While the official name is Chinese black tea, this particular type of exotic tea is also known as red tea. Regardless, the Chinese people have enjoyed the flavor and medicinal properties for hundreds of years and today, it has joined ranks with other popular types of tea to include green tea and oolong tea.

Learning the Basics of Chinese Black Tea

Obviously, this type of tea comes from China, and for the people it has been a mainstay beverage along with green tea, passed down from one generation to another. When brewed, this type of loose black tea actually changes color to a more reddish hue, which is why it is also called “red tea”. When fresh, Chinese black tea is deep in flavor but over time, it begins to mellow although the flavor becomes richer. In fact, this particular type of Chinese tea is so unique that many tea connoisseurs compare it to a fine wine that gets better with age.

It is important to keep Chinese black tea properly stored, which simply involves keeping it in an air-tight container placed in a room with good ventilation and consistent cool temperature. This helps preserve flavor and black tea benefits. Another fascinating fact about this kind of tea is that it comes in different forms to include loose black tea leaves or compressed cakes, which can be in any number of sizes and shapes such as tubes or squares.

Varieties of Chinese Black Tea

The actual Chinese black tea you get will depend largely on the method of processing. Even so, this type of tea is broken down into three primary options to include:

Souchong Black Tea – This exotic tea comes from the Fujian province of China where it grows in Wuyi Mountain City. The leaves are actually heated and smoked over pine, which produces a unique flavor and aroma not found with any other type of Chinese tea. Experts suggest that Lapsang Souchong is the best although Smoking Souchong uses a lower quality congou tea using processing methods that imitate the original method. For this particular variety, four classifications exist:

a. Lapsang Souchong – Produced in Jianyang, Guangzhe, and Chong’an
b. Smoking Souchong – This is the original flavor grown in Wuyi Mountain City
c. Tongmuguan Souchong – Produced in the county of Tongmuguan
d. XingChung Souchong – Produced in the county of Chong’An, specifically near Xingcun town

Congou Black Tea – This is another type of Chinese black tea from the Souchong variety, as shown above. This too has several varieties, the favorites that include:

a. Chuanhong of Sichuan
b. Huhong of Hunan
c. Qihong of Anhui
d. Dianhong of Yunnan
e. Suchong of Jiangsu

Broken Black Tea – Known as graded black tea, this type of Chinese black tea must meet international grading standards for quality and uniformity. In this case, the tea is made into a number of shapes that include:

a. Short strip
b. Broken leaf
c. Small grain
d. Fannings black
e. Small slice
f. Powered
g. Whole leaf
h. Dust black

While all types and varieties of Chinese black tea are delicious and healthy, the actual growing place of origin is Chong’An in the Fujian Province. In fact, Souchong black teat was made throughout the 18th century in the Wuyi Mountain City, which led to it becoming so popular. From that time on, manufacturing improved and word quickly spread, taking Chinese black tea further in China to Jiangsi and Keemun Provinces.

To the Chinese people, tea is one of the necessities of life, along with rice, oil, salt, vinegar, sauce, and firewood. Using the four primary Chinese teas as a base, virtually thousands of varieties are produced. Tea is classified using several components to include method of preparation, quality, and procedure.

However, when most people buy tea online or through a local specialty shop, they are most concerned with quality. Regardless, we wanted to discuss the eight classifications of Chinese tea, which include green, oolong, flower, yellow, white, black, red, and compressed. Each of these special teas offers something unique, as you will discover below.

Green Tea

One of the most popular of all types of Chinese teas is green tea. In fact, it is said that of all teas from China, this is by far the most natural. The leaves are handpicked and then dried naturally in the sun before being fried to eliminate any lingering grassy odor. Most types of Chinese teas are fermented but green tea is the exception.

A huge benefit of drinking green tea is the list of healing properties. This type of tea has been studied for years and along with having low caffeine, green tea is said to help with weight loss, speeding up the metabolism, and aiding with digestion. Depending on the actual variety of the green tea, the fragrance would range from medium to rich and flavor from light to medium. Of all types of Chinese teas sold, more than half is green tea.

Oolong Tea

Another excellent choice for types of Chinese teas is oolong, a name when translated in Chinese means “black dragon”. In China, this type of tea is fondly referred to as Qing Cha, which boasts flavor heavier than green tea but lighter than black tea. The process for making oolong tea is half fermented, which involves using leaves while green in the middle and with red edges. These leaves are usually withered and prior to being fermented, they are spread out, followed by being fried, rolled, and roasted.

Black Tea

In addition to having a fuller body of flavor, this type of Chinese tea offers numerous benefits. Leaves being processed are withered and allowed to ferment for quite some time. After that, the leaves are roasted and depending on oxidation, different varieties are produced. Some of the top black tea benefits include protection against cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

Red Tea

Red tea is made from red leaves, thus the name. During the fermentation process, this type of Chinese tea is heavily highlighted although the aroma is subtle and the flavor only medium bodied. When looking to buy tea online or in a local store, you would find three specific types of red tea to include Small Species, Ted Tea Bits, and Kung Fu.

White Tea

Many people think of Chinese white tea as being related to green tea. While they are both made from the Camellia sinensis leaf, neither is fermented, and caffeine levels are low, they fall into two different classifications. White tea has a smooth and delicious flavor and due to the tea being harvested from the tea plant when buds are still covered with white hair, the price is higher than other types of Chinese teas.

Yellow Tea

For yellow tea, yellow leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant is used, thus the name. Most tea experts agree that of all types of Chinese teas, yellow tea is the rarest of classes but even so, the mild flavor is delicious, refreshing, and satisfying.

Flower Tea

Flower tea is considered a type of Chinese exotic tea, which is broken down into Scented Tea or Flower Tea. In this case, flowers from the Camellia sinensis plant are used instead of the leaves and the amount of processing is minimal. Now, if you want to try Scented Tea, the only difference is that along with the flowers, a blend of red and green teas are used as the base. The flavor varies from light to medium although the aroma is generally strong.

Compressed Tea

For compressed tea to be made, black tea is used for the base. Then, the process for this type of Chinese tea involves steaming of the leaves, which are then compressed into columns, bricks, cakes, or a variety of additional shapes. The flavor and aroma are similar to black tea but compressed tea has an advantage in that it can be stored for decades while remaining fresh.