What Is Chinese Green Tea? Processing and Origins

When people think of Chinese tea, many may imagine oolong tea or Pu-erh tea, but about 70% of tea produced in China (1.138 million tonnes) is green tea. China has so much green tea that it is no exaggeration to say Chinese tea equals green tea.

Except for white tea, virtually every tea has a process called sha qing during production. Sha qing is the process of deactivating enzymes with heat. For oolong tea and black tea, it is used to stop fermentation by deactivating enzymes through heating; for green tea, it is used at the beginning of the process to prevent fermentation. Japanese tea is steamed, while Chinese green tea, oolong tea, and raw Pu-erh tea use pan-frying.

Green tea is produced across a wide area and in several provinces; Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangxi, and Fujian are generally well known.

How Chinese Green Tea Is Made

Green tea: withering (depending on the type, withering may or may not be carried out) → pan-frying → rolling → drying (hot air)

How Pan-Frying Works

In fact, in pan-frying, the leaves' enzymes are deactivated by steam generated as the tea is heated. If steam escapes during heating, evaporative cooling lowers the temperature and dries the leaves. For this reason, a large quantity of leaves is used so that the leaves themselves function as a lid and prevent steam from escaping.

Although pan-fired tea appears to have its enzymes stopped by the heat of the pan, they are actually stopped by steam. The key is to retain as much moisture as possible and steam the leaves with the vapor generated from them. In other words, pan-frying stops the enzymes in fundamentally the same way as steaming does for green tea, such as Japanese tea.

The difference is that steamed green tea uses steam supplied from outside, whereas pan-frying uses the tea's own steam.

The Relationship Between Plucking and Pan-Frying

How tea is plucked greatly affects pan-frying. Uniformity is important: if the standard is one bud and two leaves, every leaf should be one bud and two leaves; if it is one bud and four leaves, every leaf should be one bud and four leaves. When young leaves such as one bud and two leaves are mixed with more developed leaves such as one bud and four leaves, their moisture contents differ and they cannot be heated evenly in pan-frying. Heat must then be set for the larger leaves, excessively heating the young leaves and causing their fresh flavor to be lost.

As the plucking season becomes later, tea leaves contain less moisture. Unlike steamed green tea such as Sencha, which receives steam from outside, pan-fired tea has its enzymes stopped by moisture within the leaves. Thus, when leaves have low moisture, the same pan-frying temperature produces insufficient steam. Producers compensate by heating at a higher temperature, so even little moisture produces enough steam. As a result, the tea takes on a roasted-bean-like flavor. First-flush tea with ample moisture generates enough steam even at a lower temperature, so heat can be kept to a minimum and the tea retains its original floral flavor.

Green Teas Finished with Final Firing

Final charcoal firing is a feature of Ming-dynasty green-tea production, and green teas that follow this method can still be found throughout China.

Types and Origins of Chinese Green Tea

Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea (Hangzhou, Zhejiang)

Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea is made by pan-frying while pressing the leaves against the pan. Its leaves are therefore characteristically flat, and the tea has a faintly roasted flavor.

This does not mean Longjing tea from other regions is poor, but Longjing is also the name of a village in Hangzhou, and in China Longjing tea is defined as tea from Hangzhou. This is like the rule that only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region may use the name Champagne.

There are two kinds of Longjing tea: Longjing No. 43 and seed-grown tea. Longjing No. 43 is an improved cultivar grown from cuttings. This improved cultivar can be harvested early and tends to command a high market price as early tea. In terms of quality, however, seed-grown Longjing tea is superior and stands out in deliciousness. Cultivars grown from cuttings develop a network of roots near the soil surface, readily absorb fertilizer, grow quickly, and can be harvested early in spring.

By contrast, seed-grown tea sends roots deep into the ground like burdock, which suits mineral absorption, and grows very slowly. Its harvest comes later, and in old-tree or high-elevation gardens it is not uncommon for the first flush to be harvested after Qingming. Longjing is generally considered best when plucked before Qingming, but this concept does not apply to unfertilized seed-grown tea.

For more on Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea, see “Discover the long-lasting flavor profile of 2023 Shi Feng Long Jing”.

Bi Luo Chun (Dongting Shan, Jiangsu)

Bi Luo Chun is produced around Lake Tai, centered on Dongting Shan in Jiangsu Province. This area has a warm, humid climate and fertile soil, providing ideal conditions for tea cultivation. Dongting Shan is divided into East Dongting Shan and West Dongting Shan; Bi Luo Chun from East Dongting Shan in particular is known for high quality.

Bi Luo Chun is plucked in early spring when young shoots begin to emerge. It is characterized by its curling shape and fine white down. Its green, slender leaves are rolled in spirals, giving it the name Bi Luo Chun, or “green spiral spring.” Its aroma is sweet like flowers, its taste is refreshing, and it has a faint citrus-like fruit flavor.

The production process is very delicate. Fresh hand-plucked leaves are carefully hand-rolled and then dried at a low temperature of 60–70°C. This process creates Bi Luo Chun's characteristic aroma and flavor.

For more on Bi Luo Chun, see “Bi Luo Chun: Exquisite Green Tea from East Dongting Shan”.

Taiping Houkui (Huangshan, Anhui)

Taiping Houkui is one Chinese green tea with many devoted but less visible followers. It is one of China's representative green teas, made in villages in the Huangshan mountains of Anhui Province.

