“Rather go without salt for three days than without tea for a single day,” Chinese Proverb.

Tea is the national drink in China.In addition to its prominence in Chinese culture, tea also claims many health benefits. Tea is produced in over 20 Chinese provinces. Chinese tea bushes are usually cultivated in the mountain areas of tropical and subtropical regions.

Chinese teas can be categorized into five different groups, but The main classes of Chinese tea discussed below are green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea and Pu'er tea.

Green tea

The green tea is the most natural, within the Chinese teas. Freshly picked leaves only go through heating and drying processes, but do not undergo fermentation.It is produced primarily in the provinces of Jiangxi, Anhui, and Zhejiang. The most famous green tea is West Lake Dragon Well Tea , which is produced in Hangzhou.

Yellow tea

Junshan Yinzhen is produced in China's Hunan Province and is the country's most popular yellow tea. Yellow tea is produced by allowing damp tea leaves to dry naturally. This is one of the most expensive and rarest types of teas out there. While the oxidation process is similar to green tea, there’s an added step in the production of yellow tea which involves letting the leaves be steamed under a damp cloth. This is why they have a yellow color to them.

White Tea

White tea is unfermented, uncured green tea that has been quickly dried. It is indigenous to Fujan Province, and is lighter in color than other types of tea with a subtle, delicate flavor. White tea leaves are minimally processed and refers to several different types of tea. 

Oolong tea

Oolong tea, also known as blue tea, is unfermented tea with unique characteristics. Made from a blend of green and red teas, oolong tea boasts the best flavors and aromatic qualities of both.Oolong originates from the Fujian region but has various degrees of oxidation, ranging anywhere from 8 to 85%. Even if its taste is pretty mild, you shouldn’t drink too much oolong tea because it’s stronger than it seems!

Black Tea

Black tea is the second largest category of Chinese tea. It is made from the new shoots of tea leaves, which are wilted, rolled, fermented, and dried. In comparison to other tea categories, its flavor is longer lasting and it has the highest concentration of caffeine. This is most popular form of tea in south Asia and Europe.This tea is notable for retaining their flavor for many years.

Pu'er tea

Pu'er tea, originating from Yunnan Province, has an ancient history over of 2,000 years.The tea leaves have undergone years of fermentation, giving them an unique earthy flavor. As for good wine, the value of pu’er tea goes up with the time.Pu er also contains high level of Vitamin C which is soluble in water and can be rapidly assimilated by the body. here are two distinct types of Pu'er tea: sheng Pu'er (the raw or green Pu'er) and shu Pu'er (the ripened or black Pu'er).