Chinese Tea for Dummies

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CHINESE TEA

FOR DUMMIES

By Jordan Coates

Have you ever wondered why your Chinese friend gives you an uncomprehending "huh?", when you say you'll have a cup of green tea? That's because Chinese tea culture and classification is a complex and mysterious world, that the uninitiated amongst us cannot understand. Fret not! Here is Jordan Coates and his whirlwind Chinese tea-drinking masterclass to help you sip more knowledgeably.

宁可三日无粮 , 不可一日无茶。

According to this old Chinese proverb, it is “better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one”. Just in case you needed any convincing, the Chinese take their unofficial national drink seriously.

I was taken aback by the range of teas and the contrast between different types, some barely recognisable as tea how I knew it. With a vast array of leaves set out before us, our host tried to break it down

into a manageable concept. Although there are many different methods of classification, one widely accepted method, is to divide tea into six main categories: lǜchá 绿茶 (green tea), báichá 白茶 (white tea), wūlóngchá 乌龙茶 (oolong tea), hóngchá 红茶 (red tea), huángchá 黄茶 (yellow tea), and hēichá 黑茶 (dark tea).

Like savouring a fine wine, sipping on premium tea is an experience you should relish. Firstly, begin by examining the tea leaves, which come in varying shapes and sizes, from tightly curled pearls to delicate

leafy spirals. Then you must breathe in the smell, both before and after brewing, and close your eyes to fully appreciate the aroma. Finally you will taste the tea, slurping to really activate the flavour and noting the aftertaste, which can linger on the tongue’s surface and reveal much about the quality and complexity of the tea.

To share an insight into this multifaceted world, I tasted a few varieties and here is my take on them:

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Category: Oolong Variety: Tie Guan Yin ( 铁观音 ) Grown in: Anxi, Fujian

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Category: Oolong Variety: Da Hong Pao ( 大红袍 ) Grown in: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian

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Category: Green Variety: Laoshan Green Tea ( 崂山绿茶 ) Grown in: Laoshan

In comparison to Da Hong Pao, Tie Guan Yin (Iron Buddha) is less oxidised and produces a much clearer liquid, closer to a green tea. Therefore, the tea is a lighter, more fragrant Oolong, which leaves a subtly sweet aftertaste. Due to Oolong tea’s property of hastening fat decomposition, Tie Guan Yin also comes recommended as a good tea to drink if you’re looking for a natural detox.

3Category: White

Variety: Chongyan White Tea ( 虫眼白茶 ) Grown in: Guizhou

Oolongs are semi-oxidised, meaning they fall somewhere between green and black tea, and arguably they are the most diverse of all types, with flavours ranging from intense and smoky, to light and floral depending on the oxidation level. Da Hong Pao is referred to as a “rock tea” due to the distinctive, rocky, mineral-rich soils of the Wuyi Mountains, an area regarded as the best for growing Oolong. The taste of this tea is strong and hearty as it’s more heavily oxidised, yet it’s still smooth and serves to comfortingly warm up the body.

5Category: Green

Variety: Jasmine Tea ( 茉莉花茶 ) Grown in: Fujian

Green tea is typically drunk during the summer months, as it’s believed to lower body temperature. As opposed to other teas, green tea leaves maintain their natural verdant hue by undergoing the least oxidation of all types. Therefore, the leaves are damaged more easily and when preparing green tea, the water should be no higher than 80°C.

For those not used to Laoshan green tea, your palate may need to adjust to the naturally bitter, vegetal flavour and your nose to the pungent grassy aroma, which I admittedly found slightly offputting. Moreover, green tea is high in antioxidants and hugely popular worldwide for a broad spectrum of purported health benefits, such as the activation of internal cancer-fighting enzymes.

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Literally ‘wormhole white tea’, the leaves of this tea are riddled with holes made by a specific type of insect. As no pesticides are used during production, these insects chew on the leaves and spark a chemical reaction, which gives this variety a unique and delightfully smooth sweetness. Furthermore, this variety is grown in an isolated location in Guizhou with no industry and no pollution, and where the temperature difference in one day can be huge- as much as a 25°C swing. All of this combines to mean that the tea is natural and organic, and that, although the trees grow slowly, the leaves are thicker, producing a more fragrant tea.

As can be appreciated from the image, white tea is the least processed type of tea: the leaves are simply plucked and left outside for a quick dose of sunlight. Admittedly I had never heard of white tea before, but I may have left thinking it’s my new favourite.

Technically, some may place jasmine tea in a separate category of ‘scented teas’. However, for ease of categorisation I’ve labelled it as green since the process starts off using either green or white tea leaves. This variety is prepared by layering green tea and fresh jasmine blossoms in alternating layers, with the latter imparting a floral flavour and scent into the tea leaves. The result is intensely floral, both in taste and scent. Personally, I find the jasmine completely overpowering, as it drowns out any of the original tea flavour, but as one of the most popular scented teas worldwide, I’m sure many will disagree.

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6Category: Red Variety: Fujian Black Tea ( 福建红茶 ) Grown in: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian

7Category: Yellow Variety: Hubei Yellow Tea ( 湖北黄茶 ) Grown in: Hubei

8Category: Dark Variety: Pu’erh Tea ( 普洱茶 ) Grown in: Yunnan

Somewhat confusingly, what is known as hóngchá (red tea) here in China, is what people in the West call black tea; I know, mindboggling stuff. Opposed to minimally oxidised green tea, black tea is completely oxidised which turns the leaves dark. This process gives the drink its characteristic reddish, golden hue and a rich, mellow taste. In the snowy season when the temperature drops, red tea is certainly the drink of choice to warm up the body.

A lesser known category, yellow tea has never enjoyed huge popularity and so there are very few varieties. Production of yellow tea is a timeconsuming process as the leaves are subject to controlled oxidation at a slower rate resulting in a smoother tea, much less bitter than green. This tea is smooth and pleasant, but, to be honest, nothing to write home about.

Dark tea (for added confusion, 黑

茶 translated literally is black tea) is a traditional type of tea which can often be found compressed into bricks. One of the most popular and famous dark teas is Pu’erh tea from Yunnan Province, which boasts an ancient history. What sets this tea apart from other categories, is fermentation. Much akin to fine wine, Pu’erh tea is said to improve with age and older vintages can be sold for astronomical prices.

Within Pu’erh tea, there are two distinctive subcategories: sheng 生 (raw) and shu

熟 (ripe). To make ‘raw’ Pu-erh, leaves are left to age naturally over many years, whereas ‘ripe’ Pu-erh stems from a relatively modern technique, developed as a shortcut for the maturation process, through which microbial fermentation is encouraged in a controlled environment.

The colour and taste of the resulting teas differ greatly. The ‘raw’ kind produces a lighter, yellow-tinged liquor which tends to carry a strong taste and a bitter hit. The ‘ripe’ counterpart results in a deep red or brown liquid, with a woody, smoother flavour. Pu’erh tea is genuinely something unique in the tea world, with a huge spectrum of flavours and aromas. While it may not be for everyone, it is certainly worth trying.

What's your favourite local tea? Please email toby@redstarworks.com telling us what is your favourite, and why, to win a year's subscription to REDSTAR magazine.

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