In the Song Dynasty, tea was mostly produced as steamed green tea, commonly divided into two types based on appearance: cake tea (compressed tea) and loose tea (grass tea or leaf tea).

Loose tea typically consisted of steamed and dried strip-shaped tea leaves, similar to modern loose-leaf tea. When crushed into powder, it became 'powder tea,' which could be further compressed into cake tea.

Song Dynasty Grass Tea

Grass tea was made by steaming and drying tea buds. Popular in the Liangzhe region, famous varieties included 'Shuiling Immortal Tea,' 'Wulong Tea,' 'Dakun Tea,' 'Xiaokun Tea,' 'Shuangjing Tea,' and 'Rizhu,' regarded as the finest in Liangzhe. Scholars like Huang Tingjian and Ouyang Xiu particularly favored Shuangjing Tea, with Ouyang Xiu declaring it the 'best among grass teas' in his work Returning to the Fields.

Song Dynasty Tribute Tea

The tribute tea system, inherited from the Tang Dynasty, relocated production from Zhejiang's Guzhu to Fujian's Jian'an (modern Jianou). Due to colder climates, tea from Jian'an could reach the capital by water transport before the Qingming Festival, earning the saying, 'Jian'an's tea travels three thousand miles; the capital tastes it by March.' The imperial tea garden was established at Beiyuan in Jian'an.

Beiyuan Tribute Tea

The name 'Beiyuan' originated during the Five Dynasties period. Zhang Tinghui, a tea plantation owner in Fenghuang Mountain, offered his land to the Min Kingdom, which established it as a royal tea garden. As the mountain lay north of the capital, it was named Beiyuan (Northern Garden).

Wax-Faced Tea

Wax-faced tea, infused with precious spices like agarwood and musk, formed a waxy layer when brewed, hence its name.

Dragon-Phoenix Cake Tea

In 996, Emperor Taizong introduced molds for dragon-phoenix patterned tea cakes, marking the start of the 'Dragon Tea Era.' Each cake weighed one-eighth of a jin (approx. 60g).

Small Dragon-Phoenix Cake Tea

During the Qingli era (1041–1048), Cai Xiang refined the recipe, producing 20 cakes per jin. Ouyang Xiu noted its rarity: 'Gold can be obtained, but this tea cannot.'

Miyunlong and Ruiyun Xianglong

In 1071, Jia Qing created 'Miyunlong,' packaged in yellow for the emperor and red for officials. Later renamed 'Ruiyun Xianglong,' its exclusivity caused such demand that Empress Xuanren considered halting production.

Longyuan Shengxue

In 1120, Zheng Kejian crafted this legendary tea using only the finest silver-thread buds, resulting in a luminous, delicate brew.

White Tea

First documented around 1041–1048, Song-era 'white tea' referred to albino tea leaves, a rare natural variation. Emperor Huizong's admiration in his Treatise on Tea elevated its status.