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The Truth! There Is Actually Only One Type of Tea

Tea News · May 23, 2026

       
          A big curly perm is called Tieguanyin, a few strands dyed blonde makes it Dianhong, a flat figure is West Lake Longjing, dressed in colorful attire is Jinjunmei, a broken heart is Assam, premature graying is Baihao Yinzhen, and standing gracefully is Taiping Houkui

Those shaped into various forms through plastic surgery, seen from behind, are Pu'er

▶Tea classification is ultimately determined by the processing method, among which the degree of fermentation is a very important indicator, briefly described as follows:

1. Green Tea (Fermentation: 0%)

[Characteristics] Clear soup and green leaves

[Dry Tea] Color is jade green, emerald green, or yellow-green; tends to change color when left for long or exposed to hot air

[Tea Soup] Yellow-green

[Raw Material] Tender buds and leaves, not suitable for long storage

[Aroma] Fresh green bean-like fragrance

[Taste] Light and slightly bitter

[Nature] Cold

[Representative Teas] Longjing, Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Fixation → Rolling → Drying

[Explanation] Fixation: Using high heat to kill enzyme activity and remove some moisture from fresh leaves. Rolling: Shaping. Drying: Solidifying shape, removing moisture, enhancing aroma, and facilitating storage.

2. Black Tea (Fermentation: 100%)

[Characteristics] Red soup and red leaves

[Dry Tea] Deep red color

[Tea Soup] Vermilion red

[Raw Material] Includes large, medium, and small leaves. Divided into loose-leaf black tea and broken black tea.

[Aroma] Maltose-like and caramel-like fragrance

[Taste] Rich and slightly astringent

[Nature] Mild, lower nerve-stimulating effect, warms the stomach

[Representative Teas] Keemun, Dianhong, Ninghong, Yihong, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Withering → Rolling → Fermentation → Drying

[Explanation] Withering: Fresh leaves are left for a period to lose some moisture; removes grassy smell; may develop floral aroma; facilitates rolling. Fermentation: After rolling, intracellular enzyme liquid seeps out and reacts with polyphenols in the tea leaves for fermentation, known as endogenous enzymatic fermentation, also called full fermentation.

3. Oolong Tea (Fermentation: 10%~70%)

[Characteristics] Green leaves with red edges

[Dry Tea] Dark green or greenish-brown

[Tea Soup] Honey-green or honey-yellow

[Raw Material] One bud with two leaves, stems connected

[Aroma] Floral and fruity

[Taste] Mellow and sweet aftertaste, slightly bitter with sweetness

[Nature] Warm-cool

[Representative Teas] Tieguanyin, Dongding Oolong, Wuyi Rock Tea (Dahongpao), Minbei Shuixian, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Withering → Shaking → Fixation → Rolling → Drying

[Explanation] Shaking: Tea leaves are shaken to bruise the edges; edge cells are damaged and undergo mild oxidation, forming green leaves with red edges.

4. White Tea (Fermentation: 10%)

[Characteristics] Green leaves with red veins

[Dry Tea] White with hints of green, covered in white down; tea soup is ivory white

[Raw Material] Strong buds or tender buds from the Fuding white tea variety

[Aroma] Weak aroma

[Taste] Fresh, crisp, smooth, and sweet

[Nature] Cold, has fever-reducing and heat-clearing properties

[Representative Teas] Silver Needle, White Peony, Shou Mei, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Withering → Drying

5. Yellow Tea (Fermentation: 10%)

[Characteristics] Yellow soup and yellow leaves

[Raw Material] Buds or bud leaves with down

[Aroma] Pure aroma

[Taste] Sweet and refreshing

[Nature] Cool

[Representative Teas] Junshan Yinzhen, Huangya, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Fixation → Rolling → Yellowing → Drying

[Explanation] Yellowing: Tea leaves are piled together, with a shorter duration than piling; changes caused by heat and moisture.

6. Dark Tea (Fermentation: changes over time)

[Dry Tea] Greenish-brown

[Liquor Color] Orange-yellow or brown

[Raw Material] Mostly large-leaf varieties

[Aroma] Aged fragrance

[Taste] Mellow and sweet aftertaste

[Nature] Mild

[Representative Teas] Qingzhuan, Liubao Tea, Pu'er Tea, etc.

[Processing] Fresh leaves → Fixation → Initial rolling → Piling → Second rolling → Drying

(Processing of ripe Pu'er tea: Fresh leaves → Fixation → Rolling → Drying → Sun-dried rough tea → Moistening → Piling → Turning → Drying. Processing of raw Pu'er tea: Spreading and cooling → Fixation → Rolling → Sun-drying)

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