Guide

Green tea, as the name suggests, has a main feature of green color. The green tea, the tea soup and the brewed tea leaves are all green. The major tea-making techniques of green tea are green killing, kneading and twisting, drying. Among the techniques, green killing is the most important technique. The purpose of green killing is to deprive the activity of enzymes in fresh tea leaves. Thus, the fermentation progress in fresh leaves is prevented and the green color of tea leaves is kept. Due to the lack of fermentation, more substances in fresh leaves (tea polyphenol, caffeine, chlorophyll, etc.) are kept. For the same reason, green tea is more stimulating compared with other fermented tea. The main types of green tea are Dragon Well, Green Snail Spring, Melon Seed, Anji White, etc. Dragon Well Dragon Well was an Imperial Tribute Tea to the Qing Dynasty. It was originally produced in the West Lake region of Zhejiang province. Dragon Well is shaped and dried by hand using a heated pan. Tea makers use their flat hands to move the bud sets around the pan to produce the signature Longjing shape with each tea bud flat, shiny and yellow-green. The brew has a distinct roasted bean and orchid-like flavor. The legend of Long Jing says that the emperor visited the Hu Gong Temple in West Lake one day and was presented with a bowl of the tea. He was so impressed by the delicious taste and aroma that he gave imperial status to the 18 tea bushes growing in front of the temple. Green Snail Spring Green Snail Spring was an Imperial Tribute Tea to the Tang Dynasty and is still on the list of the Chinese Famous Top 10 Teas. Originally it was produced in the Dongting Mountains near Lake Tai in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The ingredients of Green Snail Spring are buds with one leaf on one bud. Green Snail Spring is hand-picked and shaped. It is harvested in late March to Early April and it is the one of the earliest harvested green teas of the spring. Green Snail Spring is traditionally brewed by placing the leaves into water, as opposed to pouring water over the leaves. The leaves slowly float to the bottom like falling snowflakes. Melon Seed Melon Seed is a kind of green tea from Lu’an, Anhui Province. It is named for its tightly rolled seed-like processed leaves, which are flat and resemble a melon seed. Melon Seed does not contain any buds or stems. The tea trees of Melon Seed grow in the Dabie Mountains in Anhui Province. Melon Seed is harvested in mid-April, allowing the buds to open up. The first documented evidence of Melon Seed dates back to the Tang Dynasty. It was designated as a tribute tea during the Qing Dynasty. Anji White Anji White is produced in Anji County, Huzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. Anji White has a history of nearly a thousand years. Although Anji White is called white tea, it is not a white tea, it is a green tea. The name is derived from the pale green color of the baiye yihao cultivar leaves used to produced Anji White. It is a specialty of Anji County and is a national geographical indication product of China. Some text and pictures are from other sources. If there is any infringement, please contact us.

Some text and pictures are from other sources. If there is any infringement, please contact us.

1. Souchong Black Tea 2. Kung Fu Black Tea 3. Broken Black Tea Research has concluded that the earliest black tea was produced in the early 16th century. In 1610, Lapsang Souchong black tea was produced in Wuyishan City, Fujian Province in China and it was transported from Shanghai to the Netherlands for the first time. It was the preclude of production and trade of black tea in the world. In the second half of the 19th century, black tea production techniques were innovated and kung fu black tea of more refined techniques was produced. The kung fu black tea sold well in the international market. In the 1920s, broken black tea was developed in India. Then the broken black tea gradually replaces kung fu black tea and becomes the mainstream of black tea. 1. Souchong Black Tea Souchong black tea is a unique type of tea in Fujian Province, China. It is the originator of black tea. Souchong black tea was produced in Tongmu Area, Wuyishan City. According to the differences of production places and production techniques, Souchong black tea is divided into 2 types: Lapsang Souchong (core production areas) and Waishan Souchong (surrounding production areas). During the baking stage, pine wood is used to smoke and dry the tea. As a result, Souchong black tea has a smoky pine fragrance and a longyan flavor. Typical Souchong black tea is Lapsang Souchong, Jinjunmei, Yinjunmei and Tongjunmei. A Typical Representative—Jinjunmei Jinjunmei is the top tea of Souchong black tea. The reason why Jinjunmei is so valuable is that it is produced by the first batch of leaf buds picked in spring. These tea trees are only picked once every year. Also, only tea trees in Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve can produce authentic Jinjunmei. Jinjunmei is hand-made by tea makers. Every 500g Jinjunmei needs raw materials of tens of thousands of fresh leaf buds. 2. Kung Fu Black Tea The representative of Chinese black tea is kung fu black tea. Kung fu black tea gets its name from the elaborated tea-making techniques. During the production, buds and leaves are kneaded and twisted to form strip shapes, while the integrity of the buds and leaves is kept. Consequently, Kung fu black tea not only looks neat and beautiful, but also has an elegant quality and flavor. A Typical Representative—Keemun Black Tea Keemun black tea is produced in the branch ranges of Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province. Keemun black tea, Assam black tea, Darjeeling black tea and Ceylon highland black tea are the four great black tea in the world. In 2022, Keemun black tea was included in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The fragrance of Keemun black tea is clean and high, which lasts for a long time. The fragrance is like fruit fragrance or orchid fragrance. In the international tea market, the unique fragrance of Keemun black tea is called Keemun fragrance. The tea soup of Keemun black tea is red and transparent. After being mixed with milk, the mellow flavor of the tea is still obvious. 3. Broken Black Tea During the production of broken black tea, the fresh tea leaves are broken into small grains, slices, etc. Broken black tea is produced all over China and the majority of the tea is exported overseas. Broken black tea can be divided into 4 types: leaf black tea, shredded black tea, slice black tea and powder black tea.  Some text and pictures are from other sources. If there is any infringement, please contact us.

