Chinese Tea Demystified

China is where tea originated, and tea has become the beverage of choice for the majority of people in the world, even above and beyond coffee. Tea's roots in Chinese history go back thousands of years, when China's inhabitants first started harvesting the tea leaves and using them to make beverages.

Obviously, Chinese teas are among the oldest modern products available that have stood such a huge test of time. This is evidenced by the fact that China still exports a considerable amount of tea to this day. Despite the fact that dozens of other countries on earth grow the tea plant, China cultivates 90% of the total amount available to consumers. As a matter of fact, China was where all of those other contributing countries got their tea trees from to begin with.

When it comes to Chinese teas, there are a handful of different basic varieties. Green tea is the original tea of China. Because the tea leaves are not fermented, they retain their green coloration when they are dried. This results in a milder taste and lighter color when it is brewed prior to consumption.

What we commonly refer to as black tea is referred to as red tea by the Chinese. The difference between black and green tea is the fact that the leaves are fully fermented before they are dried, which results in a darker and more full-bodied brew than the green tea. This is the type of tea that can be found as the base of most teas we drink today.

Considered a specialty, wulong tea is achieved from the same tea leaves as the green tea and black tea. The leaves are only fermented about half as long as for black tea leaves, and again gives off a different flavor and color. This tea can be found most commonly in Taiwan and other southern regions of China.

Another traditional Chinese tea is the scented tea. This does not greatly alter the flavor of the tea, but is more for aromatic purposes. The Chinese typically use flowers with a strong scent, such as Jasmine, to mix in with the tea leaves so that the tea has another element in addition to its flavor. This is a popular practice in northern regions of China.

One interesting thing about the tea tree is that it is both short and long-lived. It takes 5 years before the tree bears any productive tea leaves that can be used to make tea. However, once it has reached that point, it has another 25 years that it will produce good leaves. Once the plant is 30 years old, the grower simply cuts it at the base so that new shoots can come up, starting the process all over again.