Tea Knowledge · The Art of Tea Tasting

Overview of the Six Major Tea Categories

Chinese tea is primarily categorized into six types based on fermentation degree and production processes. Each category possesses unique flavors and health attributes.

1. Green Tea · Freshness at Its Core

  • Production Process: Fixation → Rolling → Drying. High temperature rapidly deactivates enzymes to prevent oxidation.
  • Fermentation Degree: 0% (non-fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Clear green liquor color, fresh and high aroma, refreshing and sweet aftertaste, with distinct "bean" or "chestnut" fragrance.
  • Representative Varieties:
  • West Lake Longjing: Flat and smooth, fragrant and mellow, known for its "green color, rich fragrance, sweet taste, and beautiful shape."
  • Biluochun: Curled like a snail, covered with white down, with floral and fruity fragrance.
  • Huangshan Maofeng: Shaped like sparrow tongue, silver down visible, fresh and mellow taste, orchid-like aroma.

2. Black Tea (Red Tea) · Mellow and Warm

  • Production Process: Withering → Rolling → Fermentation → Drying. Full fermentation results in red leaves and red liquor.
  • Fermentation Degree: 80-90% (fully fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Bright red liquor color, sweet and mellow aroma (honey, sweet potato, floral), rich and sweet taste, low astringency.
  • Representative Varieties:
  • Keemun Black Tea: One of the world's three high-aroma black teas, with unique "Keemun fragrance" (floral, fruity, honey-like).
  • Dian Hong: Made from Yunnan large-leaf variety, thick and robust strips, golden down visible, strong and fresh taste.
  • Zhengshan Xiaozhong: The origin of black tea, with pine-smoke aroma and longan flavor.

3. Oolong Tea (Blue Tea) · A Myriad of Aromas

  • Production Process: Sun-withering → Indoor-withering → Shaking (alternating shaking and withering) → Fixation → Rolling → Baking. The most complex process.
  • Fermentation Degree: 30-70% (semi-fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Rich and varied aroma (floral, fruity, honey, milky), mellow, refreshing, and sweet taste, long-lasting aftertaste, often described as "green leaves with red edges."
  • Representative Varieties:
  • Tieguanyin: Light aroma type, distinct "yin rhyme," can be brewed seven times with lingering fragrance.
  • Dahongpao: The king of Wuyi rock tea, with rocky mineral flavor and floral aroma, highly resistant to brewing.
  • Fenghuang Dancong: Single bush picking, dozens of aroma types, known for high fragrance.

4. White Tea · Natural Elegance

  • Production Process: Withering → Drying. No fixation or rolling, preserving natural components to the greatest extent.
  • Fermentation Degree: 5-10% (lightly fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Covered with white down, pale yellow clear liquor, fresh and delicate aroma ("down fragrance"), sweet, mellow, and refreshing taste. There's a saying: "One-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure."
  • Representative Varieties:
  • Baihao Yinzhen: Made entirely of bud tips, silver-white like needles, fresh, sweet, and mellow.
  • Baimudan: One bud with one or two leaves, shaped like a flower, sweet and fresh taste.
  • Shoumei: One bud with multiple leaves, high yield, mellow taste.

5. Yellow Tea · Mild and Sweet

  • Production Process: Fixation → Yellowing → Drying. Unique "yellowing" process causes slight fermentation, resulting in yellow leaves and yellow liquor.
  • Fermentation Degree: 10-20% (lightly fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Bright yellow liquor color, pleasant and sweet aroma, mellow and sweet taste, fresh and sweet aftertaste.
  • Representative Varieties:
  • Junshan Yinzhen: Shaped like silver needles, rises and sinks three times, highly观赏性.
  • Huoshan Huangya: Anhui famous tea, long-lasting aroma, fresh and mellow taste.
  • Mengding Huangya: Sichuan historical famous tea, distinct sweet aroma.

6. Dark Tea · Aged and Smooth

  • Production Process: Fixation → Rolling → Pile-fermentation → Drying. Post-fermented tea, can be stored long-term, improves with age.
  • Fermentation Degree: 100% (post-fermented tea)
  • Tasting Features: Deep red or reddish-brown liquor color, aged aroma (fungal floral, camphor, jujube), mellow and smooth taste, no astringency.
  • Representative Varieties:
  • Pu'er Tea (Ripe Tea): Unique to Yunnan, undergoes pile-fermentation, mild and mellow, nourishes stomach and reduces lipids.
  • Anhua Dark Tea: From Anhua, Hunan, includes Fu brick, black brick, etc., characterized by "golden flowers" (Eurotium cristatum).
  • Liubao Tea: From Wuzhou, Guangxi, deep red and mellow, dispels dampness and regulates intestines.

Pu'er Tea Special Topic

Historical Evolution: Millennia of Tea Aroma

  • Origin Legend: Eastern Han Dynasty, legend says Zhuge Liang (Kongming) left tea seeds during southern expeditions, hence "Zhuge Liang's tea seeds."
  • Tang Dynasty: Called "Yinsheng Tea," already traded to Tibet as a commodity.
  • Song and Yuan Dynasties: "Compressed Tea" appeared, began border trade, and went global via the "Ancient Tea Horse Road."
  • Ming and Qing Dynasties: Became tribute tea, production techniques matured, name "Pu'er Tea" officially established.
  • Modern: Became a national geographical indication product in 2008, included in the second batch of China-EU geographical indication protection list in 2021.

