Tea is made from fresh tea leaves through different processing techniques. According to the different processing technology, tea is mainly divided into six categories, namely, six major teas at home and abroad. These six kinds of tea are: green tea, black tea, white tea, green tea (oolong tea), yellow tea and black tea. The following briefly introduces the six major tea processing technologies and tea characteristics.
Brief introduction of green tea
Green tea is the most widely distributed and has the highest yield among the six major teas. It is the main tea exported from China with a long history, various types, excellent quality and large sales volume. The main producing areas are distributed in Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Fujian, Sichuan, Jiangxi and other provinces.
Green tea is made from fresh leaves by deactivating enzymes, kneading and drying. In the process of deactivating enzymes in fresh leaves, the enzymatic oxidation of polyphenols in fresh leaves stops under the action of heat, so green tea retains nutrients such as tea polyphenols and vitamins to the greatest extent, thus forming the quality characteristics of green tea, such as green appearance, green soup color, green leaf bottom, high aroma and mellow taste.
Brief introduction of black tea
At present, black tea is the tea with the widest consumption area, the largest output and the largest international trade volume in the world, and it is also one of the main teas produced and exported in China. According to the different processing technology, it can be divided into three types: black broken tea, kung fu black tea and small black tea.
After withering, rolling (cutting), fermentation, drying and other technological processes, the chemical composition of fresh leaves has undergone a series of chemical changes, and finally the unique quality characteristics of black tea have been formed, among which fermentation is an important process to form the quality of black tea.
Brief introduction of white tea
White tea is mainly produced in Fuding, Zhenghe, Jianyang, Songxi and other places in Fujian. The production method of white tea is unique, and it is directly withered and dried without frying and kneading. Chengcha is covered with white hair and silver as snow, hence the name "white tea". According to different standards for picking fresh leaves, white tea can be divided into four varieties: Baihao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, Gongmei and Shoumei. White tea needs to wither for a long time during processing, during which a series of complex physical and chemical changes occur with the loss of fresh leaves, thus gradually forming a unique quality style of white tea.
Brief introduction of green tea
Green tea, also known as oolong tea, is mainly produced in Fujian, Taiwan Province and Guangdong provinces of China. Oolong tea is stout and firm in appearance, with green, brown and oily color, rich natural flower and fruit fragrance, mellow taste and foam resistance, and blue-red leaves at the bottom. Oolong tea can be divided into northern Fujian oolong tea, southern Fujian oolong tea, Guangdong oolong tea and Taiwan Province oolong tea according to the production method, quality characteristics and origin. Oolong tea is made from fresh leaves by withering, blanching, frying, rolling and drying. Deactivating is a unique and key process to form the quality of oolong tea.
Brief introduction of yellow tea
Yellow tea is a unique tea in China with a long history of production. According to the tenderness and size of fresh leaf raw materials, it can be divided into three categories: yellow bud tea, yellow small tea and yellow tea. The basic production method of yellow tea should go through three processes: deactivation, yellowing and drying. Rolling yellow tea is a unique process in the production of yellow tea, and it is also a key process to form the quality of yellow tea. The fumigation process of yellow tea, through the effect of damp and heat, makes profound physical and chemical changes in the substances in tea, laying a material foundation for the formation of unique quality characteristics of yellow tea.
Brief introduction of black tea
Black tea has a long history of processing, and it is an essential drink in the daily life of ethnic minorities in China. There are many varieties and forms of black tea, which are mainly produced in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and other provinces, and are mainly sold to the northwest and western border areas of China. The processing technology of black tea is divided into enzyme fixation, rolling, fermentation and drying, among which fermentation is the key process to form the quality of black tea.