Longjing  Tea

Green tea

Green tea keeps the original color of the tealeaves without fermentation during processing. Top brands include Longjing in Zhejiang Province, Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province, and Biluochun in Jiangsu Province.

Black tea

Black tea, known as "Red Tea" (hong cha) in China, is fermented before baking. The best brands are Qihong in Anhui, Dianhong in Yunnan, Suhong in Jiangsu, Chuanhong in Sichuan and Huhong in Hunan.

Wulong tea

This represents a variety half way between the green and the black teas, and it is made after partial fermentation. Wulong tea abounds in Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan along China's southeast coast.

Compressed tea

It is compressed and hardened into a certain shape. It is easy to transport and store and is mainly supplied to the ethnic minorities living in the border areas of the country. Most of the compressed tea is in the form of bricks, thus the name "brick tea." Sometimes it is cake or bowl-shaped. It is mainly produced in Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

Scented tea

It is made by mixing fragrant flowers in the tealeaves in the course of processing. The flowers commonly used for this purpose are jasmine and magnolia among others. Jasmine tea is a well-known favorite among the northerners in China.

Tea artistry

Tea is far more than a thirst quencher in China. Many people appreciate the art form of brewing and drinking tea. The tea culture involved is relaxing, allowing people to supposedly forget all their troubles during the process of brewing, serving and drinking tea.

Making a good pot of tea is not so easy. With tea of the same quality, one can produce different tastes by using different water, tea sets and brewing techniques. Tea of top quality should be brewed with top-grade water. Teaware embellished with artistic designs are needed to complement the elegance of tealeaves. Brewing time, water temperature, and the ratio of water to tealeaves depends on tea quality and category.