Chinese Tea

Chinese tea has a long and storied history. Originally tea was used as a medicine rather than a drink. Legend has it that Shen Nong, the mythical ruler of ancient China, tasted all kinds of herbs and was poisoned many times as a result. It was tea that helped him eliminate the effects of the poisoning. As early as the Shennong era, more than 5,000 years ago, the Chinese discovered the medicinal value of tea and began to utilize the raw leaves to boil and drink. Apart from this, sometimes tea was also used in cooking.

Over time, tea gradually evolved from medicinal use to consumption and then to drinking. During the Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou periods, people began to cultivate tea trees artificially and eat them as vegetables. During the Qin Dynasty, tea began to appear as a beverage.

Before tea drinking became part of society, it was almost exclusively common among Buddhist monks. Some of the more famous teas were grown by monks on the monastery hills.

Tea began to be commercialized during the Han Dynasty, and Chengdu became the earliest distribution center for tea in China. The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of the development of Chinese tea culture. Influenced by the economy and culture, tea drinking culture prevailed. The Tea Scripture systematically summarized the knowledge of tea and tea-drinking experience in the Tang Dynasty and before, making tea a discipline.
In the Song Dynasty, the tea brewing techniques were improved, and tea fighting became a trend, and tea culture reached a new peak. Ming Dynasty began to use boiling water to brew tea directly, which became the beginning of modern tea. The Qing Dynasty was the period when Chinese tea became popular in the world. Chinese tea is the only tea market in the world, and only China exports tea.
Today, Chinese tea is one of the top three non-alcoholic beverages that have taken the world by storm and occupies an important position in the global tea market.

1. Types of Chinese Tea

-Green Tea
Green tea is the oldest type of tea in China and also the most widely produced in China. The tea leaves in green tea are not fermented, so they largely retain the original flavor of tea, which is simple, elegant and long-lasting. At first, the flavor of green tea may be a bit bland, but after a while, its aroma lingers in the mouth.
Its unique production process retains the natural substances of tea, such as tea polyphenols, which have high health value.
Famous green teas: West Lake Longjing Tea, Bilochun （Suzhou, Jiangsu Province）, Maojian Tea of Mount Huangshan （Anhui Province）,Sweet Dew of Mengding (Sichuan province)

-Black Tea
Black tea, the warm and mellow classic of teas, is especially suitable for people with cold constitutions and weak spleens and stomachs. Black tea is a fermented tea that originated from green tea and was blended, kneaded, fermented, dried and otherwise processed into black tea. Tea made from green tea leaves is bright green, while tea made from black tea is orange-red in color. Fermented black tea has a stronger and thicker flavor.
Famous black teas:
Qimen black tea from Anhui, Zhenjiang black tea from Yunnan and Xuanhong black tea from Hubei

-Dark tea
Dark tea belongs to post-fermented tea, which is a unique tea in China, and the invention of black tea was an accident. A long time ago, in order to supply tea to the northwestern peoples, tea produced in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei and Hunan had to be transported to the north by sea, and then to the northwestern region via the Silk Road. The alternating wet and dry conditions in the hold of the ship and on horseback caused major changes in the chemical composition of the tea leaves, as well as turning them a dark brown color. Despite this, they still gave off a rare aroma, and this type of tea quickly became popular with the locals.
Dark tea is suitable for people with cold spleen and stomach, obesity and the elderly.
Famous dark teas: Pu’er tea (Yunnan Province) , Six Castle tea （Guangxi Province）

-Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is suitable for people who are obese, mentally unstable, indigestion, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and so on. For the existence of gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc., should not be excessive consumption of oolong tea, so as not to stimulate the stomach and intestines, resulting in aggravation of symptoms.
Oolong tea is in a way between green tea and black tea. Its processing techniques are those of green tea, but the preparation involves fermentation like black tea - it is a semi-fermented tea. As a result, it has the characteristics of both green and black tea: the fresh flavor of green tea and the strong aroma of black tea.
Famous Oolong teas: Fenghuang Dancong (Phoenix Mountain Select) tea, the tea from the slopes of Wuyi Mountain, and Tieguanyin tea from Anxi.

