Tea

[Doc Stier]

Tea Classification:

There are hundreds of tea varieties in China. The long history of the product and the diversity of the climatic and geographical characteristics of the Chinese territory have helped to create such a wide selection of teas that it would take a lifetime to get to know them all.

There is no universal standard for classifying all teas. In the West, where the number of tea varieties is significantly smaller, the method normally used to assess the quality of tea leaves is based on their degree of oxidation. According to the level of oxidation, teas are classified as black tea, semi-fermented wulong tea or green tea, which has not been oxidized.

Because of the wide range of tea processing methods in use in China, a more detailed classification system has been developed. There teas are generally divided into six main categories, although tea merchants can have varying opinions on the subject. The most commonly used classification system is based on the color of the tea at the end of the preparation process:

Green tea (lücha)
White tea (baicha)
Yellow tea (huangcha)
Black tea (heicha), name varies in the West
Blue-green tea (qingcha), Oolong in the West
Red tea (hongcha), black tea in the West

In addition to classifying teas according to their color, tea merchants have also established another system for making some sense of the thousands of tea blends. The system involves assigning twelve different grades to teas based on such factors as the place of origin, vintage and whether the tea is comprised of only the buds of the tea plant, the buds and the outermost small leaves, or the buds and the two outermost leaves.

Top grade teas are picked and processed by hand. Others are processed industrially in significantly larger quantities and they are often mixed with other varieties to enhance their flavor. The highest quality teas are such a rare luxury that their price per kilogram can reach thousands of euros. For this reason, an etiquette indicating that a tea is "green tea" does not say much about the product. Nor does the name Xihu Longjing guarantee that the product in question is top quality tea. The teas sold in most stores are generally grade four, five or six teas. Of these, grade four tea is of the highest quality. Superior grade one teas are almost impossible to obtain because they are usually reserved for consumption at official government functions.

Green tea

Green tea can be called the father of all teas. When making green tea, the oxidation process is prevented. This is done by either steaming or roasting the leaves. Steaming allows the leaves to retain their green color and fresh scent longer, but the end product is slightly more bitter in taste. Today, roasting is the more popular method and it results in fresh-tasting, slightly sweet tea. Green tea is produced all over China, but the most famous one is Xihu Longjing from Zhejiang province.

White tea

White tea is a newcomer in the world of teas because its production only commenced at the end of the 18th century in Fujian province. The tea is made from the large-leafed and long-tipped dabai and shuixian tea trees. White tea is not rolled or roasted, instead, the tea leaves are allowed to dry and oxidize slightly in the sunlight. Some varieties are also steamed. The most famous white teas include Baibao yinzhen, Baimudan and Shoumei.

Yellow tea

Yellow tea is even more rare than white tea and for a long time, its processing method was kept a secret. Yellow tea is processed by rolling the tea leaves in paper after a light roasting, where they are kept for a few days. During this process, the buds take on a slightly yellowish color and develop a very distinctive scent through a nonenzymatic oxidation process. The most popular variety of yellow tea is Junshan yinzhen from Hunan province.

Blue-green teas

In China, partly oxidized blue-green teas are divided into baozhong, which is enclosed in a paper bag during processing, and the more strongly oxidized wulong, more commonly known as oolong. The production of blue-green teas is concentrated in the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong and in Taiwan. The tea leaves needed to produce blue-green teas need to fairly large in size, so they aren't picked until in May or June. Stopping the oxidation process at just the right time is crucial in influencing the flavor of blue-green teas but many other factors linked with the roasting process can also impact the aroma and the different combinations of all these factors make for a large variety of tea blends. The best known blue-green tea is Tie Guanyin from Anxi.

Black tea

Black tea is not widely known outside of China. Most varieties of black tea are compressed into different shaped cakes and bricks. The tea is mostly produced in the provinces of Yunnan, Hubei, Guangxi, Sichuan and Hunan. The largest family of teas classified as belonging to black teas is pu’er tea, although it also includes several white and green teas as well. Pu’er teas are compressed into cakes, which, unlike other tea varieties, improve with age. Pu’er tea is known for its heath promoting effects. The most widely known black teas are the pu’er teas from Yunnan, as well as Qizibingcha and Tuocha.

Red tea

The fully oxidized tea varieties, known as red teas in China, go more commonly by the name of black tea in the West. In China, black tea has not gained great popularity, which is not to say that Chinese tea producers hadn't applied their centuries old tea making expertise to develop this variety further as well. Chinese red teas generally have a slightly lower caffeine content and a softer aroma than "black" teas in the rest of the world. Red tea production is mainly concentrated in the provinces of Yunnan, Anhui and Fujian. The most famous red tea is Qimen (qihong) from Anhui.

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[Doc Stier]

There are Four Basic Steps to Selecting Quality Tea.

1. Inspection. Good or fresh tea has a green luster in a tight shape, but poor tea is loose and dull. The leaves should be dry enough to make a rustling noise in the palm.

2. Fragrance. The fragrance of tea should be pure without a charred taste or acid smell. Good tea, especially fresh tea, has a natural aroma like orchid or jasmine while poor tea smells stale.

3. Taste. You can taste the leaves by chewing them carefully. Good tea leaves have a fresh mellowness. You can also infuse some tea to see if the leaves extend smoothly and sink slowly to the bottom. Good tea liquor is emerald green or golden. It has a tint of bitterness with a lasting sweet aftertaste. Stale tea liquor is malodorous and dark brown.

4. Appearance of Infused Leaves. Look at the infused tea leaves. The infused tea leaves should be even without impurity.

After you purchase good tea, keep it in a dry cool place, avoiding direct sunshine. An airtight container is a good choice. Avoid putting teas of different aromas too close.

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