Chinese Tea Classification

Chinese tea is mainly divided into six categories: Green Tea, White Tea, Yellow Tea, Oolong Tea (also known as Qing Tea), Black Tea, and Dark Tea. These classifications are primarily based on the processing techniques and fermentation levels of the tea.

Green Tea:
Green tea is an unfermented tea that undergoes processes such as picking, killing green (destroying enzyme activity through high temperatures to prevent oxidation and fermentation), rolling, and drying. It has a fresh green color, a lush green tea liquor, a refreshing aroma, and a light taste. Green tea is known for its astringent, diuretic, and refreshing properties. Famous varieties include Longjing, Biluochun, and Huangshan Maofeng.

White Tea:
White tea is a lightly fermented tea with a relatively simple production process, mainly consisting of picking, wilting, and drying. It has a silvery-white color, a light yellow and bright tea liquor, a mild and sweet taste, and is known for its heat-clearing, detoxifying, lung-moisturizing, and cough-suppressing properties. Major varieties include White Peony, Baihao Yinzhen, and Shoumei.

Yellow Tea:
Yellow tea belongs to the category of lightly fermented teas. Its production process is similar to that of green tea but includes an additional “yellowing” step. Yellow tea has a bright yellow color, a yellow and bright tea liquor, a refreshing aroma, and a mellow taste. Notable varieties include Junshan Yinzhen and Huoshan Huangya.

Oolong Tea (Qing Tea):
Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea with a complex production process that includes wilting, shaking, frying, rolling, and roasting. It combines the freshness of green tea with the mellowness of black tea, resulting in a rich aroma and a full-bodied, sweet taste. Prominent varieties include Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, and Phoenix Dancong.

Black Tea:
Black tea is a fully fermented tea that undergoes processes such as wilting, rolling, fermentation, and drying. It has a dark and lustrous color, a red and bright tea liquor, a mellow aroma, and a sweet taste. Well-known varieties include Lapsang Souchong, Jin Jun Mei, and Qimen Black Tea.

Dark Tea:
Dark tea belongs to the category of post-fermented teas, involving processes like killing green, rolling, piling, and drying. It has a dark brown color, a tea liquor ranging from orange-yellow to deep red, a full-bodied and sweet taste with a prominent aged aroma. Significant varieties include Anhua Dark Tea and Yunnan Pu’er Tea.