China is the birthplace of tea, and over thousands of years, it has become a beloved beverage that is indispensable to daily life. Based on production methods and quality characteristics, Chinese teas can be broadly divided into two categories: basic tea types and processed tea types.

Among the basic tea types, we have: green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong (qing) tea, Black Tea, and dark (pu'er) tea. Processed tea types include: scented tea, Compressed tea, extracted tea, and tea bags. As tea-making techniques continue to evolve and develop, new types of tea emerge, and the vessels used for drinking tea also change. Using different vessels to brew tea can significantly alter its taste.

Green Tea

China is renowned for its abundant tea production, with green tea being the earliest type produced. To this day, green tea remains the most popular type in China, grown across a wide range of regions and producing a variety of products. Green tea is an unfermented tea, made through the process of “fresh leaf picking → fixation → rolling → drying.” The fixation step preserves the characteristic green leaves and clear green liquor, commonly referred to as the “three greens”: dry tea is green, the tea liquor is green, and the infused leaves are green. It has a high and refreshing aroma and a fresh and mellow taste.

Varieties: Biluochun, West Lake Longjing, Lushan Cloud Mist, Guguan Brain, Tai Ping Houkui, Emei Eyebrow Peak, Anji White Tea, Xinyang Maojian, Liuan Melon Peel, etc.

Representative Tea:

Tingting Biluochun, produced in Dongting Mountain, Wu County, Jiangsu Province, where tea trees are interspersed with fruit trees, sharing branches and roots. This unique growing environment imbues the Biluochun with natural fruit fragrance. Producing one pound of Biluochun requires more than 70,000 buds. High-quality Biluochun has slender, tightly coiled leaves resembling snail shells, covered in fine down, with a silver sheen against a green background. It has a rich aroma, a fresh, mellow, and sweet taste, a bright green and clear liquor, and bright green infused leaves.

Pot Pairing:

Green tea is an unfermented tea, so the properties of the fresh leaves are largely preserved. Its delicate young leaves suggest the following for a clay teapot:

① Clay: Suitable for green clay or segment clay teapots,

② Shape: The pot body should not be too tall, and the mouth should be relatively large,

③ Capacity: The ideal capacity ranges from 150cc to 250cc.

brewing Method:

Typical tea quantity: 3-4g (for three to four people)

Ideal water temperature: 85°C to 90°C

Suitable utensils: Glassware, white porcelain gaiwan, or a segment clay open-mouthed clay teapot

Season: Hot summers or dry periods when one is prone to heatiness

Recommended for: People with weak spleens and stomachs should drink less; those with insomnia should exercise caution.

Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is a slightly Fermented tea, characterized by its “three yellows” (dry tea is yellow, liquor is yellow, infused leaves are yellow). Its production method is similar to that of green tea but includes a “yellowing” step after rolling or initial drying. Its quality features are yellow leaves and yellow liquor. Yellow tea is made through the process of “fresh leaf picking → fixation → rolling → yellowing → drying,” and can be categorized based on the maturity of the raw materials into: yellow bud tea, yellow small tea, and yellow large tea.

Varieties:

Yellow Bud Tea: Junshan Silver Needle, Mengding Yellow Bud, etc.

Yellow Small Tea: Beigang Maojian, Weishan Maojian, Wenzhou Yellow Soup, etc.

Yellow Large Tea: Huoshan Yellow Large Tea, Guangdong Big Leaf Green, etc.

Representative Tea:

Junshan Silver Needle, produced on Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Yueyang City, Hunan Province. Junshan Silver Needle is unique in style and of exceptional quality, with limited annual production. It is a bud tea, with about 25,000 buds per pound. The buds are plump and tightly compact, with a golden hue, covered in silver down, and produce an orange-yellow and clear liquor. It has a pure aroma, a sweet and refreshing taste, and bright yellow and even infused leaves. When brewed in a glass cup, the buds initially point upwards with their stems hanging down and floating on the surface of the water, then gradually sink and stand upright at the bottom of the cup. In 1956, it was awarded a gold medal at the Leipzig International Fair and hailed as “Gold Inlaid Jade.”

Pot Pairing:

Yellow tea has beautiful appearance and delicate buds, suggesting the following for a clay teapot:

① Clay: Suitable for segment clay teapots,

② Shape: The pot body should not be too tall, and the mouth should be relatively large,

③ Capacity: The capacity should not be too large, ideally ranging from 150cc to 250cc.

Brewing Method:

Typical tea quantity: 3-4g (for three to four people)

Ideal water temperature: 90°C to 95°C

Suitable utensils: Glassware, white porcelain gaiwan, or a segment clay open-mouthed clay teapot.

Season: Suitable for spring and summer; can be consumed during colder autumn and winter seasons as appropriate.

Recommended for: Suitable for all ages; people with yang deficiency and cold constitutions should consume as appropriate.

White Tea

Currently, white tea is a unique category of tea exclusive to China. White tea is a slightly fermented tea that undergoes no rolling or frying, with simple processing steps. Its quality features are plump buds covered in white down and a clear liquor. White tea can be divided into two major categories: bud tea and leaf tea. Bud tea, such as Silver Needle, is made from single buds; leaf tea, like White Peony and Shoumei.

White tea is made through the process of “fresh leaf picking → withering → drying (sun-dried or oven-dried).” It is well known for its medicinal properties, with the saying “one year's tea, three years' medicine, seven years' treasure.”

Varieties: White Hair Silver Needle, White Peony, Gongmei, Shoumei, etc.

Grades:

White Hair Silver Needle is made from single buds; White Peony is made from one bud and one or two leaves, shaped like “embracing hearts”; Gongmei is made from one bud and two to three leaves, mostly consisting of leaves, and is often collectively referred to as “Shoumei” nowadays.

Representative Tea:

White Hair Silver Needle, produced in Fujian Province. The tea buds are pl