As someone from Fujian, the birthplace of many important Chinese teas, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to taste six different green teas from various provinces all at once.
About iTeaworld:
iTeaworld is a company with over 20 years of experience in the Chinese tea industry, involved in both production and sales. In 2022, iTeaworld officially launched its brand internationally, offering a premium Chinese tea experience to tea lovers around the world through its independent website.
iTeaworld focuses on helping tea beginners by offering specially designed educational tea sets that systematically guide users through understanding the types, qualities, and subtle differences of tea.
As far as I know, the main flavor differences in Chinese green tea are due to processing methods. There are nearly 100 types of Chinese green tea, but the core processes are only four: roasted green tea, sun-dried green tea, steamed green tea, and stir-fried green tea. Understanding these processes helps you grasp the basic flavor characteristics of green tea.
Tea Brewing Steps:
#1 Warm the teapot – Pour hot water into the teapot to warm it up, which helps release the aroma of the tea.
#2 Add tea – Place the tea leaves into the teapot or gaiwan.
#3 Rinse the leaves – Add hot water to open up the tea leaves.
#4 Wake the tea – Discard the rinse water and let the tea leaves rest for a moment.
#5 Brew the tea – Pour hot water into the teapot and brew the green tea, then pour it into a serving cup.
#6 Serve the tea – Pour the brewed tea into cups and serve to guests.
Introducing the Green Teas:
Old Tree Green Tea – Sun-Dried Process – Yellowish Tea Color
This tea comes from old trees that are over 30 years old. The leaves are thicker, with more stems. It has a sweet taste with a slight bitterness, though the bitterness doesn't linger too long. When brewing, there’s more tea residue.
Li Hua Green Tea – Scented Tea Process – Whitish Tea Color
From the moment you open the package, you’ll be greeted by the light scent of jasmine. After warming the teapot and rinsing the leaves, the jasmine fragrance lingers in the air. This tea might be my favorite! It has fewer stems and larger leaves.
Made from high-altitude large-leaf tea from Yunnan, it has a rich, fragrant aroma. This jasmine tea is scented seven times (most jasmine teas are scented 2-3 times), which makes its fragrance incredibly strong. It’s made from pure buds and was harvested as fresh tea in April 2024. The taste is refreshing with a sweet aftertaste.
Longjing – Stir-Fried Process
One of China’s most famous tea types, Longjing has large, flat leaves with very few stems. The tea is nearly free of residue during brewing. It has a fragrant, nutty aroma and a full-bodied sweetness, with a strong aftertaste.
Handcrafted by a tea master with 30 years of experience, iTeaworld selects tea leaves picked after the Qingming festival. Though the taste doesn’t differ much from pre-Qingming tea, it’s more affordable. The tea is grown at higher elevations (900-1000 meters) and has a fresh, nutty aroma and a rich, sweet, and refreshing taste. Harvested in April 2024.
Huangshan Maofeng – Roasted Green Tea Process
This tea has long, thin leaves with a bitter taste at first, but it has a sweet aftertaste. The liquor is slightly yellow and clear.
It’s from the core production area of Huangshan Maofeng, grown at over 800 meters above sea level. The tea has a more intense aroma and is harvested directly from local tea farmers. It has a distinct mountain flavor with a hint of orchid fragrance. One bud, two leaves, harvested during the Grain Rain season in April 2024.
Bi Luo Chun – Famous Tea for Over 1,000 Years
One of China’s top ten teas, Bi Luo Chun has thin, tightly curled leaves that resemble spirals. It’s rich, sweet, and has a long-lasting aftertaste.
iTeaworld chooses tea from Xidongting Mountain, where tea trees and fruit trees grow together. Made by a tea master with over 30 years of experience, this tea has a floral and fruity fragrance, with a fresh, full-bodied, sweet taste and a lingering aftertaste. One bud, one leaf, picked before the Qingming Festival in April 2024.
En Shi Yu Lu – The Only Steamed Green Tea in China
This tea looks like pine needles, and personally, I find its taste to be quite bitter with no sweet aftertaste.
It comes from the core production area, where the tea trees are grown collectively. Purchased directly from local farmers, it has a strong seaweed aroma and a rich, fresh taste. One bud, one leaf, harvested in April 2024.
