Contents
PROPERTIES OF CHINESE TEA – TEAS OF CHINA
When do people start drinking tea?
The story of tea culture begins some millennia ago in China. Currently, tea is the most consumed beverage, with China being the largest producer of tea worldwide.
In China all types of tea are produced: red, semi-fermented tea, black tea and white tea. Green teas are also produced, although Japan is the country that offers higher quality varieties of green tea
In China there are regions known for the traditional way of producing tea, such as Yunnan, Anhui, Zhejiang, or in general, Fujian Province.
Characteristics of Chinese teas
Chinese teas have one feature in common: their traditional production method, which is done by hand and with the best conditions to produce high quality teas.
Given its excellent quality, flavor and taste, the Chinese teas are usually served with milk and or with lemon, or sugar.
* More information: How to prepare a good tea.
Importance of caring of tea cultivation” His field” refers to his tea field,
Types of Chinese teas
– Chinese White Tea: This is a very selective kind of tea, totally different from the other types of tea. Its name refers to the leaves with which this tea is made. They are so young that they are still covered by white hair. They are dried in the sun and acquire a silvery color. It is an expensive tea, low in caffeine and very antioxidant. 90% of the world white tea is produced in China:
– Pai Mu Tan: This prestigious white tea is produced in the region of Fujian. This is the most tender selected shoots of the plant, carefully sun-dried and processed traditionally. Noted for its high content of catechins, powerful antioxidants, it has a very low caffeine content. It is also called Bai Mu Dan or Baimudan.
– Chinese Green Tea: Gunpowder is the green tea produced in China . It’s the kind of “standard” green tea, that is consumed worldwide. It is characterized by the appearance of rolled leaves forming balls, reminiscent of cannon powder and gives it its English name Gunpowder.
– Red tea: This is the only post- fermented tea. Although we know some of the steps of manufacture, the real process is non completely undisclosed secret, following a very specific treatment. The only real red tea is produced in China. The best known are:
– Red Pu-Erh Tea: Red tea is actually a green tea, which has suffered a further maturation process (Some teas mature for 60 years). In this case, Pu-Erh tea is produced in the Chinese province of Yunnan.
– Semi-fermented tea (tea blue): This is an intermediate between green tea and black tea, which has been subjected to the fermentation process like black tea, but for a shorter time. Formosa Oolong tea is is the most popular. Produced in Formosa (Taiwan). China also produces the Ti- Kuan -Yin, a variety refined and less fermented tea Formosa.
– Chinese black tea: Black teas are those that have undergone a process of fermentation. Although the best known are those of India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon tea) in China they produce types of high quality black tea. We can cite:
– Lapsang Souchong Tea: Tea is the only black smoke.
– Keemun Tea: Originally from the Keemun region.
More tea types and information about tea
