Hello world!
March 31, 2021Hello world!
July 16, 2025
Categories
Tags
- 18°N - 37°N latitude and 94°E - 122°E longitude
- and Tea Tree Varieties
- Baked green tea
- Brewing Methods and Storage
- Chinese tea culture
- Compressed Pu'er tea
- dark tea
- Definition and History
- downy and honey-like fragrance of white tea
- Environment
- faint orchid aroma of Tieguanyin
- fresh and elegant taste of green tea
- Fuding Dabai tea
- Fuding Dahao tea
- green tea
- harmonious blend of mandarin and tea in Xiaoqinggan
- hometown of tea
- lightly fermented tea
- Loose Pu'er tea
- major green tea producer and exporter
- mandarin peel Pu'er
- mellow and aged aroma of Pu'er tea
- mellow taste of ripe Pu'er tea
- Oolong tea
- Origin
- Origin and Growing Environment
- Original ecological arbor tree raw materials
- post-fermented tea
- producing high-quality green tea
- Pu'er tea
- raw Pu'er tea
- rich aged scent of dark tea
- ripe Pu'er tea
- semi-fermented tea
- Steamed green tea
- Stir-fried green tea
- Sun-dried green tea
- Tea Tree Characteristics and Production Process
- tea's miraculous detoxifying effect
- The History and Current Status of Chinese Tea
- Tieguanyin
- white tea
- wide variety of teas
- Xiaoqinggan
- Yunnan large-leaf tea varieties
- Yunnan ripe Pu'er tea
I. Introduction
China is the hometown of tea, and Chinese tea culture has a long history. What’s more, China boasts a wide variety of teas. Legend has it that Shennong (the legendary Chinese ancestor) accidentally discovered tea’s miraculous detoxifying effect. Since then, tea has taken root and grown on the Chinese land. After thousands of years, it has developed into many diverse tea types, such as green tea, Pu’er tea, Xiaoqinggan (mandarin peel Pu’er), white tea, Tieguanyin (Oolong tea), and dark tea.
Each type of tea has its unique flavor, production process, and benefits. It is not just a beverage—it also carries profound cultural connotations.
II. Detailed Introduction to Various Teas
(I) Green Tea
- Definition and History
Green tea is one of the six major tea categories. It is made without fermentation, which is why its dried leaves, tea soup, and tea residues all appear green (its English name is “Green Tea”).
It is the earliest processed tea type in the world, with a long history in China. By the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-589 AD), China already had mature green tea-making techniques. Today, China is a major green tea producer and exporter—it leads the world in both production and export volume.
The origin of green tea can be traced back to the period when King Wu of Zhou attacked King Zhou of Shang. At that time, the Ba people (from present-day northern Sichuan and southern Shaanxi) offered tea to the Zhou army. The earliest green tea may have come from the Ba region.
Over time, green tea production techniques evolved constantly: from sun-dried green tea cakes to steamed green tea cakes, then to loose steamed green tea, and finally to stir-frying techniques. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, mechanized production was adopted, which boosted the development of the green tea industry.
- Origin and Growing Environment
Green tea is grown widely across China, covering four major tea-producing areas: Jiangnan, Jiangbei, Southwest, and South China. Most plantations lie between 18°N – 37°N latitude and 94°E – 122°E longitude. Notably, mountainous areas around 30°N are more suitable for producing high-quality green tea (e.g., Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces).
Tea trees love warmth, humidity, and shade. They grow best at 25°C, with an annual rainfall of about 1,500 mm and a relative humidity of 80% – 90%. Mountainous areas at an altitude of around 800 meters are ideal, with soil that has a pH of 4.0 – 5.5, deep and loose texture, and good drainage and water retention.
- Tea Tree Characteristics and Production Process
In theory, green leaves from any tea tree can be used to make green tea. However, different tea tree varieties are better suited for specific green tea types:
- Varieties with small, thick, soft, green leaves and lots of downy hairs work well for downy green teas.
- Varieties with slender buds, yellowish-green or light green leaves, and few downy hairs are good for flat green teas.
High-quality green tea varieties also need to sprout early, have small buds, short internodes, green color, plenty of white down, and rich internal nutrients. Examples include Longjing 43 and Fuyun 6.