China is the origin of tea and also the first country to drink tea. China has a history of making tea for more than 2,000 years. In the long history of tea development, various kinds of tea have been created in China. According to statistics, only in the categories of green tea and black tea, there are hundreds of kinds of tea. Every kind of tea from our Modern High Mountain Tea Gardens has a unique flavor. They are famous Chinese tea and authentic high mountain tea. High mountain tea gardens produce teas that excel in taste compared to their counterparts grown at lower elevations. Here's why:   Since ancient times, high mountains in mist are good places to produce high-quality tea. First, the vegetations on high mountains are lush and overgrown. The soils contain high level of organic matters and have adequate nutrition. Second, the air humidity in this kind of environment is high. It is beneficial to keep the softness of leaf buds. Third, the solar radiation on high mountains, which has abundant diffused and short-wave light, is different from solar radiation on plains. This sunlight condition is beneficial to the metabolism of nitrogen in tea trees, which promotes the accumulation of amino acids in tea leaves. Forth, there is a large temperature difference between day and night in high mountains. The high temperature in daytime promotes the photosynthesis, which helps to accumulate organic matters. The low temperature at night inhibits respiration and decreases energy consumption. It is useful to the accumulation of tea substances.   Collectively, these factors contribute to the exceptional taste of teas sourced from high mountain tea gardens.Below, you'll find a selection of teas meticulously chosen from iTeaworld's collection of modern high mountain tea garden teas. 1. Tea with unique flavors is selected according to the differences in core tea-making techniques.  Based on the degree of fermentation (light, medium, and high) and the differences in the growing environment, 3 kinds of high mountain Loose Leaf Black Tea are selected. Based on the degree of fermentation, the degree of baking, and differences in tastes and fragrances, 3 kinds of high mountain Loose Leaf Oolong Tea are selected. 2. Each type of tea, which is carefully selected, is famous Chinese tea.  They have a long history and have been widely praised over the years. For black tea, we have carefully selected Souchong (black tea originator), Yunnan Black Tea (a typical example of kung fu black tea), and Yingde Black Tea (one of the three famous black tea). For Oolong tea, we have carefully selected Tie Guanyin (a typical example of Minnan oolong tea with a 300-year history), Fenghuang Dancong (a typical example of Guangdong oolong tea), and Dahongpao (a famous national gift tea with a 300-year history). Souchong Tea black tea originator   Yunnan Black Tea a typical example of kung fu black tea     Yingde Black Tea one of the tree famous black tea     Tie Guanyin a typical example of Minnan oolong tea with a 300-year history     Fenghuang Dancong a tpyical example of Guangdong oolong tea     Dahongpao a famous national gift tea with a 300-year history    

