Tea Processing Overview
A quick glance at how different teas are produced
In China when we discussed how many tea types, we generally refer to 6 plus 1 types of tea. Teas are classified in these 6 categories based on their production process and the level of oxidation. The 6 types are:
- Green tea,
- Yellow tea,
- White tea,
- Oolong (or wulong),
- Black tea, and
- Dark tea (pu’er belongs here).
The “plus 1” tea refers to tea that has been scented with non-tea elements. The most popular scented tea in China is the jasmine tea.
The chart below is a good starting point in understanding the basic steps in tea processing for the 6 types of tea. But do bear in mind that this is only a generalization of how tea is made. Our next step is to dive deeper within each type to see how some of the popular teas are really made.
If you have any questions or comments regarding our chart, feel free to drop us a line!
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