The picking standard balances quality and yield: most green tea uses one bud with two leaves, one bud with three leaves, or tender opposite leaves. Premium green teas use only plump new buds or one bud with two newly unfolded leaves, while green tea for border trade uses thicker leaves.
The production process has three key steps: fixing, rolling, and drying. High-temperature fixing preserves the tea’s green color; rolling and drying then give green tea its signature “green leaves, green soup, and green dried tea” quality.
- Classification and Characteristics
- By appearance: Flat, round, and other shapes.
- By fixing and drying methods:
- Stir-fried green tea: Dried by stir-frying. Long stir-fried green tea looks like eyebrows; round stir-fried green tea resembles pearls; and tender stir-fried green tea is flat and smooth.
- Baked green tea: Dried by baking. It has a fresh taste but cannot be stored for long.
- Steamed green tea: The earliest green tea type, with a strong green aroma and slight bitterness.
- Sun-dried green tea: Dried in the sun, with a rich taste and sun-dried aroma.
- Brewing Methods and Storage
You can brew green tea in a glass, covered bowl, or teapot. Do not use overly hot water, and steep it for a short time. Different varieties need different methods:
- Longjing and Biluochun: Use the top-up method (add water first, then put in tea leaves).
- Huangshan Maofeng and Lushan Yunwu: Use the middle-up method (add tea first, pour a little water to cover the leaves, then pour more water).
- Lu’an Guapian and Taiping Houkui: Use the bottom-up method (add tea first, then pour boiling water).
For storage: Keep green tea in a cool, dry place. Avoid moisture, direct sunlight, strange odors, and oxygen. Drink it quickly after opening.
(II) Pu’er Tea
- Definition and History
Pu’er tea is one of China’s top 10 famous teas. It is made from sun-dried green tea leaves of Yunnan large-leaf tea varieties, processed through specific post-fermentation into loose tea or compressed tea.
Its history dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), with a local legend called “tea seeds left by Marquis Wu” (Marquis Wu refers to Zhuge Liang, a famous strategist in the Three Kingdoms period). Before the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), locals already picked and grew tea trees. From the Tang Dynasty to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties, Pu’er became an important tea-producing area.
Pu’er tea is mainly grown in Shuangjiang, Lancang, Menghai, and Fengqing in Yunnan. In 2008, it was recognized as a National Geographical Indication Product, and its production technique (especially the imperial tea-making technique) was added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
- Origin and Growing Environment
Yunnan is part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau’s southern extension—an ideal zone for tea plants. It has a low latitude and high altitude, with a tropical and subtropical monsoon climate (no extreme cold or heat, and abundant rainfall). The annual rainfall is 1,000 – 2,000 mm, mostly falling from May to October; winters and springs are dry.
The soil is mostly lateritic red soil or latosol, with a pH of 4 – 5 and rich organic matter—providing excellent conditions for tea tree growth.
- Raw Materials and Production Process
Raw materials are divided into two types:
- Artificially planted raw materials
- Original ecological arbor tree raw materials (pure leaves from ancient tea trees over 300 years old)
The production process includes:
- Primary processing of sun-dried green tea (picking, spreading, fixing, rolling, sun-drying).
- Blending and pressing of raw Pu’er tea.
- Pile fermentation of ripe Pu’er tea.
- Fine processing (sieving, grading, and piling).
Picking lasts from February to November each year, producing spring, summer, and autumn tea. Workers pick one bud with one leaf to one bud with four leaves (or opposite leaves of similar tenderness) and leave enough leaves on the tree for healthy growth.
- Classification and Characteristics
- By processing and quality: Raw Pu’er tea and ripe Pu’er tea.
- By appearance:
- Loose Pu’er tea: Graded from Special Grade to Grade 10 (11 grades total).
- Compressed Pu’er tea: No grading, with shapes like round cakes or squares.
Pu’er tea has a dark red color, a bright red and thick soup, a unique aged aroma, a mellow and sweet taste, and dark red tea residues. Its most famous feature is that it becomes more fragrant as it ages.
- Drinking Methods and Benefits
Besides regular drinking, Yunnan’s ethnic minorities have unique ways to enjoy Pu’er tea, such as roasted tea, oil tea, and cold mixed tea.
Ancients discovered Pu’er tea’s health benefits—Supplements to Compendium of Materia Medica (a classic Chinese medical book) records that it can “relieve greasiness and detoxify from beef and mutton”.
