Types of Tea

Chinese Tea




China is known for producing both black teas and green (unfermented) teas. All China teas are lower in caffeine than their Indian counterparts. Due to Chinese cultivation methods single garden teas are almost unheard of - the single province tea is the Chinese equivalent to the Indian single garden tea. These single province teas are rarely exported.
 
How to brew a good Chinese Tea, click here

Kinds of Chinese Tea

Green Tea
Oolong Tea
Black Tea
Scented Tea
White Tea
Tea Bricks and Compressed Tea


GREEN TEA

The most natrul tea class which is only dried with heat and undergoes no fermentation process.

Examples are
Tai Ping - Hou Kui     means Monkey King
Xi Hu - Long Jing   means Dragon Well
Dong Tin - Bi Luo Chun   means Green Spring Snail
Lu Shan - Yun Wu      means Cloud & Fog
Huang Shan - Mao Feng    means Fur Peak
E Mei - Zhu Ye Qing   means Green Bamboo Leaf

Xi Hu - Long Jing   (Dragon Well)

This tea was mentioned by the poet Lu Yu in his seventh century Chaking. Dragon's Well is the name of the village that is home to this tea. It is lokated near the West Lake in Szechwan? Province. Lung Ching looks flat and smoth but when it is infused it opens up and you can see that the leaf consists almost entirely of intact buds. Lung Ching gives a light liquor with a vegitative aroma and taste. This tea in considered to have a cooling effect and is served during the summer and in hot weather.

Dong Tin - Bi Luo Chun   (Green Spring Snail)

This unusuall tea is only manufactured once a year by the tinyest buds from the first spring flush. There is special equipment developed to produce this tea. The leaves is tiny and curled and gives a clear and golden tea.

Places produce of green teas :
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OOLONG

Oolong tea is half-fermented and gives a relatively thick in flavour.  It is the most used tea for Kung Fu Cha.  This is the elegant tea is sometimes known as the "champagne of teas".

Originally grown in the Fukien province of China, it was first imported to England in 1869 by John Dodd. Today, the highest grade Oolongs (Formosa Oolongs) are grown in Taiwan. A cross between green and black teas, it is fermented to achieve a delicious fruity taste that makes milk, lemon, and sugar unthinkable.  It is also an emulsifier for fat and cholesterol.  Like a savior for today's junk food eaters.

Examples are

An Xi - Tie Guan Yin    means Iron Guan Yin (goddess of mercifulness)
Wu Yi - Da Hong Pao  means Big Red Robe

Ti Kuan Yin

Ti Kuan Yin comes from Fukien, the district where Oolongs first was produced. Ti Kuan Yin means Iron Godess of Mercy. The tea has iron colored leaves.

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BLACK TEAS

Black tea is fully fermented tea class, which is the everday tea of the west and northwest.  Like Oolong, it is good for cleaning up the digestive channel.  Weight-watchers' gospel.

Examples are
Pu' er Pu'er (the name is Pu'er)
Hu Nan - Hei Cha   means Black Tea
Lao Qing Ye    means Old Green Leaf
Xi Chuan - Bian Cha    means Edge Tea

Keemun

This is the most famous of China's black teas. Because of its subtle and complex nature, it is considered the "burgundy of teas". It is a mellow tea that will stand alone as well as support sugar and/or milk.

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SCENTED TEAS

Scented teas are Flower tea, according to the base of flowers, it could be black, green or red.  It is popular in northern

Examples are
Mo Li  Hua Cha   means Jasmine
Mei Gui Hua Cha   means Rose
Bai Lan Hua Cha     means Gardenia 
Long Zhu Hua Cha   means Dragon Ball
 

Jasmine tea

Jasmine tea was invented about 800 years ago under the Sung Dynasty. Today most of the jasmine tea comes from the countries aurrounding Foochu in Fukien Province. Because the jasmine flowers only opens at night they are plucked around noontime, when the flowers är som mest slutna. When the temperature sinks between six and eight that evening, the flwers begin to open with the popping sound of the bud and the scenting is begin.

Flowers and tea are put into machines that controls temperature and humidity. It takes about 4 hours for the tea to absorb the flavour of the blossoms and for the highest grades this process may be repeted as many as five times over a period of a month. Since the tea has also absorbed moisture from the flowers it must be refired to prevent spoilage. The spent flowers may or may not removed from the final product. In the lower grades they generally are not. China produces 7 different standards of jasmine tea plus 3 special grades. The finest of thes is called Cung Feng Premium Jasmine Tea.

Rose tea

China produces only one sort, Rose Congou Tea. The scaenting is carried out in the same way as with Jasmine tea with the difference that the base is black tea.

Lychee tea

Lychee Tea is a scented black tea from china produced in the same way as jasmine and rose.

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WHITE TEA

White tea is similar to green tea except it is roasted.  It is the lowest caffeine content and is very light in colour and aroma.

White tea is only produced in China.  It is processed by drying only. Most of the white teas comes from Fukien. White tea is made of full-grown buds of a special tea bush known as "big white". The tea only contains tips and is sometimes blended with buds from the Shui Itsien White tea Plant.

Examples are
Shou Mei   means Longevity Eyebrow
Bai Mu Dan    means White Peony
Yin Zhen Bai Hao    means Silver Needle White Fur

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TEA BRICKS OR COMPRESSED TEA

Tea bricks was invented by the Chinese under the Tiang Dynasty. This was made to simplify transportation and in time the bricks bacame a currency. To make change the reverse side of the brick is scored so it is easy broken. China's compressed tea has a uniform design nowadays and consist of dust hydraulically compressed into bricks.

Origins of Tea - China


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