The Chinese people have a unique table when it comes to tea culture. Tea drinking has been part of their culture for centuries. Chinese tea is highly praised for its great taste and medicinal properties. With so many tea plantations present in most provinces in China, there are different types of tea.
However, some Chinese teas are more popular than others, even outside China. Some can be found in Chinese teashops, local coffee shops, or grocery stores. Notably, each of these tea has a distinct taste. If you’re looking forward to exploring the world of Chinese teas, this is the right place.
7 Most Popular Chinese Teas
1. Longjing Tea
Longjing tea is one of the most popular Chinese teas, and it’s also called Dragon Well. It’s a type of green tea that derives its name from Longjing Village in Zhejiang province, an area well known for some of the best China’s green teas.
In brief, Longjing tea is a high-quality pan-roasted green tea that is harvested in spring. When brewed, this tea forms a green-gold soup with a vegetal aroma and a buttery or toasty-like flavor.
For many generations, this tea has been presented as a tribute to emperors and recognizable visitors to China.
2. Bi Luo Chan Tea
Bi Luo Chan is also a type of high-quality green tea known as the Green Snail of Spring. Its leaves are curled like snails with a layer of downy hairs. It originates from Dong Ting Mountain of Tahu, Jiangsu Province.
Like Longjing tea, Bi Luo Chan tea leaves are harvested in the early spring. It’s also worth noting that this tea is divided into seven different quality classes.
When brewed, Bi Luo Chan tea forms a clear pale-green soup. It has a floral aroma and a refreshing, fruity, delicately sweet flavor.
3. Bai Hao Yin Zhen Tea
Bai Hao Yin Zhen is a type of white tea, and it’s also called Silver Needle tea. It originates and is commonly grown in the Fu Ding and Zhenghe Counties of Fujian Province. However, that from Zhenghe County is much darker.
Bai Hao Yin Zhen is the most expensive tea among all the white teas because of the work and skills it requires. It starts with hand-picking the first new buds (before they open) on a sunny morning, followed by sun drying. The last step entails dehydrating the tea, and it’s the most challenging part.
It’s praised for its refreshing flavor, sweetness, and earthy note.
4. Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh tea is another widely popular tea across China. It’s a type of post-fermented black tea, and it originates from Yunnan province, China. Unlike other types of Chinese tea, Pu-erh tea is often packaged like a pressed brick and not the typical loose leaves.
You can get it in two versions, i.e., raw non-fermented and ripe fermented Pu-erh teas. The latter version has a mild and earthy flavor. Besides, it tastes better with age.
Additionally, Pu-erh tea is known to be a good remedy for stomach problems such as digestion issues.
5. Tie Guan Yin Tea
Tie Guan Yin Tea is another popular Chinese tea, and it’s also called Iron Goddess. It’s named after one of the famous Buddhist deities-Goddess of Mercy Guanyin. It’s a kind of Oolong tea that originates from Anxi County, Fujian Province but is currently cultivated in other Chinese regions.
Making Tie Guan Yin Tea involves many complex steps, thus requiring high skills, which makes it an expensive type of Chinese tea.
It has a warm caramel-like aroma and a complex flavor.
6. Da Hong Pao Tea
Da Hong Pao Tea is an Oolong tea from Wuyi Mountain at the border between Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. However, it’s darker than most Oolong teas.
Da Hong Pao Tea is rare and said to hold significant medicinal benefits, thus making it an expensive tea.
7. Huangshan Maofeng Tea
Huangshan Maofeng is another famous variety of green tea in China that originates from Huang Shan, the Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province. Its leaves look like orchid buds and are covered with white hairs. They are picked in the early spring before the Qingming festival.
Maofeng tea offers an earthy flavor and an aroma of fresh spring leaves. In addition, it’s known to have high levels of antioxidants and help maintain liver health.
Bottom Line
Chinese teas are diverse, and each one of them offers a unique experience. Notably, some famous Chinese teas like Da Hong Pao and Bai Hao Yin Zhen teas are expensive but worth trying. More importantly, ensure you purchase authentic Chinese tea leaves for the best experience. Please click here and view all our Chinese teas.
References
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