Hello tea friends! Welcome back to the tea table.

If you’ve ever wondered why a cup of Green Tea tastes grassy and fresh while a cup of Black Tea tastes malty and sweet—even though they come from the exact same plant (Camellia sinensis)—the answer lies in the art of processing.

For the amateur tea lover, understanding these techniques is the “lightbulb moment” that transforms how you taste. It changes a sip of tea from “this tastes good” to “I can taste the roasting process here.”

Today, let’s explore the alchemy of tea making. We will learn the essential Chinese terms for these techniques and look at how they are applied to create the six major families of tea.

The Tea Maker’s Toolkit: Key Chinese Terminology

Before we dive into specific tea types, let’s look at the fundamental steps used in Chinese tea production. Think of these as the ingredients in a recipe—how a tea master mixes and matches these steps determines the final tea.

• Cǎi Zhāi (采摘) - Picking: The harvest. This ranges from picking only the delicate buds (for high-grade teas) to picking larger, mature leaves.

• Wěi Diāo (萎凋) - Withering: Laying the leaves out (under the sun or indoors) to let moisture evaporate. The leaves become soft and pliable, and the aroma begins to develop.

• Shā Qīng (杀青) - Kill-Green: A crucial step! High heat (pan-frying, steaming, or baking) is applied to stop enzymes from oxidizing the leaf. This “fixes” the green color and grassy flavor.

• Róu Niǎn (揉捻) - Rolling: The leaves are rolled into strips or pearls. This breaks the cell walls, releasing essential oils and juices to the surface, which improves the flavor extraction when you brew.

• Fā Jiào (发酵) - Oxidation/Fermentation:

• Technically, for most teas, this is enzymatic oxidation (like an apple turning brown).

• For Dark Teas (Hei Cha), this refers to actual microbial fermentation.

• Gān Zào (乾燥) - Drying: The final removal of moisture (roasting or baking) to make the tea shelf-stable and lock in the flavor.

1. Green Tea (Lǜ Chá)

The Art of Preservation

Green tea is all about freshness. The goal is to keep the leaf as close to its natural state as possible.

• The Process: Picking Kill-Green (Shā Qīng) Rolling Drying.
• How it works: The defining characteristic of Green tea is the immediate application of Shā Qīng (Kill-Green). By applying heat right after picking (or a short wither), the tea master halts oxidation immediately.
• Tasting Note: Because the enzymes are killed early, the leaves stay green and the flavor remains vegetal, savory, or nutty, without the sweet/fruity notes that come from oxidation.

2. White Tea (Bái Chá)

The Art of Patience

White tea is the least processed of all teas, but don’t mistake “simple” for “easy.” It requires distinct control of the environment.

• The Process: Picking Withering (Wěi Diāo) Drying.
• How it works: There is no killing of the green and no rolling. The leaves are simply picked and allowed to wither for a long period (sometimes up to 3 days). Slight, natural oxidation happens during this long wither, but it is not forced.
• Tasting Note: Because the leaves aren’t rolled or fried, the flavor is subtle, delicate, and sweet, often tasting like dried hay, flowers, or melon.

6. Yellow Tea (Huáng Chá)

The Art of Smothering

Yellow tea is historically a tribute tea, famous for its scarcity and complexity. It starts like a Green tea but adds a unique “sweltering” step that mellows the flavor.

• The Process: Picking Kill-Green (Shā Qīng) Mèn Huáng (闷黄) Drying.

• How it works: After the “Kill-Green” step stops the enzymes, the warm, damp tea leaves are wrapped in special paper or cloth and piled up. This process is called Mèn Huáng (literally “Sealing Yellow” or “Smothering”).

• The trapped heat and moisture cause a very slow, non-enzymatic oxidation (mild fermentation). The leaves re-absorb their own aromas and turn from bright green to a yellowish-green.

• Tasting Note: The sharp, grassy notes of Green tea are removed, replaced by a smooth, mellow sweetness. It often tastes like sweet corn, toasted grains, or fresh bamboo, with a silky texture that is very gentle on the stomach.

4. Oolong Tea (Wū Lóng Chá)

The Art of Balance

Oolong is the most technically demanding tea to produce. It sits between Green and Black tea, falling within a semi-oxidized spectrum (usually 15% to 85%).

• The Process: Withering Yáo Qīng (Rocking/Shaking) Kill-Green Rolling Roasting.
• How it works: The magic step here is Yáo Qīng (Rocking). The tea master shakes the bamboo trays, causing the leaves to bruise against each other. This bruising starts oxidation only on the edges of the leaves (which turn red) while the center remains green. Once the desired aroma appears (often floral or fruity), they apply high heat to stop the process.
• Tasting Note: This complex process creates incredible aromatic bouquets—orchids, cream, lilacs, or fruit—combined with a creamy body.

5. Red Tea (Hóng Chá)

The Art of Transformation

In China, this is called Red Tea due to the color of the soup. It is fully oxidized.

• The Process: Withering Rolling Oxidation (Fā Jiào) Drying.
• How it works: After withering, the leaves are rolled aggressively to break down cells and expose juices to oxygen. They are then left in a warm, humid environment to fully oxidize. The leaf turns from green to coppery red/brown.
• Tasting Note: The grassy notes vanish, replaced by robust flavors of malt, honey, dark chocolate, and stone fruits.

6. Black Tea / Pu-erh (Hēi Chá)

The Art of Time

This is the only category that undergoes true microbial fermentation, similar to wine or yogurt.

• The Process: Kill-Green Rolling Wò Duī (Wet Piling) Drying Aging.
• How it works: The leaves are piled up in a heap, moistened, and covered with thermal blankets. This process, Wò Duī, encourages beneficial bacteria and fungi to ferment the tea leaves over several weeks or months.
• Tasting Note: This fermentation removes bitterness and astringency, resulting in a soup that is thick, smooth, and earthy, often with notes of wood, moss, or mushroom.

Key Techniques Summary