Classification System: Raw vs. Ripe, Diverse Forms

  1. By Process:
  2. Raw Tea: Natural aging, strong taste, becomes mellower over time.
  3. Ripe Tea: Artificial pile-fermentation, mild tea nature, smooth taste, pronounced aged aroma.
  4. By Form:
  5. Loose Tea: Complete strips, easy to use.
  6. Cake Tea: Seven-son cake most common, 357g each, symbolizing reunion.
  7. Brick Tea: Convenient for transport and storage.
  8. Tuo Tea: Bowl-shaped, small and exquisite.
  9. By Raw Material:
  10. Ancient Tree Tea: Over 100 years old, rich in substances, harmonious taste, resistant to brewing.
  11. Terrace Tea: Modern tea plantations, high yield, fresh taste.

Production Process: The Art of Time

  1. Picking: Best in spring and autumn.
  2. Spreading: Loses some moisture, promotes aroma formation.
  3. Fixation: High temperature deactivates enzymes, stops oxidation.
  4. Rolling: Breaks cell walls, facilitates substance release.
  5. Sun-drying: Retains activity, beneficial for later transformation.
  6. Pile-fermentation (for ripe tea): Microbial fermentation under warm and humid conditions, forming ripe tea characteristics.
  7. Steaming and Pressing: Softened by steam, pressed into cake, brick, tuo shapes.
  8. Drying and Packaging: Slow baking at low temperature, packaging for storage.

Tasting Methods: Five-Sense Experience

  • Observe Dry Tea: Tight strips, oily luster, down visible.
  • Smell Aroma: Dry tea aroma, warm cup aroma, cup bottom aroma, rich layers.
  • View Liquor Color: Raw tea yellow-green to golden yellow, ripe tea deep red and bright.
  • Taste Flavor: Raw tea sweet aftertaste and saliva-inducing, ripe tea mellow and smooth.
  • Examine Wet Leaves: Tender and soft, elastic, even color.

Zisha Teapot Special Topic

Historical Evolution: Ceramic Treasure

  • Northern Song Dynasty: Zisha ware already existed, evidenced by ancient dragon kiln sites.
  • Ming Dynasty: First peak period, masters like Gong Chun and Shi Dabin emerged, establishing basic forms.
  • Qing Dynasty: Prosperity and heyday, masters like Chen Mingyuan and Shao Daheng elevated Zisha art.
  • Republic to Present: Skill inheritance and development, modern masters like Gu Jingzhou and Jiang Rong continue the legacy.

Production Process: Refined into Vessels

  • Clay: Unique Zisha clay from Yixing (purple clay, red clay, green clay/duan clay), requires mining, weathering, crushing, screening, mixing, clay refining (aging).
  • Tools: Over 100 specialized tools including wooden paddles, wooden beaters, bamboo beaters, knife tools, and finishing needles.
  • Forming:
  • Making clay strips, beating body tube (for round ware) or inlaying body tube (for square ware).
  • Making spout, handle, lid, and other accessories.
  • Fine Processing: Repeatedly scraping and pressing with finishing needle to achieve smooth surface and tight structure.
  • Decoration: Carving, appliqué, sculpture, etc.
  • Firing: Kiln temperature about 1100-1200°C, single firing.
  • Polishing and Waxing: Makes surface温润.

Teapot Style Classification: A Thousand Forms

  1. Sculpted Style: Imitating natural plants and animals, e.g., Gong Chun teapot, Mei Zhuang teapot.
  2. Geometric Style:
  3. Round Ware: Spherical, cylindrical, e.g., Xi Shi teapot, Shi Piao teapot.
  4. Square Ware: Square, rhombus, e.g., Si Fang teapot, Liu Fang teapot.
  5. Ribbed Style: Evenly divided body, clear ribs, e.g., Ling Hua teapot, He Ju teapot.

Zisha Teapot Characteristics: Unique

  • Double-Pore Structure: Breathable but waterproof, tea brewed不容易 spoil.
  • Strong Heat Resistance: Resistant to cracking under rapid temperature changes.
  • Adsorption: Long-term use absorbs tea aroma, teapot becomes more温润 (teapot nurturing).
  • Tea Compatibility: Suitable for brewing fermented and semi-fermented teas, especially Pu'er tea and oolong tea.

Representative Works and Masters

  • Classic Teapots: Gong Chun Tree Gall teapot, Shi Dabin Ruyi teapot, Chen Mingyuan Pumpkin teapot, Gu Jingzhou Ti Bi teapot, Jiang Rong Lotus teapot.
  • Historical Masters: Gong Chun (pioneer), Shi Dabin (Ming), Chen Mingyuan (Qing), Gu Jingzhou (modern), Jiang Rong (modern sculpted style master), etc.

Tea has a hundred flavors, teapots have a thousand forms. Only through deep understanding can one truly appreciate their subtleties.