Modern studies show that Pu’er tea can inhibit cholesterol and triglycerides, regulate human intestinal flora, and help with body shape management and mood regulation.
(III) Xiaoqinggan (A Re-processed Pu’er Tea)
- Definition and Production
Xiaoqinggan (mandarin peel Pu’er) is a re-processed tea. It uses unripe mandarin oranges (from Xinhui District, Guangdong Province, harvested between Liqiu (Start of Autumn) and Hanlu (Cold Dew) in the lunar calendar) and Yunnan ripe Pu’er tea as raw materials.
Picking must be completed within half a month in mid-July to ensure the mandarins are of the right size and intact. Drying methods include traditional sun-drying and low-temperature drying. Sun-dried or semi-sun-dried Xiaoqinggan tastes better than low-temperature dried ones.
- Characteristics and Brewing
The finished product combines the fresh aroma of mandarins and the mellow taste of ripe Pu’er tea—a unique flavor. There are three common brewing methods:
- Whole-fruit brewing: Put the whole Xiaoqinggan into a teapot. Pour water around the mandarin first, then slowly pour water at a fixed point.
- Mixed brewing: Break the mandarin peel and mix it with Pu’er tea. Remember to rinse the tea leaves first; steep quickly for the first five infusions.
- Hole-poking brewing: Use a tea needle or knife to poke holes around the mandarin, then brew it like the whole-fruit method.
The brewed tea has a clear and mellow taste, rich aroma, and bright red soup.
(IV) White Tea
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Definition and History
White tea is a lightly fermented tea (fermentation degree: 5% – 10%). It has a long history—originally, it was wild tea discovered by accident, then gradually developed into artificially cultivated and processed tea. Its main producing areas are Fuding and Zhenghe in Fujian Province. -
Origin, Environment, and Raw Materials
White tea is mostly grown in mountainous areas with a mild climate, abundant rainfall, fertile soil, and slightly acidic soil (ideal for tea trees). Raw materials are usually from tea varieties like Fuding Dabai tea and Fuding Dahao tea. Picking standards include:
- Only buds (e.g., Baihao Yinzhen/Silver Needle).
- One bud with one or two leaves (e.g., Baimudan/White Peony).
- Production Process and Characteristics
The production process mainly includes withering and drying—no fixing or rolling. This preserves the tea’s nutrients and natural flavor to the maximum.
White tea is covered with downy hairs, looking like silver or snow. It has a pale yellow and clear soup, a fresh taste, and a unique downy aroma and honey-like aftertaste.
It is classified by raw materials and processing:
- Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle): Plump buds.
- Baimudan (White Peony): Shape like a blooming flower.
- Shoumei (Longevity Eyebrow): Larger leaves.
- Brewing and Storage
Brew white tea in a covered bowl or purple clay teapot, using water at 90℃ – 100℃:
- Baihao Yinzhen: Use the top-up method.
- Baimudan and Shoumei: Use the middle-up or bottom-up method.
For storage: Keep it sealed, dry, away from light, and free from strange odors. There’s a saying about white tea: “One-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure”—proper storage improves its taste and benefits.
(V) Tieguanyin (Representative of Oolong Tea)
- Definition and History
Tieguanyin is a type of oolong tea (also called “blue tea”)—a semi-fermented tea (fermentation degree: 30% – 70%). It originated in Xiping Town, Anxi County, Fujian Province, with a history of over 200 years.
Legend says it got its name because a farmer discovered the tea tree after a Guanyin (Bodhisattva of Mercy) appeared in his dream. During the Qing Dynasty, it became famous and became a popular tea.
- Origin, Environment, and Tea Tree Varieties
Its main producing area is Anxi, Fujian. The area has many mountains, acidic red soil (deep and fertile), a warm and humid climate, large temperature differences between day and night, and lots of mist—creating an ideal environment for tea trees.
The Tieguanyin tea tree is unique: medium-sized plants with open branches (growing diagonally), oval leaves (dark green, thick, soft), raised leaf surfaces, wavy leaf edges, and sparse, blunt serrations.
- Production Process and Characteristics
The production process is complex, including picking, sunning, airing, shaking, fixing, rolling, and roasting. Among these, shaking is the key step to create Tieguanyin’s unique aroma and taste.