The colors of tea leaves and tea soup are decided by natural substances. For example, black tea has different degrees of fermentation, which results in different ratios of theaflavins, thearubigins and theabrownins. The different ratios of these substances lead to various colors of black tea soup. Lightly fermented tea has more theaflavins and the color of the tea soup looks more like gold. Highly fermented tea has more thearubigins and the color of the tea soup looks more like red. Theaflavin is one of the oxidation products of polyphenol substances. Pure theaflavins are orange yellow and needle-like crystals. The water solution of theaflavins is bright orange yellow. Theaflavin is the main factor of the brightness of tea soup. In tea soup, the taste of theaflavins is strongly stimulating, sweet after taste and astringent. Thearubigin is a kind of complicated reddish-brown phenolic compound. The water solution of thearubigins is brown and red. Thearubigin is the main factor of the redness of tea soup. In tea soup, the taste of thearubigins is weakly stimulating. Thearubigins have a strong influence on the flavor, density and color of tea soup. Theabrownin is a kind of water-soluble, non-permeable and hyperpolymeric brown substance. The main components of theabrownins are polysaccharide, proteins, nucleic acids and polyphenol substances. Theabrownins are further oxidative and polymerized products of theaflavins and theaflavins. The color of theabrownin is dark brown. Theabrownin is the main factor of the darkness of tea soup. In tea soup, the taste of theabrownins is flat, slightly sweet and astringent. How to Determine the Type of Tea by Tea Broth Color？ Green Tea: Loose Leaf Green tea is unoxidized tea leaves, and its tea broth is usually bright green, or sometimes it may be light yellow.Yellow Tea: Yellow tea usually presents a pale yellow to light orange tea broth. It is a slightly oxidized tea, and the color of the tea broth is between green tea and oolong tea.White Tea: White tea is a very slightly or unoxidized tea with a pale yellow or light green color, reflecting the natural state of the tea leaves.Oolong tea: Loose leaf oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea, the color of the tea broth can range from light yellowish brown to dark reddish brown, depending on the production process and the degree of fermentation of the tea leaves.Black Tea: Loose leaf black tea usually has a reddish color and is sometimes referred to as black tea. This is because black tea is fully fermented. Dark Tea: The tea soup of dark tea usually has a dark reddish or brown color, which is usually deeper than black tea. The color of Ripe Pu-erh, a famous type of dark tea, may change depending on how long it has been stored.   It should be noted that the color of tea broth may vary among different brands, origins and grades of tea in the same category. Therefore, when using the color of tea broth as an indicator of tea tasting, it is best to consider it in conjunction with other factors, such as aroma, taste and leaf base. Tea tasting is a complex process, and it is best to develop sensitivity to the color of tea broth by trying different teas based on an understanding of the tea category. Some text and pictures are from other sources. If there is any infringement, please contact us.

Modern Terrace Tea Garden High Mountain Tea Garden Traditional Farming Tea Garden Wild Tea Garden Old Tree Tea Garden 1. Modern Terrace Tea Garden Modern Terrace tea gardens are tea gardens which are under modern management and aim at high yield. Tea trees of modern terrace tea gardens are densely planted in lines on slopes or mountains. From a distance, the tea tree groups look like steps. Most modern terrace tea gardens use asexual cutting propagation methods. This unique dense and high-yield tea planting method was created by English merchants and was originally used in India and Sri Lanka. Later it was introduced to China. Among modern terrace tea gardens, there are low altitude tea gardens and high mountain tea gardens. High Mountain Tea Garden Since ancient times, high mountains in mist are good places to produce high-quality tea. First, the vegetations on high mountains are lush and overgrown. The soils contain high level of organic matters and have adequate nutrition. Second, the air humidity in this kind of environment is high. It is beneficial to keep the softness of leaf buds. Third, the solar radiation on high mountains, which has abundant diffused and short-wave light, is different from solar radiation on plains. This sunlight condition is beneficial to the metabolism of nitrogen in tea trees, which promotes the accumulation of amino acids in tea leaves. Forth, there is a large temperature difference between day and night in high mountains. The high temperature in daytime promotes the photosynthesis, which helps to accumulate organic matters. The low temperature at night inhibits respiration and decreases energy consumption. It is useful to the accumulation of tea substances.There are two features of high mountain tea: 1. The most unique feature is the abundant amino acids in high mountain tea. Thus, high mountain tea has a high fragrance and a sweet and fresh flavor. 2. High mountain tea contains high level of tea substances and can be brewed for several times. 2. Traditional Farming Tea Garden Besides modern and densely planted terrace tea gardens, there is also a kind of traditional farming tea gardens. Compared with modern terrace tea gardens, the main feature of traditional farming gardens is the low planting density (one tea tree in an area of 6-8 m²). In this condition, tea trees grow in a relatively natural environment. The shapes of the tea trees are larger and the tea yield is lower. Tea trees in traditional farming tea gardens are sexual tea trees. These tea trees do not grow from tea tree branches. They grow from seeds. Among traditional farming tea gardens, there are wild tea gardens and old tree tea gardens. Due to little human intervention, wild tea and old tree tea are only picked once every year in spring. Wild Tea Garden There are wild tea trees grow on high mountains. For the convenience of tea pick, tea growers transplant the wild tea trees to their own tea gardens. This kind of tea garden is called wild tea garden. Old Tree Tea Garden Old tree tea gardens consist of tea trees more than 100 years old. These old tea trees have obvious main roots.