-Yellow Tea
Yellow tea, as one of the six main types of tea, is suitable for people who suffer from indigestion, loss of appetite and those who are looking for the unique flavor of tea.
Like black tea, yellow tea was discovered by accident when making green tea. It was discovered that if tea leaves were not dried in time after processing and kneading, they would turn yellow and form yellow tea. At first, people regarded yellow tea simply as bad quality green tea. However, some people began to like the flavor of yellow tea, and it gradually became one of the six major types of tea. It is a kind of fermented tea.
Famous Yellow teas: Mengding yellow tea, Huoshan yellow tea, Junshan Silver Needle tea of Hunan

-White Tea
White tea, as a mildly fermented tea, is loved for its unique taste and health benefits. It is suitable for people with hot constitution, people who like to eat greasy food, people with high blood sugar, people with poor gastrointestinal function and middle-aged and old people.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, people regarded white tea as something very precious. But at that time, white tea was just a rare tea tree with white leaves, which was not the same as the white tea we know today.
Nowadays, white tea is a kind of tea that is not fermented or kneaded. It has a natural flavor. The soup color is slightly yellow and the taste is sweet and mellow.
Famous White teas: White tip silver needle tea of Fujian

2. China's top ten teas

-Hangzhou West Lake--West Lake Longjing Tea
West Lake Longjing tea, originated from the Longjing tea area of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, is one of the top ten famous teas in China, with a long history and enjoys the reputation of "Queen of Green Tea".
Longjing tea is known for its "clear color, lush fragrance, mellow taste and beautiful shape". Tea leaves are flat and smooth, tender green in color, the soup color is tender green (yellow) and bright after brewing, the fragrance is clear or tender chestnut aroma, and the taste is refreshing or mellow.
Xihu Longjing tea is cold in nature, suitable for hot and dry people, physical workers and poor mental health, fatigue and fatigue people to drink.

-Suzhou Taihu Lake--Biluochun
Biluochun, one of the ten most famous teas in China, is produced in Dongting Mountain, Taihu Lake, Jiangsu Province.
The tea buds are picked between March and mid-April each year when they reach one to two centimeters in length. As the tenderness of the fresh leaves increases, the leaves of the sun-dried finished tea will be larger and the quality of the tea will be better.
The finished tea is tight and thin in appearance, but has a refreshing and invigorating taste.
Drinking Bilouchun tea is like being in a sea of flowers in spring, which is refreshing and relaxing. Biluochun is cool in nature and is suitable for people who have a hot constitution and shanghuo.

-Anhui--Huangshan Mao Feng
Huangshan Mao Feng, one of the ten most famous teas in China, is produced around Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province and is famous for its unique quality. The tea leaves are covered with white hairs (mao) and their tips are shaped like mountain peaks (feng), leading to the name Maofeng.
Huangshan Mao Feng is suitable for office workers, dieters, people with high blood pressure and middle-aged and elderly people. Its tea polyphenols and caffeine help to refresh the mind, fight fatigue and promote digestion.

-Henan--Xinyang Mao Jian
Xinyang Mao Jian, one of the top ten famous teas in China, originates from Xinyang, Henan Province. Quality Xinyang Maojian tea has a jade-green color, straight and delicate edges, and white fur all over. The leaves are tender, verdant, and neat, and have a fresh fragrance.
Xinyang Maojian is a specialty of Henan Province, famous around the world for its "thinness, ball shape, brightness, straightness, furriness in white, fragrance, strong taste, and jade-green tea color". In the 1915 Panama Pacific Interactional Exposition, Xinyang Maojian won the gold medal.
Xinyang Mao Jian is cool in nature and is suitable for people with a hot constitution, indigestion and those who pursue health and wellness.

