The Types of Tea

Compiled from Origins of Chinese Tea and Wine

There are many different varieties of tea and they are grouped into six main groups:

1. Green tea

The green tea has a delicate scent. This is an unfermented leaf that gives a lovely jade green brew. It is also very popular these days. Longjing tea and Biluochun tea are both green tea, and come from regions with picturesque scenery - Longjing from West Lake in Hangzhou, and Biluochun from Tai Lake in Suzhou.

2. Black tea

This is a fermented leaf that draws well and gives a red beverage. Qimen tea from Anhui is the most popular amongst the black tea.

3. Oolong tea

This is a semi-fermented tea. It’s dryer than other types of tea. Wuyiyan tea from Fujian is the most well-known oolong tea.

4. Yellow tea

This tea is lightly fermented. Its most striking feature is its yellow leaf and brew. This colour is the result of the process by which yellow tea is made. It is very clear, light and fragrant. Among the better known yellow tea are Junshanbaizhen and Mengdinghuangya.

5. White tea

This tea is made from young leaves that still have fine white hairs on them. The famous Yinzhenbaihao is one such example.

6. Dark tea

Dark tea can be in the form of loose leaf or compressed tea, which is tea that has been compacted and packed in the form of bricks. Dark tea is fermented for a longer time than others. The tea leaf is a deep brown. Renowned dark tea include Yunnan Pu’er and Cangwuliubao tea.