Quality Identification of Green Tea
Green tea is a non-fermented tea, produced by steaming fresh tea leaves at high temperature, followed by rolling and drying. High-quality green tea features tight, uniform, straight strands with visible downy tips, bright green color, fresh aroma, fresh and mellow taste without astringency, clear green tea liquor, soft and tender leaf base, bright green and even texture, free from red stems or red leaves. Depending on processing methods, green tea is divided into three types: stir-fried, baked, and sun-dried.
Stir-fried green tea is dried in a wok. By shape, it includes long stir-fried, round stir-fried, and flat stir-fried varieties. Long stir-fried tea, also known as "Meicha," gets its name from its tight, elegant shape resembling eyebrows. Produced in areas such as Tianmushan, Huangshan, and Huaiyushan, the finest quality comes from Anhui’s "Tunlu." Other varieties include Anhui’s "Shulu," Zhejiang’s "Sulü" and "Hanglü," Jiangxi’s "Wulu" and "Rao Lu," and others like "Xianglü," "Elü," and "Yulu."
Round stir-fried tea, also known as "Zhu Cha," is a specialty of the Pingshui tea region in Zhejiang, hence also called "Pingshui Zhu Cha." Its unique pearl-like appearance has earned it international fame.
Flat stir-fried tea includes the famous "Longjing" flat-shaped tea.
Baked green tea is dried using baking techniques. It is the most common type among green teas, with wide distribution and suitability for making various scented teas. The best quality comes from areas around Jieyuan in southern Anhui and Lin’an and Yuzhan in western Zhejiang.
Sun-dried green tea is dried under sunlight, with limited production and a distinct sun-dried aroma. Mainly produced in Hangzhou’s West Lake area, Xiguang, and provinces such as Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. The best quality sun-dried tea is made from large-leaf varieties in Southwest China, known as "Dianqing."
Other famous Chinese green teas include Longjing from Hangzhou, Duyun Maojian from Guizhou, Biluochun from Jiangsu’s Dongting Lake, Mengding tea from Sichuan, Lushan Cloud Tea from Jiangxi, Huangshan Maofeng from Anhui, Jingting Lüxue, and Liu'an Guapian.