The Six Types of Chinese Tea: A Complete Guide
From green to black, white to pu-erh — understand what makes each category unique.
Chinese tea is classified into six categories based on oxidation level and processing method.
**Green Tea (绿茶)** — Unoxidized. Steamed or pan-fired immediately after picking to preserve the fresh, grassy character. Examples: Longjing, Biluochun.
**White Tea (白茶)** — Minimally processed. Withered and dried, nothing more. The most delicate and antioxidant-rich. Examples: Silver Needle, White Peony.
**Yellow Tea (黄茶)** — Rare and subtle. Similar to green but with an extra "smothering" step that mellows the grassy notes. Examples: Junshan Yinzhen.
**Oolong Tea (乌龙茶)** — Partially oxidized, ranging from 15% to 85%. The most complex category. Examples: Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao.
**Black Tea (红茶)** — Fully oxidized. Rich, malty, and robust. Called "red tea" in Chinese. Examples: Keemun, Dianhong.
**Pu-erh Tea (普洱茶)** — Post-fermented. Can be aged for decades. Earthy, smooth, and deeply complex. The only tea that genuinely improves with age.
Start with green or white if you are new. Move to oolong once you want complexity. Pu-erh rewards patience.