The finished Tieguanyin has curled, plump, round, heavy, and neat strips with a sandy green color. Its shape resembles a dragonfly’s head, a spiral, and a frog’s leg. When brewed, it has a bright golden soup, a strong and long-lasting aroma (natural orchid scent), a mellow and fresh taste, a long sweet aftertaste, and a unique “Yun” (tea rhythm).
- Brewing Method
Use a purple clay teapot or covered bowl with 100℃ boiling water. Put tea leaves accounting for 1/3 – 1/2 of the teapot/bowl volume. Rinse the tea leaves quickly for the first infusion (tea washing), then adjust the steeping time according to taste. Steep for a short time in the first few infusions, then lengthen it gradually. It can be brewed many times—even 7-8 infusions still have aroma.
(VI) Dark Tea
- Definition and History
Dark tea is a post-fermented tea—unique to China. It gets its name because the finished tea looks black. Historically, it was mainly sold to remote areas in northwestern China (called “border trade tea”).
Its origin dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279 AD). At that time, tea was fermented and compressed to make transportation and storage easier—gradually forming dark tea’s unique production process.
- Origin and Raw Materials
Dark tea is grown in many areas, including:
- Hunan (Fucha)
- Sichuan (Tibetan tea)
- Yunnan (Pu’er tea)
- Guangxi (Liubao tea)
- Hubei (old dark tea)
- Shaanxi (Fucha)
Raw materials are mostly mature tea leaves. For example, Yunnan Pu’er uses sun-dried green tea leaves of Yunnan large-leaf varieties, while Hunan dark tea uses dark green tea leaves.
- Production Process and Characteristics
The production process usually includes fixing, rolling, piling, and drying. Piling is the key step: microbial fermentation changes the tea, creating dark tea’s unique aged aroma, mellow taste, and dark brown soup.
Dark tea looks black or dark brown with yellow-brown tea residues. It has a mellow taste and unique aged aroma, and like Pu’er tea, it becomes more fragrant as it ages—suitable for long-term storage.
- Drinking Methods and Benefits
You can drink dark tea in many ways:
- Drink it plain.
- Mix it with milk, sugar, or other ingredients.
- Boil it (to better release its aroma and taste).
Dark tea helps aid digestion, relieve greasiness, and lower blood lipids. It is loved by ethnic minorities and has become a popular healthy drink today.
III. Health Benefits of Tea
(I) Antioxidant Effect of Tea Polyphenols
All teas contain tea polyphenols—especially high levels in green tea. The main antioxidant component is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which can scavenge free radicals, delay aging, and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Studies show that drinking an appropriate amount of green tea every day provides antioxidant effects equivalent to eating several apples.
(II) Refreshing Effect of Caffeine
Tea contains caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system. This helps refresh the mind and improve work efficiency.
Oolong tea has a moderate amount of caffeine. When combined with other ingredients, it refreshes you without overstimulating the stomach—perfect for drinking in the afternoon to relieve fatigue.
(III) Soothing Effect of Theanine
White tea is rich in theanine—especially L-theanine. It promotes the brain to secrete gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which calms the nerves, relieves anxiety, and improves sleep.
Drinking white tea regularly helps relax the body and mind and reduce stress.
(IV) Health Benefits of Other Nutrients
Tea also contains vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, aromatic substances, and amino acids:
- Yellow tea has high levels of vitamin C, which resists oxidation and boosts immunity.
- Dark tea contains selenium, which resists oxidation and delays aging.
- Black tea has geraniol, which helps aid digestion.
- Longjing tea contains glutamic acid, which makes the tea soup tasty and provides nutritional benefits.
Different teas have different nutrient focuses. Drinking an appropriate amount of tea for a long time is very beneficial to human health.
IV. Conclusion
China has a rich variety of teas, and each type has its unique charm: the fresh and elegant taste of green tea, the mellow and aged aroma of Pu’er tea, the downy and honey-like fragrance of white tea, the faint orchid aroma of Tieguanyin, the rich aged scent of dark tea, and the harmonious blend of mandarin and tea in Xiaoqinggan.
These teas not only bring us wonderful taste experiences but also carry profound cultural heritage and health value. Understanding professional knowledge about various teas helps us better appreciate the connotation of tea and enjoy the fun and benefits of tea life.
In the future, with technological development and people’s pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, Chinese tea is expected to inherit traditional craftsmanship, continue to innovate and develop, and move towards a broader global stage.
