The Diverse World of Tea: From Green to Black, Oolong to Flower

There are hundreds of varieties of tea, each with its own unique name, ranging from elegant to luxurious, vibrant to majestic, and mysterious. Tea can be classified into seven basic categories: green tea (including stir-fried green tea, roasted green tea, sun-dried green tea, and steamed green tea), black tea (including Gongfu black tea, small black tea, and black broken tea), oolong tea (also known as green tea, including Minbei, Minnan, Guangdong, and Taiwan oolong tea), white tea (including white bud tea and white leaf tea), yellow tea (yellow bud tea, yellow small tea, and yellow big tea), black tea (including Hunan black tea, Hubei old green tea, Sichuan border tea, and Yunnan-Guangxi black tea), and processed tea (including flower tea, compressed tea, instant tea, fruit-flavored tea, etc.).

Green tea

Green tea is a non-fermented tea made by directly drying fresh buds and leaves through high-temperature fixation, rolling, and either stir-frying, roasting, or sun-drying. The main varieties include Dongting Biluochun, Longjing from the two lakes, Xinyang Maojian, Liu'an Guapian, Junshan Yinzhen, Huangshan Maofeng, Mengding Ganlu, Emei Bamboo Leaf Green, Emei Maofeng, and Mei Cha. Green tea is the most popular variety of tea and the largest traded tea in the world. High-quality green tea has tightly curled leaves, a green color, a clear and fragrant aroma, a fresh and mellow taste, and is strong but not astringent. If the leaves of green tea are loose and rough, with uneven particles, a dull color, a low and coarse aroma, and a turbid and astringent taste, it is considered to be of poor quality. Green tea is often blended with medicinal teas that have functions such as clearing heat, relieving heat, diuresis, and quenching thirst. It is suitable for consumption in summer.

Black tea

Black tea is a fermented tea made through withering, rolling, fermenting, and drying. The main varieties include Qimen Gongfu tea, Dianhong Gongfu tea, Ninghong Gongfu tea, Xiaopin black tea, and black broken tea. The most famous is Gongfu tea, with Qimen black tea being of exceptional quality, having tightly curled, thin and long leaves, a black color, a lasting aroma, a red-colored infusion, and a strong and mellow taste with a hint of sweetness. If black tea is rough and messy, with a red-brown or orange-red color, a low and stuffy aroma, and a flat taste, it is considered to be of poor quality. Black tea is often blended with medicinal teas that have functions such as warming, dispelling cold, and nourishing. It is suitable for consumption in winter.

Flower tea

Flower tea is a type of reprocessed tea made from refined tea leaves and various natural flower fragrances. The main varieties include jasmine tea, orchid tea, daffodil tea, magnolia tea, rose tea, and osmanthus tea. Flower tea has a high and mellow fragrance, a pleasant aroma, a pale yellow and slightly green color, a delicious taste, and a lingering scent. Jasmine tea has an elegant and fragrant aroma, while orchid tea has a strong and pure aroma, and daffodil tea has a strong and refreshing aroma. If the fragrance of flower tea is dull and unpleasant, especially those with poorly sprayed artificial fragrances, it gives a sense of falseness and unpleasantness. Flower tea is often blended with medicinal teas that have functions such as regulating the liver, relieving depression, promoting qi circulation, and activating blood circulation. It is suitable for consumption in spring.

Oolong tea

Oolong tea, also known as green tea, is a semi-fermented tea made through the shaking green process. Most of the tea leaves maintain their green color, with red edges, hence the nickname "green leaves with red trim". The main varieties include Tieguanyin, Wuyi rock tea, Minbei narcissus, Fenghuang narcissus, and Taiwan oolong tea. Oolong tea has thick and strong leaves, a golden yellow and clear infusion, and a fragrant aroma. The best oolong tea has a rich ripe peach aroma and a rich and mellow taste. Tieguanyin has a high and elegant aroma, similar to the fragrance of orchids, with a thick and sweet taste; Wuyi rock tea has a rich and clear aroma, a mellow and thick taste, and an orange-yellow transparent infusion. Oolong tea is often blended with medicinal teas that have relatively mild properties, such as regulating the spleen and stomach and promoting qi circulation. It is suitable for consumption in autumn.