classification
◆ Processing classification
According to the processing method and the shape of the tea produced, it can generally be divided into three categories: small black tea, Gongfu black tea, black broken tea, and black tea tea.
Small species black tea: Small species black tea is the oldest black tea and the originator of other black teas. Other black teas are evolved from small species black tea. It is divided into Zhengshan small species and Outer Mountain small species, both of which are native to Wuyishan area.
- Zhengshan Xiaozong: produced in the Tongmuguan area of Xingcun Town, Wuyishan City, so it is also called “Xingcun Xiaozong” or “Tongmuguan Xiaozong”. [1]
- Outer Mountain Species: Mainly produced in Zhenghe, Tanyang, Gutian, Shaxian and other places in Fujian, and also produced in Qianshan, Jiangxi in 2013.
Broken black tea: Broken black tea can be subdivided into leaf tea, broken tea, flake tea, and end tea according to its appearance. The origin is widely distributed in Yunnan, Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi, mainly for export.
Instant black tea: Instant black tea is a processed product of tea. It uses pure natural tea raw materials, extracts and concentrates the essence of tea through modern biotechnology, and then dries and sprays to form nanoscale granular solids that can quickly dissolve in water. Solid drink. Sometimes also known as black tea, instant black tea.
Mabian Kung Fu: Mabian Kung Fu is a black tea upstart, created by Sichuan Mabian Jinxing Tea Factory. Sichuan leaflet species at an altitude of 1200-1500 meters are used as raw materials and refined by combining Kung Fu black tea craftsmanship from various places.
◆ Specification classification
Black tea is divided into different specifications according to the location of the tea leaves on the tea tree and the shape of the finished tea leaves.
● Pekoe (Pekoe referred to as P): Pekoe
Broken pekoe (BP): shredded or incomplete pekoe
Fannings (F for short): refers to a thin slice smaller than broken pekoe.
● Souchong (S for short): Souchong tea
● Tea powder (Dust abbreviation D): tea powder or matcha
● Crush Tear Curl Black Tea (CTC)
Four varieties
Qimen Black Tea – China
Qimen black tea, referred to as Qi Hong, is a treasure of traditional Chinese Kung Fu black tea. It is a famous historical tea. It was produced in the late 19th century and is one of the three major high-flavor teas in the world. It has the reputation of “Hero in Tea”, “The Best of Qunfang”, and “Prince Tea”. Qimen black tea is divided into grades 1 to 7 according to its quality. It is mainly produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province, and is also produced in small quantities in the adjacent counties of Shitai, Dongzhi, Yixian County, and Guichi. It is mainly exported to dozens of countries and regions such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and Russia. It has been a state tea in China for many years. [4]
Darjeeling Black Tea – India
Darjeeling black tea is produced in the Darjeeling Plateau in the foothills of the Himalayas in the northern part of West Bengal Province, India. It is one of the four major black teas in the world. Darjeeling black tea is the best quality of No. 2 tea from May to June, and is known as “Champagne in Black Tea”. Darjeeling black tea has a high status. The No. 1 tea in March and April is mostly turquoise OP, and the No. 2 tea is golden FOP. Its soup is orange-yellow and has a fragrant and elegant smell. The top-grade Darjeeling black tea especially has a grape aroma and a delicate and soft taste. It is suitable for drinking in spring and autumn, and is also suitable for making milk tea, iced tea and various fancy teas. Its craftsmanship was brought by the craftsmen of Zhengshan Xiaozong at that time and transformed to form.
Uba – Sri Lanka
The most famous black tea in the Ceylon Highlands is Uwo tea. It is produced on the eastern side of the mountainous belt of Sri Lanka and is one of the four major black teas in the world. The eastern side of the mountainous belt of Sri Lanka is filled with perennial clouds. Due to the fact that the northeast monsoon blowing in winter brings more rainfall (November to February of the following year), which is not conducive to the production of tea gardens, the quality of tea obtained from July to September is the best. On the west side, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon rain in summer (May-August), the Timbura and Nuwara Eliya teas produced are best harvested from January to March.
Assam Black Tea – India
Assam black tea, produced in the Assam Valley in the foothills of the Assam Himalayas in northeastern India. The local sunshine is strong, and another tree needs to be moderately shaded for the tea tree; due to the rich rainfall, it promotes the flourishing of the tropical Assam large-leaved tea tree. The quality is the best when picked in June-July, but the autumn tea produced in October-November is more fragrant. Assam black tea, the tea leaves are thin and flat in shape, and the color is dark brown; the soup is dark red and slightly brown, with a faint malt and rose fragrance, and the taste is strong, which is a strong tea. [5]
Other varieties
Jiuqu Hongmei, referred to as “Jiuqu Hong”, also known as “Jiuqu Oolong”, is a treasure in black tea and a traditional knock-out product in Xihu District. Its main origin is Hubu, Shangbao, Dalin, Zhangyu, Fengjia, Lingshan, Shejing, Renqiao, Shangyang and Xiayang areas in Zhoupu Township, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The natural environment there is very suitable for the growth and quality of tea trees. Among them, Jiuqu Hongmei produced in Dawu Mountain in Hubu is of the best quality. Jiuqu Hongmei is one of the ten famous teas in Hangzhou “Nine Green and One Red”. According to historical records, Jiuqu Hongmei has a history of more than 100 years. It is made by hand using the local Longjing tea tree species and through the unique production process of the local people. Jiuqu Hongmei was named a national famous tea at the West Lake Expo in 1929, and was appraised as the top grade of national Gongfu black tea by the Tea Quality Inspection Center of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1992. It can be compared with many famous green tea products, which can be described as “a little red in the green bush”.
Litchi black tea is a popular fruit black tea. It is dried from litchi and black tea grown in the Organic Ecological Park and baked over a light fire. It is mainly produced in Guangdong and Fujian, China. In the process of drying fresh lychees into dried fruit, Kung Fu black tea is used as the material, low temperature for a long time, and combined with smoking. [17]
Fujian Guangze Zhengshan small black tea was created in the 16th century and was once known as a “sky-shaped brand”. It was exported to Europe and became a high-end drink for the British royal family. It became famous at home and abroad. In 1662, the dowry of two boxes of black tea by Princess Catherine of Portugal originated from the ancient tea-producing area of Gankeng. In 2018, the production skills of Gankeng black tea were included in the fifth batch of representative lists of municipal intangible cultural heritage. In January 2022, it was selected into the seventh batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage lists.