Chinese tea culture and tea leafs

Tea is one of China's national beverages and has a history of over two thousand years. As early as the Tang Dynasty, tea had become an essential component of Chinese culture and trade. Tea is an important representative of Chinese culture, reflecting the Chinese people's respect and reverence for nature and life.

In the early history of China, tea was widely used in various fields such as medicine, health, and worship. Legend has it that the first tea person in China was Shen Nong, who believed that tea could treat symptoms of fatigue and poor mental clarity. From then on, tea gradually gained widespread recognition and application throughout traditional Chinese culture.

With the development of tea culture and the continuous improvement of tea production technology, tea's status in Chinese society gradually increased. Tea trade also became an important component of China's foreign trade. During the Song Dynasty, as the tea trade expanded and tea production techniques improved, Chinese tea began to go global. Many foreigners began to understand Chinese tea culture and promote and apply it in their own countries.

The development of tea culture and the growth of the tea industry have not only created significant economic and cultural value for China but have also made an important contribution to the diversity of world culture. Today, under the influence of Chinese tea culture, tea is widely considered to be a healthy beverage and is favored by global consumers. In the world tea industry, Chinese tea's reputation is growing, becoming an essential component of global tea culture.

In conclusion, as an important component of Chinese culture and trade, tea has a deep history and cultural heritage. We should inherit and promote the Chinese tea culture and contribute to the further development of Chinese tea in the world tea industry.

China is the birthplace of tea culture, boasting a thriving tea industry and rich tea culture, and is known as the “tea country”. China's tea is divided into six categories based on the degree of fermentation and processing method: green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea.

Origin and production locations

1. Green Tea: Green tea is either unfermented or lightly fermented, retaining the natural green color of the tea leaves. Green tea is mainly produced in the Jiangnan area, such as Longjing tea from Hangzhou and Junshan Yin Zhen from Hunan.
2. Yellow Tea: Yellow tea is a lightly fermented tea, presenting a soft yellow color. Yellow tea is produced in areas such as Jiangnan and Jiangxi, including Huangshan Maofeng from Anhui.
3. White Tea: White tea is a naturally fermented tea that undergoes simple processing, possessing a fragrant taste and a silver-white color. White tea is produced in the southern part of Fujian and Jiangxi, such as Bai Mudan from Fujian.
4. Oolong Tea: Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, falling in between green tea and black tea. Oolong tea is mainly produced in Taiwan and Fujian, including Dongfang Meiren from Taiwan ,Wuyi Rock Tea from Fujian and Phoenix Dancong from Guangdong.
5. Black Tea: Black tea is a fully fermented tea, with a bright red tea soup, a rich aroma, and a strong taste, representing an essential part of Chinese tea culture. Black tea is produced in Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan, and other regions, such as Dian Hong from Yunnan.
6. Dark Tea: Dark tea is a fermented tea that undergoes a maturation process, presenting a dark color and aiding digestion. Dark tea is produced in Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan, Anhui, and other regions, including Pu-erh tea from Yunnan.

Differences in tea-making processes for the six tea categories

The six tea categories have different tea-making processes. Green tea is generally first withered, then twisted and shaped, and finally dried. Yellow tea often utilizes a unique “moist heap” technique, allowing the tea leaves to naturally ferment under certain humidity and temperature conditions. White tea is typically packaged directly after drying, without weight measuring or twisting. Oolong tea requires complex processing, including twisting, withering, and fermentation. Black tea is first withered and then compressed by twisting and fermenting. Dark tea undergoes fermentation through the heap method, with Yunnan Pu-erh being the most famous dark tea.

Aromas, Flavors, and Benefits of Six Major Types of Tea Green tea:

• Green tea, with its refreshing aroma and fresh taste, has gained popularity in recent years due to its high transparency, pleasant fragrance, no burden after drinking, and health benefits such as clearing heat, detoxifying, soothing the liver, and improving immunity.
• Black tea: Black tea, with its reddish-brown color, strong aroma and rich taste, contains caffeine and has the effects of refreshing the mind, promoting digestion, and enhancing liver function, while also promoting metabolism.
• White tea: White tea, with its silver-white color and fresh and elegant aroma and flavor, has a gentle nature and can clear heat and detoxify, improve immunity, and alleviate discomfort in the digestive system.
• Yellow tea: Yellow tea, with its unique floral aroma and flavor, derives from the fermentation of internal microorganisms after sealing, and has the functions of reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and preventing atherosclerosis.
• Oolong tea: Oolong tea has a soft texture, a fruity and floral fragrance, a sweet aftertaste, and a refreshing effect. It also has a high health-care effect, playing a role in reducing blood sugar, losing weight, and delaying aging.
• Dark tea: Dark tea, with its characteristics of "aged" and "mature," has a particularly fragrant taste and a sweet and smooth mouthfeel. It can regulate the stomach and intestines, aid in weight loss and beauty, and promote cell regeneration.

How to Brew :

Green tea:

Green tea is one of the representatives of Chinese tea. When brewing green tea, special attention should be paid to water temperature and time. The water used for green tea should be warm water, at around 80℃, so that the enzymes in green tea are not destroyed.

After pouring just-boiled water into the teapot, pour 70% of the tea, stir the tea leaves to fully contact with water, and then pour the remaining tea after the color of the tea changes. The brewing time should not exceed three minutes.

Black tea:

When brewing black tea, the water temperature should be high to allow the ingredients in black tea to fully release. Generally, water above 90℃ is selected, and the brewing time is about 3-5 minutes.

Before pouring the tea soup, you need to boil the tea leaves first, which can remove impurities and odors in the tea leaves and improve the taste and aroma of the tea soup.

Oolong tea:

Oolong tea has both the freshness of green tea and the richness of black tea, and the brewing method is relatively special. The water temperature for brewing oolong tea is generally around 100℃, and the tea soup presents a golden color with slightly glossy tea leaves.

The teaware used for oolong tea also has special requirements. You need to use a purple clay pot or glass pot with good permeability so that the tea fragrance can penetrate out and achieve the best taste of oolong tea.

Yellow tea:

The temperature of the water used for brewing yellow tea has a great impact on the taste. Water at around 85℃ is used to brew yellow tea, allowing the tea leaves to fully expand. Put the tea leaves in the cup in a ratio of 1:10 and let the tea leaves fully release their fragrance for about a minute.

When brewing, pay attention that yellow tea tends to be loose. Do not linger on the tea leaves to ensure that the tea soup will not be too bitter.

White tea:

The water temperature for brewing white tea is generally around 80℃. Too high temperature will destroy the nutrients and aroma of the tea leaves, while too low temperature will make it difficult to release the effective ingredients in the tea leaves. Water temperature control is very important as it affects the quality of white tea.

It is recommended to use a porcelain teapot or purple clay pot to brew white tea. The porcelain teapot can better release the fragrance of the tea leaves, while the purple clay pot has a good effect on enhancing and preserving the taste of the tea leaves.

Firstly, pay attention to the hygiene of the teaware before brewing, to avoid stains and odors. Secondly, after brewing, pour out the tea soup in the teapot in time to avoid the reflux of tea soup affecting the taste and aroma of the tea leaves.