Types of Chinese Tea

There is a a huge range of different types of Chinese tea, there is possibly thousands of them. If you visit Annie in her tea house she will welcome you with a cup of Cuiyu Green Tea. She will be happy to let you try other teas from her stock. This makes it very difficult for the newcomer to tea drinking to take in all the different qualities, types and tastes.

There are many types of Chinese tea and it is classified is by the amount of fermentation that has taken place during the process of making the tea. Actually fermentation is the wrong word since the process is more akin to composting where the tea leaves are left open to the oxygen which promotes bacterial decomposition in the cell structure of the leaves. Sometimes called 'withering'. After the leaves have been oxidized, or not in some cases, they are then dried to arrest the process of fermentation. Annie explains some basic differences for the beginner about types of Chinese tea.

White tea

This tea has a soft taste that reflects the time of year when it is harvested, the spring when water is in abundance and the sprouts of the tea tree are ripe with the flavor of the sun.

White Tea is the specialty of the Fujian province and is picked from the youngest white shoots from the tea tree. The finest White Teas such as the much sought after Silver Needle are only picked during the spring time when there is an abundance of water and good sunlight to promote early growth. This tea is not left to ferment and is quickly dried after picking which helps to retain a soft sweetness and a clear color. White Tea is rich in antioxidants and is very healthy for you with strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities.

Many different types of Chinese tea: Pu'er tea, Yunnan China

Green Tea:

From the many types of Chinese tea, green tea is one of the most famous. This tea which is left to dry or “wither' for a short period of a few hours before pan frying, steaming or drying over charcoal fires. Because the tea is produced from young leaves and is dried so quickly soon after picking the tea has a golden color and freshness to its taste.

Green tea is now very popular across the rest of the world and is well known for its healthy medicinal properties and its ability to promote a longer life. Annie's favorite Green Tea is of course her own family produced Cuiyu Green Tea, which translates as Green Feather Tea. She describes it as “a forest in the sea” referring to the way the individual tea leaves stand upright in the tea cup.

Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is similar to green tea but has a slower drying phase, where the damp tea leaves are allowed to sit and yellow during a more extended 'withering'. Thus it has been part fermented or oxidized usually to about 10%. Its appearance when brewed is more yellowy than green tea and is often cured with other herbs to enhance the flavor.

Oolong Tea

Oorlong tea is another of the types of Chinese tea. This is a part fermented tea which has had its leaves are bruised to break open their cell walls and stimulate enzymatic activity during the oxidization process. Typically the leaves will be fermented to between 50% and 70%. The tea may also be cured by regular periods of drying over charcoal fires during this phase. When rolled into small pellets it is often referred to in the west as Gunpowder Tea.

This technique renders the leaves less susceptible to physical damage and breakage and allows them to retain more of their flavor and aroma. In addition, it allows certain types of Oolong Teas to be aged for decades if they are cared for by being occasionally roasted. Annie favors a rather expensive type of Oolong Tea called Tie Guanyin and equates it to a very fine wine with its rich brown smoky flavor and distinctive sweet after taste. At 3000rmb a kilo this is very much a tea for special occasions and not a tea to be drunk every day.

Black Tea

Of all the types of Chinese tea, black tea is the kind of tea we are most familiar with outside of China. Black Tea is fully oxidized and often compressed into bricks as it travels well and thus has been popular with traders over the centuries. The leaves are first bruised and then oxidized in a warm humid environment before being dried to arrest the fermentation process. This process turns the tea leaves black which is why the tea carries this name though when brewed it tends to have a dark reddish color and strong flavor.

Post Fermented Tea

For those seeking a stronger tea you can try a one from the Yunnan region. Named after the city of Pu'er, this tea is perhaps better known outside of China and comes in two forms. The raw Pu'er, called Sheng Pu'er is unfermented, rather like a Green Tea and is very strong with high caffeine content. It is rather like drinking coffee with its bitter taste. The fermented version of the tea, Shou Pu'er, is left to cure after the fermentation process and then fermented again and which is why sometimes this tea is called Black Black Tea.

For the second part of the fermentation as the tea is warmed in a wet atmosphere and continually turned to promote bacterial decomposition. When ripened in this way the tea develops a sweeter, softer flavor in the same way that letting a good wine lay adds to the quality taste, and of course the price. In this form the tea is revered for its medicinal qualities as it is said that it reduces blood cholesterol, a fact borne out by medical research. It is also widely believed in Chinese cultures to counteract the unpleasant effects of heavy alcohol consumption.

Tea Plantation Yangshuo

Red Tea

Another kind of fermented tea you might like to try is the Red Tea. This tea is made from plants of the aspalathus genus where as the other teas are produced from varieties of the  camellia sinensis plant. The flavor of this tea is very different from those made from the camellia. The tea is caffeine free and is believed to aid insomnia problems, irritability, headaches, nervous tension and hypertension. It has a mild, round flavour and is often mixed with other types of tea.

Of course there are many other teas drunk in China, too many to list them all here including many herbal and medicinal teas. Scented Teas for example such as Jasmine, Osmanthus and Chrysanthemum are very popular and sometimes these are mixed with Green Tea to enhance the flavor.

Other teas may be mixed with spices or herbs, for example there is a type of Oolong Tea that is powdered with Ginseng and then rolled into small pellets. This gives the tea a very refreshing smoky flavor, a sweet after taste and a delicious golden brown color.

Annie will also serve a very special kind of Flower Tea that are made by hand by threading stamen, petals and leaves from plants such as jasmine, lily, globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, osmanthus and hibiscus. These are then wrapped in a ball of green tea leaves. When presented to you they will look like large seeds but when immersed in hot water the open gently to reveal a spectacular display of colors.

To book a Tea Ceremony, Tea Lesson or Tasting contact us on the details below. Groups, individuals and parties welcome. Use our form to contact Annie Zhou or call #8613807830496

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