxidize, resulting in a darker color and aroma.
This prolonged oxidation process gives black tea a darker hue, stronger aroma, and a longer shelf life than green and oolong teas.
The flavor profile of black tea is often described as dark, malty, smoky, fruity, or floral. Popular varieties of black tea include Keemun and Lapsang Souchong.
The term oolong is derived from its traditional name "wulong", which means "black dragon".
This type of tea is semi-oxidized to a range between 8% and 85%, which places it somewhere between green and black tea on the oxidation spectrum and results in a wide variety of complex flavor profiles, often embodying notes of flowers, fruits, and cream.
Famous varieties of oolong tea are Tie Guan Yin and Da Hong Pao.
White tea undergoes minimal processing and is often simply dried in the sun, which allows the processed tea to retain the natural characteristics of the tea plant.
The flavor profile of white tea is often described as delicate, light, and slightly sweet.
Several famous varieties of white tea are Shou Mei, Bai Mudan, Baihao Yinzhen, and Yue Guang Bai.
Yellow tea is processed in a similar way to green tea, but with an added step of “yellowing” or “smothering” to the process. This results in a more delicate, sweet, and refreshing flavor profile. Yellow tea typically has a smoother and less herbaceous flavor than green tea, often with hints of chestnut and honey.
Famous varieties of yellow tea include Junshan Yinzhen and Meng Ding Huang Ya.
Post-fermented teas would include teas such as pu-erh, which is a type of tea named after the Pu-erh region in Yunnan, China. Nowadays, there are two types of pu-erh tea: the more traditional style known as Sheng, and the more modern production method known as Shu.
While Sheng Pu'er is mostly processed in a manner similar to green tea, albeit with some minor differences, Shu Pu'er is produced by wet-stacking tea leaves and allowing them to ferment under controlled conditions.
The flavor profile of post-fermented teas can vary significantly depending on the type of tea, how it was processed, and how it was stored and aged.