-Anhui--Qimen Black Tea
Qimen Black Tea is Crowned as the queen of black tea, it tastes winy and fruity.
Qimen black tea is a famous Chinese tea with a relatively short history of about 140 years. It was first produced in 1875 and quickly became popular in England. It even became the favourite drink of the Queen and the Royal Family. Qimen black tea should be picked around the Qingming holiday, usually in early April.
It is warm in nature and is suitable for people with a cold constitution, a cold stomach and those who need to warm up their bodies and nourish their stomachs.

-Zhejiang Huzhou--Anji White Tea

Anji White Tea comes from Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Anji White Tea has the name "White Tea", but it is not a white tea, but belongs to a kind of green tea. The speciality of Anji white tea is its whitening phenomenon. Every spring, when the new tea begins to sprout, the young leaves will show a light white colour, which is a natural variation due to the lack of chlorophyll.
It is this characteristic that makes Anji white tea unique in taste and aroma - the tea soup is fresh and crisp, the aroma is clear and quiet, and there is a distinctive sweetness. Anji White Tea is rich in 18 kinds of amino acids needed by human body, and its amino acid content is 5-10.6%, which is 3-4 times higher than common green tea, and polyphenols are less than other green teas, so Anji White Tea tastes especially fresh and refreshing, without bitter and astringent flavour.

-Fujian Anxi - Anxi Tieguanyin

Anxi Tieguanyin is the highest grade of oolong tea, with a history of over 200 years, produced in Anxi County, Fujian Province. Tieguanyin has a golden soup colour after brewing and a natural rich orchid fragrance. This is not made by kiln-made jasmine or magnolia flowers, but is a natural fragrance triggered by Tieguanyin's tea tree species, climate, season and unique process.
t has the effect of purifying the heart, brightening the eyes and prevention of atherosclerosis, weight loss.

-Hunan Yueyang--Junshan Yinzhen

Junshan Yinzhen, produced in Junshan Island, Dongting Lake, Yueyang, Hunan Province,is a representative yellow tea that was discovered by accident while making green tea. It was discovered that if the tea leaves were not dried in time after finishing kneading and twisting, they would turn yellow and form yellow tea.
From ancient times to the present, Junshan Yinzhen has been reputed as having distinctive qualities in respect of color, fragrance, flavor and oddity.
Junshan Yinzhen is suitable for all kinds of people to drink, especially for indigestion, loss of appetite, obese people and people who need to refresh their minds, clear heat and reduce shanghuo.

-Fujian Wuyi Mountain--Wuyi Rock Tea

Wuyi Rock tea is the best-known oolong tea, only produced in the Wuyi Mountain Region of Fujian Province. The trees grow among rocks, leading to the name Rock Tea.
Wuyi Rock tea is a semi-fermented oolong tea. The manufacturing process is somewhere between the process for green and black tea. So it has characteristics of both green and black tea: the fresh flavor of green tea and the strong aroma of black tea.
Big Red Robe tea (Dahongpao) is the best type of Wuyi Rock tea, with a history of over 300 years. Wuyi Rock Tea is suitable for obese people, high blood sugar, young women and people who smoke and drink alcohol. It has a variety of health effects such as antioxidant, delaying cell aging, diuretic and sobering.

-Anhui Lu'an--Lu'an Melon Seed tea

Lu'an Melon Seed tea(Liu'an Gua Pian） is a green tea specialty produced in Lu'an city of Anhui Province. The tea leaves are flat and oval, like melon seeds, hence the name.
The central veins on these leaves are removed and are pan fried and shaped so that the tea will taste strong but not bitter, and full of fragrance.
During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Lu'an Melon Seed tea was widely used to prevent sunstroke.
It is suitable for people with hobesity or over-exertion of eyes, which helps to clear heat and remove shanghuo, moisten the bowels and relieve visual fatigue.