1. Green tea (fermentation degree: 0%): Green tea is the most widely consumed tea in China, with a wide range of producing areas, and there are almost no places in the southeast, northwest and provinces where green tea is not produced.
According to statistics, there are at least three thousand varieties of green tea. As a kind of unfermented tea, the production process of green tea is relatively simple, and it can only be completed after drying fresh leaves, deactivating enzymes and shaping.
2. Yellow tea (fermentation degree: 10~20%): Most people know famous teas such as black tea and green tea. Compared with yellow tea, there are relatively few people who know how to taste tea. Mainly because there are fewer varieties of yellow tea, which is relatively rare in the market.
Yellow tea belongs to micro-fermented tea, and its production process is similar to that of green tea, except that a "yellow stuffy" process is added, which is the key to making yellow tea and the main process to make yellow tea "yellow leaf yellow soup". The tea soup of yellow tea is orange, which is less bitter and more mellow than green tea.
3. White tea (fermentation degree: 10 ~ 30%): White tea can be said to be unique to Fujian, mainly produced in Zhenghe, Fuding and Songxi in Fujian.
White tea is a slightly fermented tea, and its fermentation degree is only slightly higher than that of yellow tea. Its preparation method is unique, and it is not fried or kneaded. The appearance of the finished tea is covered with white hair, and its color is silvery white, gray and green, hence the name "white tea". The tea soup of white tea is generally yellow-green, with light taste and rich sweetness.
The famous white teas are Baihao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, Shoumei and Fuding Dabai White Tea.
4. Green tea (oolong tea) (fermentation degree: 30 ~ 70%): When it comes to green tea, most people may feel strange, but in fact it also has a household name-oolong tea.
Oolong tea belongs to semi-fermented tea, which is between non-fermented tea (green tea) and fully fermented tea (black tea). Its primary processing technology includes picking fresh leaves, withering, turning green (airing and shaking green), frying green (deactivating green), rolling and drying, and then making green tea.
The tea soup of green tea is honey green, with rich aroma and sweet aftertaste.
5. Black tea (fermentation degree: 95 ~ 100%): Black tea is the second largest tea after green tea, with a wide range of producing areas, but more provinces are Yunnan, Anhui, Fujian and Guangdong.
Black tea belongs to fully fermented tea, and the process is complex, which requires picking, withering, fermentation, baking and redrying. However, due to its high degree of fermentation, the aroma substances also increased obviously. The tea soup of black tea is mainly red, with rich aroma and mellow fragrance.
6. Black tea: Black tea has a long history of production, and has been supplied to border minority areas in history, with the aim of helping people in border areas digest food and balance nutrition.
Black tea is post-fermented tea, which means that with the change of time, substances such as tea polyphenols will be completely oxidized. Its tea-making technology generally includes four processes: enzyme fixation, rolling, fermentation and drying.
Six major teas and their characteristics are:
Green tea: unfermented tea, the process steps are mainly enzyme fixation, rolling and drying. It has the quality characteristics of green tea and green soup, with high aroma and slightly bitter taste. Famous green tea varieties include Mao Feng in Huangshan Mountain, Wu Yun in Lushan Mountain, Longjing in West Lake, Xueya in Emei and Biluochun in Dongting Lake.
White tea: micro-fermented tea, the main process steps are picking, withering, drying and preservation. It has the quality characteristics of complete tea teeth, silvery white, apricot yellow or light yellow tea soup and sweet and refreshing taste. The main varieties are Baihao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, Gongmei and Shoumei.
Yellow tea: micro-fermented tea, the process steps are similar to green tea, but there is an additional step of "suffocating yellow", which makes yellow tea have the quality characteristics of yellow tea and yellow soup, with clear aroma and sweet and mellow taste. Huoshan Huangya, Junshan Yinzhen, Mengding Huangya, Yuanan Huangcha, Wenzhou Huangtang, Wanxi Huang Da Tea and Guangdong Dayeqing Tea are all yellow teas.
Green tea: commonly known as oolong tea, semi-fermented tea, the main process steps are picking, withering, shaking, frying, rolling and baking. The quality is characterized by thick green tea strips, yellow-green intersection, yellow tea soup and mellow taste. Tieguanyin, Huang Dan, Benshan and hairy crabs all belong to green tea.
Black tea: fully fermented tea, the main process steps are withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. It is characterized by tea red, soup red and leaf red, and its taste is mellow. Black tea mainly includes black tea, Kung Fu black tea, black broken tea, Qimen black tea, Dianhong and other varieties.
Black tea: Post-fermented tea, which is made by four steps: enzyme fixation, rolling, fermentation and drying. Its quality characteristics are black and shiny, the tea soup is thick yellow and transparent, the tea leaves can have fragrance, the old tea set is old and fragrant, and the taste is mellow and rich. The main varieties are yunnan black tea (Pu 'er tea) and Hunan black tea, including Fu tea, Liang Qian tea, brick tea and Sanjian tea.