Types of Chinese Tea

Overview

Types of Chinese Tea

There are many individual varieties of Chinese tea--over a thousand, reportedly--but most fit into one of six main groups: green, black, white, oolong, compressed and scented. All tea begins as leaves harvested from a single kind of plant: Camellia sinensis. From there, the tea groups are distinguished by the method of fermentation they undergo between the tea garden and the teacup.
Green Tea

Green tea is made from leaves that have been heated or dried shortly after picking to prevent them from fermenting. It therefore retains its original color as well as natural substances (polyphenol, chlorophyll) prized for their anti-aging properties.

Black (or Red) Tea

These leaves have been fully fermented, yielding a darker color (called "black" by Westerners, and "red" by the Chinese). Black tea is the most popular Chinese tea in the West, chiefly due to its longer-lasting flavor--it travels better on the boat ride over.
Oolong Tea

This tea is partially fermented, resulting in a combination of green and black tea. Oolong is a specialty from the provinces on China's southeast coast: Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan.
White Tea

Thought to be even healthier than green tea, white tea is made from immature tea leaves harvested just after the buds open.
Compressed Tea

Compressed (or Pu'er) tea is precisely what it sounds like: tea leaves pressed into various shapes, most commonly bricks, cakes, bowls, and disks (resembling hockey pucks). In this form, the tea can be stored for decades. It is regarded, not unlike wine, as a substance that improves with age.
Scented Tea

This tea is made by mixing fragrant flowers with tea leaves. Jasmine and magnolia are the most popular, but other varieties include gardenia, grapefruit flower, osmanthus and rose.