China Famous Tea  

ABSTRACT
　　There are six types of teas: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong, and black. This classification is based on processing methods, degree of fermentation, and the oxidation of the polyphones  present in tea leaves. The polyphones in green tea are hardly oxidized, but they are nonenzymatically oxidized in yellow and dark teas. White, oolong, and black teas are fermented, with white having the least and black, having the most fermentation. Some variations in processing of these different teas are discussed.

CLASSIFICATION OF PROCESSED TEA
　　A great variety of tea trees and products can be found in  the vast tea-producing areas of China. Classification of processed tea has been fairly well established based on quality and processing methods. There are six types of teas: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong, and black. This division is made based on the degree of fermentation and oxidation of the polyphones present in tea.
　　Green, yellow, and dark teas are unfermented. Polyphones are hardly oxidized in green tea, but they are nonenzymatically oxidized in yellow and dark teas. White, oolong, and black teas are fermented, with white having the least fermentation and black the most. All six teas have distinct flavors and qualities determined by the degree of oxidation of the polyphones, whether enzymatic or no enzymatic.
　　Each of the six types of teas can be further divided into several subclasses based on processing method and quality. For example, green tea can be categorized according to: (1) enzyme treatment, (2) drying method, and (3) appearance. Other teas are similarly sub classified, each type having its own standards. A classification of teas is given in Table IV.1. Table IV.2 presents a comparison  of flavones compounds found in different teas. A comparison of tea quality is given in Table IV.3.
　　Some variations in processing are as follows:
　　1. Most green teas in China are fixed by pan firing. A double roaster fixing machine is show in Figure IV.1. A small quantity is fixed by steam.
　　2. There are many methods for drying: pan drying, basket drying, combination of pan and basket drying, and sun drying.
　　3. Yellowing can be made to take place after fixing or after first firing.
　　4. Piling may occur after fixing or first firing, or during fine processing.
　　5. Tea leaves may be cut rather than rolled.

 Table IV.1.    Different Types of Tea

1.  Green Tea Group
　　　　Pan-fixed
　　　　　Pan-dried green tea
　　　　　　Twisted: chunmee, etc.
　　　　　　Round: gunpowder, etc.
　　　　　　Flat: xihju longjing, etc.
　　　　　　Needle shaped: Nangjing yuhuacha, etc.
　　　　　　Orimpy: biluochun, etc.
　　　　　Basket-dried green tea
　　　　　　Twisted: raw material used to make scented tea, Huang shanmaofeng, etc.
　　　　　　Flaky: liuanguapian, etc.
　　　　　　Flat: taipinghoukuiu, etc.
　　　　　Cured-roasted green tea
　　　　　　Twisted: mengdingganlu, etc.
　　　　　　Needle shaped: anhuasongzhen, etc.
　　　　　　Crimpy: gaoqiaoyinfeng, etc.
　　　　　　Flat: jingtingluxue, etc.
　　　　　Sun-dried green tea
　　　　　　Twisted: raw material used to process dark, etc.
　　　　　　Compressed: square, puerfangcha
　　　　　　Bowl shaped: Sichuan, tuocha
　　　　Steam-fixed green tea
　　　　　Twisted: Chinese sencha
　　　　Needle shape: enshiyolou

2. Yellow Tea Group
　　　　Yellow after fixing
　　　　　Weishan maojian, etc.

3.Dark Tea Group
　　　　Piled before first drying
　　　　　Brick shape: Hunan, fuzhuan, etc.
　　　　　Basket-wrapped shape: liubaocha, etc.
　　　　Piled after first drying
　　　　　Brick shape: laoqingzhuan, etc.
　　　　　Basket-wrapped shape: Szechwan fangbao, etc.
　　　　Piled after final drying
　　　　　Big, round cake snape: qizibingcha, etc.
　　　　　Small brick shape: jincha, etc.
　　　　　Bowl shape: Unnan puertuocha, etc.
　　　　　Twisted: Puercha, etc.

4. White Tea Group
　　　　Bud tea: yinzhenbaihao

5. Oolong Tea Group
　　　　Taiwan baozhong tea
　　　　　Wenshan baozhong tea, dongding oolong tea, etc.
　　　　　Other medium-to low-quality teas used to make scented teas
　　　　Minnan oolong tea
　　　　　Anxi tieguanyin, xiangyuan, (Fushou), huangjingui, sezhong, oolong, Taiwan, Taiwan tieguanjin, sezhong, etc.
　　　　Minbei oolong tea
　　　　　Minbei shuixia, Wu-I tea (Wu-I shuixia, Wu-I qizhong, etc.)
　　　　　Guangdong shuixia (fenghuang tanchung, fenghuang shuixia)
　　　　Taiwan red oolong
　　　　　Pekoe oolong, penfengcha, etc.
　　　　Note: Oolong is a general name of all semifermented teas; oolong is one of the variables of tea bush; red oolong is a name of made tea.

6. Black Tea Group
　　　　Gongfu black tea
　　　　　Twisted: Keemun black tea, Yunnan black tea, etc.
　　　　　Fanning and dust: huaxiangcha
　　　　Broken black tea
　　　　　Cutting
　　　　　　Orthodox
　　　　　　Rotorvan
　　　　　　Lawrie tea processor
　　　　　　Cut-lear-curl process
　　　　　Crushing: crushed Gongfu black tea
　　　　　　Leaf tea
　　　　　　Broken tea
　　　　　　Fannings
　　　　　　Dust
　　　　Xiaozhong black tea
　　　　　Zhengshanxiaozhong
　　　　　Rengong xuaizgibg (xisaozhongcha)
　　　　Compressed black tea
　　　　　China black brick tea or mizhuan tea

7. Reprocessed Tea Group
　　　　Scented tea
　　　　　Jasmine tea
　　　　　　Jasmine green tea
　　　　　　　Jasmine basket-dried green tea
　　　　　　　Jasmine pan-dried green tea
　　　　　　Jasmine oolong tea
　　　　　　　Jasmine sezhong
　　　　　　　Jasmine oolong
　　　　　　　Jasmine baozhong, etc.
　　　　Others
　　　　　Yulan tea (michelia scented tea)
　　　　　Zhula (chloranthus scented tea)
　　　　　Youzi tea (grandic scented tea)
　　　　Scented tea (others) (continued)
　　　　　Daidai tea (citrus aura scented tea)
　　　　　Meigui balck (green) tea scented tea (rose)
　　　　　Shulan green tea, etc.
　　　　　Osmanthus scented tea
　　　　Flavored tea
　　　　　Rose-flavored tea
　　　　　Litchi-flavored black tea
　　　　Tea bags
　　　　　Black tea bags
　　　　　Green tea bags
　　　　　Oolong tea bags
　　　　　Jasmine tea bags, etc.
　　　　Instant tea
　　　　　Instant green tea
　　　　　Instant black tea
　　　　　Instant oolong tea, etc.
　　　　Herb tea
　　　　　All kinds of health tea, corpulence-reducing tea, etc.