Tieguanyin belongs to qing tea. The teas we commonly drink such as oolong tea, Tieguanyin, Wuyi rock tea, and Dahongpao all belong to qing tea, which is sometimes collectively referred to as oolong tea. Qing tea is a semi-fermented tea, while green tea is unfermented. Therefore, qing tea and green tea are two different categories of tea. Green tea: made without any fermentation process, after picking, it is directly killed, rolled, and dried. The flavor is fresh, mellow, and refreshing. Qing tea: also known as oolong tea. The degree of fermentation is about 20–60%, a semi-fermented tea between green tea and black tea. The flavor varies widely. As the saying goes, "Drink green tea in summer, black tea in winter, and oolong all year round." Compared to other teas, Tieguanyin contains higher levels of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, tea polyphenols, and alkaloids, offering various nutritional and medicinal benefits.

Tieguanyin, belonging to the oolong tea category, is a representative of oolong tea among China's top ten famous teas. It is between green tea and black tea, belonging to the semi-fermented tea category, and is one of China's six major tea categories: green tea, black tea, qing tea (oolong tea), white tea, yellow tea, and dark tea. In addition to the general health benefits of tea, Tieguanyin also has effects such as anti-aging, anticancer, anti-arteriosclerosis, diabetes prevention, weight loss, tooth decay prevention, heat clearing, fire reduction, and sobering up.

I. Light-fragrance Tieguanyin

The technical trends in the light-fragrance Tieguanyin industry have changed relatively quickly, from traditional tea in the past to the popularity of light-fermentation techniques. Light-fermentation techniques have further diverged into three categories: traditional stir-frying, reducing greenness, and souring, with reducing greenness giving rise to two subcategories: "reducing positive" and "reducing sour."

1. Traditional stir-frying: The tea liquor of traditional stir-frying is mild, due to slightly higher fermentation and lower stimulation. The tea liquor itself is not very fragrant and the taste is not full; but after drinking, a strong sweetness returns, generally with a salivation sensation. The aroma in the mouth is clearly noticeable during breathing — simply put, the feeling after drinking is better than during drinking. The concept of "Guanyin charm" is more clearly aimed at traditional stir-fried and traditionally processed teas. The best traditional stir-fried Tieguanyin melts into sweetness as soon as it enters the mouth, leaving you barely time to savor it before the fragrance fills your mouth — but when smelling the tea liquor itself, you often find its aroma is not very distinct. Additionally, traditional stir-fried tea liquor typically becomes sweet after the fourth infusion, with a noticeable sweetness. In appearance, traditional stir-fried tea liquor generally appears yellower, occasionally with greenish-yellow tea liquor.

— Unfortunately, because traditional stir-fried or near-traditional stir-fried Tieguanyin is not highly aromatic or fresh, many tea enthusiasts do not like this style. However, currently, almost all high-priced top-tier teas in the Anxi region are traditional stir-fried Tieguanyin. Some tea makers even believe that if a tea's aroma is too high, it is considered vulgar, and should instead be elegant and enduring. This view varies from person to person, but it reflects the latest trends in the industry.

2. Reducing greenness: The tea liquor of reducing greenness often has a rich aroma, with a greenish-yellow color and good appearance. The taste is also relatively rich, with high-quality products known for being smooth, delicate, and thick, suitable for savoring in the mouth. The aftertaste is refreshing, but cannot compare to traditional stir-fried tea. Occasionally, some reducing greenness teas may have a sweet tea liquor, but the proportion is very low.

— The reducing greenness process makes it easier to achieve a high aroma and delicate tea liquor, which is more popular and currently dominates the market.

3. Souring: Drinking it easily causes a feeling of nausea, and this discomfort becomes more severe as storage time increases. If tea enthusiasts are new to it, they may not notice immediately, but once they experience it, they generally won't consider souring tea again. Even well-made souring tea does not keep well.

— For tea enthusiasts, the right to choose which tea to drink should be decided by their own taste buds rather than others' suggestions, because taste buds are the most honest. If you don't like traditional stir-frying, don't choose it, even if it represents the future trend. Choose a style you like, and you will have a pleasant tea-tasting experience.

II. Strong-fragrance Tieguanyin

Strong-fragrance Anxi Tieguanyin is also known as charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin. Charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin is based on traditionally semi-fermented Tieguanyin, then processed with charcoal for about 5–12 hours (hence the name). The heat must be mastered precisely. Charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin has a unique sweetness and a distinctive taste, with a particularly comfortable throat feel after drinking, carrying a strong charcoal-roasted aroma. It is worth mentioning that after brewing, the tea liquor is deep yellow, completely different from the clear green liquor of light-fragrance Tieguanyin. The control of heat is crucial, and it can be processed into light, full, or heavy roast styles according to the raw material and market demand.

The initial processing steps of strong-fragrance and light-fragrance Tieguanyin are the same, but strong-fragrance Tieguanyin adds an additional refining and roasting process. In a narrow sense, the difference lies in the degree of roasting heat. To use a simple analogy, it is like the difference between raw peanuts and roasted peanuts.

Strong-fragrance Tieguanyin has strict requirements for raw tea. With the development and changes in Tieguanyin planting and initial processing, not all raw Tieguanyin leaves are suitable for making strong-fragrance Tieguanyin. Generally, raw materials with moderate tenderness (not too tender or too old), sufficient fermentation, and the ability to "absorb flavor" after roasting should be selected. The main characteristics are: tight, round, heavy, and plump strips; dark, glossy, sand-green color; rich and persistent aroma, fresh and sweet taste with a lingering aftertaste, clear Guanyin charm; golden, clear tea liquor; thick, soft, and bright leaves with distinct red edges and residual fragrance.