The following is a brief explanation of the six categories of tea:

Black tea

Production process: fresh leaves → withering → rolling → supplementary fermentation (Wohong) → drying

Black tea is characterized by red soup and red leaves, and the important process is fermentation. Black tea fermentation mainly involves the oxidation of catechins. High-quality tea can only be produced in an environment of low temperature and high humidity. If the fermentation temperature is too high and the speed is too fast, it will cause the tea leaves to become sour or produce a rancid and sour taste. Depending on the season, environment, equipment, tea tenderness, etc., the fermentation time will vary, and the approximate time is 90 to 150 minutes. Since black tea is made without a curing process, only by maintaining high enzyme activity can the leaves turn completely red. Representative tea products, such as: Yunnan Dianhong, Anhui Qimen Black Tea (referred to as: Qihong), etc.

Green tea

Production process: fresh leaves → fried (steamed) green → rolling → drying

The characteristic of green tea is that the soup is clear and the leaves are green. , as little fermentation or oxidation occurs as possible. Greening is the focus of green tea production. The purpose is to quickly destroy the activity of enzymes in the tea leaves and stop the fermentation of the tea leaves. After curing the tea leaves, the surface and internal cell tissue of the tea leaves are destroyed by rolling, and the tissue liquid adheres to the surface of the tea leaves, which is beneficial to increasing the aroma and taste during brewing and allowing the inner substances to be released evenly. Representative tea products, such as: Hangzhou Longjing, Duyun Maojian, Anhui Taiping Houkui, etc.

White tea

Production process: fresh leaves→withering→baking green→drying

White tea is characterized by tender leaves with many pekoe, light yellow soup color, and strong aroma of tender pekoe. . Do not fry or knead when making. It takes a long time to wither, then bake with slow fire (or dry in the sun), and it will be completed when it is dry enough. During the withering process of fresh leaves, fungi participate in oxidation, so the veins of the leaves turn coffee red after withering, so they are called red leaves. Representative tea products, such as Fuding Dabai, Zhenghe White Peony, Baihao Yinzhen, Gongmei, Shoumei, etc. from Fujian.

Yellow tea

Production process: fresh leaves → fried green → rolling → dull yellow → drying

Yellow tea is characterized by yellow leaves and yellow soup. The production is basically the same as Similar to green tea, the dull yellow color is the characteristic of yellow tea. Stuffy yellow: After the fresh leaves are greened and rolled, the tea leaves are covered with cloth to keep the tea leaves at a higher temperature and humidity. Fungi are produced to catalyze the oxidation of the tea leaves, thus causing the tea leaves to turn yellow. Representative tea products, such as: Hunan Junshan Silver Needle, Anhui Yellow Tea, Huoshan Yellow Tea, etc.

Green tea

Production process: fresh leaves→sun withering→left to stand and stir→fried green→kneading→drying

The characteristics of green tea are the combination of sun withering and Let it stand and stir until the tea is greenish-brown in color, the soup is golden, and the green leaves are edged with red. The key to production lies in the process of standing still and stirring, commonly known as "making green"; "making green" is to place the tea leaves that have withered in moderate sunlight in a bamboo sieve tray and shake them back and forth. After the tea leaves are repeatedly squeezed and collided with each other, the edges of the leaves are caused by the collision. It makes an exception, thereby promoting the effect of the edges of the tea leaves, forming a state of green leaves bordered with red. After stirring, stir-fry immediately, stir-fry, knead, and dry. Representative tea products, such as: Early Taiwan Oolong Tea, Taiwan Beipu Pengfeng Oolong Tea (Oriental Beauty), Wuyi Rock Tea, Anhui Tieguanyin, Phoenix Dancong, etc.

Dark tea

After 1973, dark tea includes the modern Wodui Pu'er ripe tea. However, Yunnan tea scholars currently believe that Wodui Pu'er ripe tea is different from dark tea. The manufacturing process should be an independent category. Here, the description of black tea will not cover Pu'er tea.

Remarks: Pu'er ripe tea production process:

High-quality Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried green tea → pile → pile → dry → sieve → storage and aging

Dry the high quality Yunnan broad-leaf tea→Pile fermentation→Turn over the pile → Dry → Sieve and sort → Store and mature

Black tea production process: fresh leaves → stir-fried green → rolling → Wo Stacking → Drying → Autoclaving → Finished product drying

The characteristics of dark tea are that the leaves are dark brown and oily, and stacking is the characteristic of making dark tea. The fermentation method is to control the tea leaves after being greened and rolled in an environment with suitable humidity and temperature, and then increase the temperature to produce appropriate fungi for fermentation. Generally, it takes 5 to 6 days to ferment, and sometimes it takes longer. Dark tea is mainly consumed by ethnic minorities in border areas, so it is often made into pressed tea in different shapes. Representative tea products, such as: Guangxi Liubao Tea, Hunan Anhua Fu Brick, Black Brick, etc.