Two Clues For Modern Tea Classification

Since ancient times, tea has been used as medicine, food and drink. Over the years, people's demands for tea has increased, and the tea process has also continuously changed. From eating fresh tea leaves to sun-drying for collection, from braising fresh green tea, tea cakes and fannings to green tea, black tea, blue tea (Oolong tea), yellow tea, dark tea, white tea and scented tea in Ming (1368-1644) and Qing( 1644-1911) dynasties, the tea-processing technology has been constantly improved and upgraded.

At the end of the 20th century, tea liquids appeared in the market, along with various tea food and articles, witnessing wider and wider tea application.

Next, well study tea classification following the two dues of basic tea and pressed tea.

Tea Classification Methods

Processing methods

Due to different technologies, the oxidation and quality of tea polyphenol are different. Thus, tea is classified into green tea, black tea, blue tea, yellow tea, white tea and black tea.

Production areas

20 provinces and autonomous regions produce tea in China: Zhejiang Tea, Fujian Tea, Yunnan Tea, Jiangxi Tea and Anhui Tea, etc. Pu-erh tea and Dianhong Gongfu Tea belong to Yunnan tea, Tie Guanyin, Huangjingui; Cinnamomum Cassia to Fujian tea.

Production seasons

Tea is classified into spring tea, summer tea, hot summer tea, autumn tea and winter tea. Spring tea plucked before Qingming is called Mingqian Tea, before Guyu called Yuqian Tea. Mingqian tea boasts the highest quality and price among green tea.

Quality grades

Quality grades are normally classified into Special, Grade 1,Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5. Sometimes special grades are furthered as Special 1, Special 2 and Special 3. Pu-erh bulk tea has 11 grades. Grades are printed on the tea packing for easy identification.

Shapes

Tea shapes vary with lea varieties, such as needle tea like Anhua Pine Needle Tea. flat tea, such as Long Jing tea and Qiandao Jade Leaf, spiral tea. such as Bi Luo Chun and Mengding Ganlu, flake tea. such as Lu'an Guapian. orchid-shaped tea, such as Shucheng Lanhua and Taiplng Houkul, single-bud tea, such as Mengding Huangya, straight strip tea, such as Nanjing Yuhua tea and Xlnyang Maojian, bended strip tea, such as Wuyuan Mingmei and Jingshan Tea, and bead tea, such as Pingshui Bead Tea.

Distribution

Foreign sales tea, domestic sales tea, border sales tea and compatriots living abroad sales tea.

Fermentation degrees

Processing degrees

Classified as primary tea, also called raw tea, refined tea, i.e., commodity tea and tea products and deep-pressing tea, i.e., instant black tea and tea polyphenol extracts, etc.

Fermentation degrees

Classified as non-fermentation tea, such as green tea, slight- fermentation tea, such as yellow tea and white tea, semi­-fermentation tea, such as blue tea, full-fermentation tea, such as black tea and post-fermentation tea, such as Pu-erh tea.

Formation time

Historical tea, such as Guzhu Cisun and Xianshenzhang Tea; modem tea, such as Gaoqiao Yinfeng and Nanjing Yuhua Tea.

Tea-producing Areas In China

China was the first country in the world to discover, produce and consume tea some 4,000-5,000 years ago. Many scholars' studies on historical materials and Chinese wild tea plants prove Yunnan and southwestern China to be the cradle of global tree plants.

Tea-producing areas appeared in China as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In his masterpiece the Classic ofTea, Chapter 8 Producing Areas, Lu Yu wrote about China's tea-producing areas in the Kaiyuan Period (713-741) of Tang as: 43 prefectures across 8 regions produced tea. The Song Dynasty (960-1279) witnessed the expansion of tea. During Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, tea-producing areas further expanded. The Opium Wars and other battles adversely affected tea production. Post the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949), China’s tea production made new progresses, witnessing the recovery and expansion of tea-producing areas. Today, tea is produced in more than 1,000 counties and cities across 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

▼ Tea-producing Areas of the Kaiyuan Period of Tang and Today

Period	Administrative divisions and tea-producing areas	8 tea-producing areas in the Tang Dynasty
Kaiyuan Period of Tang	China consists ol 15 regions: 43 prefectures across 8 eight regions produce tea.	Names of tea producing areas in Tang Corresponding names of today Shannan Region, Huainan Region, Zhexi Region, Jiannan Region, Zhedong Region, Qianzhong Region, Jiangxi Region and Lingnan Region. 14 provinces i.e., Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Henan(involving 241 counties and cities)
The People s Republic of China	20 of 34 provinces. autonomous regions. municipalities and SARs produce tea.	Southwest: south of Yangtze River; south China and north of Yangtze River across 20 provinces and autonomous regions, namely. Yunnan. Guizhou, Sichuan. Chongqing, Tibet. Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu. Shandong. Hubei, Hunan. Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi. Hainan, Taiwan, involving 1,000+ counties and cities.

Southwest Tea-producing Area

Southwest, including Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan, west Hunan, southwest Hubei, north Guangxi and southeast Tibet, is a plateau known for dark tea (including Puer tea), green tea and black tea with a long tea-plant growing and tea-drinking history. It has abundant resources and varieties.

Famous tea

Pu-erh, Dianhong, Nanru and Baihao tea from Yunnan, Duyun Maojian,

Zunyi Maofeng and Meijiang Cuipian from Guizhou, Mengding Ganlu, E’mei Zhuyeqing and Mengding Huangya from Sichuan, Tuocha from Chongqing, Jolmo Lungma holy tea from Tibet, Lingyun Yinhao from Guangxi, En’shi Yulu from Hubei and Guzhang Maojian from west Hunan.

North of Yangtze River Tea Area

In the extreme north, north of the Yangtze River, south of the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River and east of the Yihe River, lies Shandong—appropriate for growing shrub middle* and small-leaf tea plants. This tea area, covering Shaanxi, Henan, north of Anhui, north of Jiangsu, south of Gangsu and Shandong, mainly produces green tea.

Famous tea

Wuzi Xianhao and Ciyang Maojian from Shaanxi, Xinyang Maojian from Henan, Lu’an Guapian and Shucheng Lanhua from Anhui, Bikou Long Jing from Gansu, Rizhao Xueqing from Shandong, etc.

South Of Yangtze River Tea Area

South of (he Yangtze River, boasting the longest history and most varieties of China's famous tea. is the most appropriate place (or shrubs and small- sized arbor tea plants, producing green tea. black tea and Oolong tea. across Zhejiang. Hunan. Hubei. Jiangxi, south of Jiangsu, south of Anhui, north of Fujian and Shanghai and other areas in the south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Famous tea

Long Jing tea and Anjl White Tea from Zhejiang, Junahan Yinzhen and Gaoqlao Ylnfeng from Hunan. E'nan Jlanchun from Hubei. Lushan Yunwu and Wuyuan Mingmei from Jiangxi.

Bi Luo Chun and Nanjing Yuhua tea from Jiangsu, Huangshan Maofeng and Taiping Houkui from Anhui, Wuyi Yancha, Zhengshan Lapsang black te and Balhao Yinzhen from Fupan. etc.

South China Tea Area

South China tea area is one of the tea areas suitable for cultivating arbor or small-arbor tea plants mainly producing Oolong tea. black tea and green tea. across south of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan and other areas in the south of Nanling Mountains.

Famous tea

Tie Quanyin and Huangjingui from Fujian. Yingde Black Tea and Phoenoc Daffodil Tea from Guangdong. Liupu Tea from Guangxi, C.T.C. Black Fannings from Hainan, Oongding Oolong and Baihao Oolong from Taiwan.