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The six types of Chinese tea
All six types of Chinese tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. What separates them is processing — specifically, how much the leaf is allowed to oxidise and whether it is fixed, rolled, roasted or piled. White tea is the least processed; dark tea is post-fermented. Fujian is the origin for four of the six as export categories: white, oolong, black and scented green.
| Type | Oxidation | Defining step | Fujian example | HS heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | Minimal, natural | Wither and dry only | Bai Mu Dan, Fuding | 0902.20 / 0902.10 |
| Green | None | Fixation (kill-green) then roll and dry | Fujian green; gunpowder is Zhejiang | 0902.20 / 0902.10 |
| Yellow | None, then yellowing | Green process plus a sealed yellowing rest | — | 0902.20 / 0902.10 |
| Oolong | Partial | Bruise, partial oxidation, fix, roll, roast | Bai Ya Qi Lan, Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao | 0902.40 / 0902.30 |
| Black | Full | Wither, roll, full oxidation, dry | Lapsang Souchong, Tanyang Gongfu | 0902.40 / 0902.30 |
| Dark | Post-fermented | Green process plus microbial pile fermentation | — | 0902.40 / 0902.30 |
Guide
What does fixation do?
Fixation — sha qing, kill-green — applies heat to the fresh leaf to stop the enzymes that drive oxidation. Green tea is fixed immediately, so it stays green. Oolong is fixed part-way through oxidation. Black tea is never fixed; it oxidises fully and is dried. White tea skips the step entirely, which is why its grade is set in the field.
Why does the tariff only see two groups?
Heading 0902 asks one question — fermented or not — and one more, packing size. White, green and yellow tea are not fermented and take 0902.10 and 0902.20. Oolong, black and dark tea are fermented or partly fermented and take 0902.30 and 0902.40. Six categories, four subheadings.
Which types does Fujian produce for export?
White tea from Fuding and Zhenghe, oolong from Pinghe, Anxi and Wuyishan, black tea from Tongmu and Fu'an, jasmine-scented green from Fuzhou, and unscented green from Ningde, Nanping and Fuzhou. Fujian ships two thirds of China's oolong exports and ranks first in China for scented tea.
Is oolong or pu-erh the better tea?
Neither is better; they are different categories. Oolong is partly oxidised tea, floral to roasted, made mainly in Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan. Pu-erh is a dark tea from Yunnan, either aged slowly as raw (sheng) pu-erh or post-fermented quickly as ripe (shou) pu-erh, with an earthy, deep cup.
Choose oolong for aroma and a range from fresh to toasty; choose pu-erh for earthiness and the changes that come with age. Both contain caffeine, both are brewed near boiling, and both give many infusions.
Frequently asked
How many types of Chinese tea are there?
Six: white, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark. They are defined by processing, not by plant variety.
Is jasmine tea a seventh type?
No. Jasmine tea is a green tea base scented with fresh blossom; it is a scented tea, not a separate category.
What is the least processed tea?
White tea — withered and dried only, with no fixation, rolling or roasting.
Can the colour of dry leaves or liquor identify a tea type by itself?
No. Leaf and liquor colour can offer clues, but cultivar, harvest, processing, roast, storage and brewing all change appearance. A dark leaf is not automatically black tea, and a pale liquor is not automatically low in caffeine. Identify the category from the documented process and specification, then use appearance as a consistency check.
Is puer tea the same category as oolong tea?
No. Oolong is defined by partial oxidation and its own shaping and firing traditions. Puer is a Yunnan tea category associated with specific raw materials and processing, including raw and ripe styles. Both can develop complex aromas, but they should not be merged in specifications, labels or sensory benchmarks.
What plant does green tea come from?
All green tea comes from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis — the same plant as white, oolong, black and dark tea. What makes it green is processing: the fresh leaf is heated soon after picking, by pan-firing or steaming, to stop oxidation.
Are green tea and matcha the same?
Matcha is a kind of green tea. The leaves are shaded for several weeks before harvest, steamed, dried and stone-ground to a fine powder that is whisked into water and drunk whole. Ordinary green tea is steeped as leaves and the leaves are removed, so matcha tastes richer and delivers more of the leaf per serving.
What is authentic or natural green tea?
Authentic green tea is tea from the Camellia sinensis plant processed as green tea, with nothing added. “Natural green tea” is a marketing phrase rather than a regulated category; if a drink contains flavourings, sugar or other plants, the ingredient list will say so.
What is Longjing tea?
Longjing, or Dragon Well, is a famous pan-fired green tea from Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. Its flat, smooth leaves give a sweet, nutty, chestnut-like cup. “Long Chen” and “Lung Ching” are other spellings of the same name.
What is Japanese green tea, and what are sencha and bancha?
Most Japanese green tea is steamed rather than pan-fired, giving a grassy, marine, bright-green cup. Sencha is the everyday standard; bancha is a later-harvest, larger-leaf green tea that is milder and generally lower in caffeine; matcha and gyokuro are shaded teas.
What green tea is drunk in Algeria and Morocco?
Chinese gunpowder green tea, brewed strong with fresh mint and sugar. Algeria is one of the ten largest destinations for Chinese tea by value, and North African mint tea is the reason gunpowder is exported in such volume.
Is mint green tea real tea?
Mint green tea is green tea with added mint, so it contains caffeine. Mint on its own is an herbal infusion and caffeine-free. North African mint tea is the best-known mint green tea.
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