The leaves are long and flat, looking at first glance like pressed flowers. This appearance often leads people to think that Taiping Houkui uses especially large leaves. In fact, the leaves used do not differ greatly from those of other teas. Its distinctive appearance results from plucking after the leaves have grown relatively large and from a special rolling method. Rather than rolling with a rotary motion as for other teas, the leaves are arranged like pressed flowers and pressed from above with a roller.

A major difference from other green teas is that it uses charcoal fire for pan-frying and again for roasting, a processing method that brings out a transparent flavor.

Taiping Houkui is generally described as having an orchid-like flavor, but in fact its flavor depends greatly on the degree of pan-frying and charcoal roasting. When these processes use stronger heat, a somewhat sweet flavor reminiscent of hard candy is strongly felt; when the heat is gentler, the orchid-like flavor is stronger.

For more on Taiping Houkui, see “New Release of Taiping Houkui 2017”.

Meng Ding Gan Lu (Sichuan)

Meng Ding Gan Lu may not be a familiar name, but it is known as the first green tea made in China, with a history said to date back to the era of the Three Kingdoms.

Meng Ding Gan Lu is one of Sichuan's representative green teas and, by its shape, is classified as a green tea called Maofeng. China has many types of green tea, but Maofeng tea has slender, soft leaves densely covered with white down.

Pan-frying may bring roasted aroma to mind, but carefully made pan-fired green tea harmonizes a vivid green-tea flavor with floral flavor, creating an elegant flavor as if drinking high-quality Sencha.

Green Tea from Yunnan Province

Yunnan has much excellent naturally cultivated tea grown without any pesticides or fertilizer, but good raw material is often processed into Pu-erh tea, white tea, or black tea, so Yunnan green tea is not very well known. In fact, green-tea consumption in Yunnan is surprisingly high, and even in Pu-erh-producing areas green tea is almost always served in restaurants in town. Most of these green teas, however, are steamed green teas made with steam, like Japanese tea.

In general, green-tea production requires skilled technicians and well-equipped green-tea facilities, especially drying equipment. For this reason, farmers making Pu-erh tea in the mountains of Yunnan do not consider making green tea; even if they did, production would not be realistic because they lack drying equipment.

Tea-making technology in Yunnan is not as developed as in other provinces, so the types of tea that can be produced are limited. Nevertheless, because excellent raw material is available, we conduct various trials locally with producers and work to create products unlike ordinary Yunnan tea.

For more on green tea from Yunnan Province, see “Yunnan Chun Jian Green Tea from High Mountain Gardens”.

Green Tea from Phoenix Mountain (Guangdong)

Phoenix Mountain and Wuyi Mountain have tea trees more than 400 years old. Phoenix Mountain in particular still has tea trees said to be 900 years old. Historical records related to tea state that oolong tea became widespread in China in the 1600s. Before oolong tea began to be made, green tea was made on Phoenix Mountain.

HOJO's Approach to Chinese Green Tea

Over the 20 years since founding a tea company, I have visited tea-producing regions everywhere, and I am convinced that Yunnan Province is the world's finest source of tea raw material. In particular, the mountain area of Lincang is high country around 2,000 meters, with naturally cultivated tea gardens managed without fertilizer or pesticides scattered across the mountains. Moreover, the areas of Yongde and Zhenkang County where we purchase tea have many old trees more than 300 years old. No other tea-producing region has an area meeting these growing conditions.

These three conditions (high elevation, natural cultivation, and old trees) all slow the growth of tea trees, so leaves grow slowly over time. During this process, their cell structure becomes dense and components such as minerals and polyphenols accumulate firmly inside. Such leaves yield a dense liquor with a long-lasting taste and lingering finish.

When nitrogen fertilizer is used, tea grows quickly, giving it a thin taste and a shallow flavor.

We purchase tea grown without fertilizer and comply with EU standards regarding pesticides. Because unfertilized tea leaves grow slowly over time, they have high cell density, a rich aftertaste, and a long lingering finish.

In general, quality is inversely related to rainfall. When there is little rain, tea grows slowly over time and becomes dense in cellular structure and rich in components. When there is much rain, trees and roots grow, components are drawn back from the leaves, and the tea has a light taste.

Because I handle only first-flush tea and much of the raw material has strong character, I finish it using a pan-type rather than a drum-type pan-frying machine.

Green tea is often thought to oxidize quickly and develop an unpleasant stale odor, but this deterioration results from aerobic storage or exposure to sunlight. When stored long-term under anaerobic, low-temperature conditions, it changes almost not at all in about one year, and even professionals cannot distinguish new from old tea. After two to three years, its color takes on a faint yellow tinge. There is no deterioration in the freshness of its flavor or in its taste; the observed changes are that its flavor becomes more fruit-like and its taste becomes rounder.

How to Brew Chinese Green Tea

As a brewing method, you may brew 4–5 g in 200 ml for about one minute as with ordinary Chinese green tea. To follow the local method, you may also use gongfu style: rinse the leaves twice to raise their temperature sufficiently, then brew 5 g in about 100 ml of hot water within a few seconds.

Taiping Houkui is not a tea focused on umami from nitrogen fertilizer, but a tea for enjoying the clean taste and flavor of polyphenols. We therefore recommend brewing it briefly with boiling water to fully bring out its flavor. Its leaves are also very beautiful, so brewing the leaves in a glass with boiling water is a popular way of drinking it in the producing area. Even ordinary glass can withstand boiling water; it need not be heat-resistant glass.

Wine glasses, however, often use materials that greatly affect tea's taste. If choosing one, we recommend lead-free crystal. Ordinary crystal glasses increase roundness, or body, but cut the aftertaste and introduce off-tastes, so we do not recommend them.

Chinese green tea is good brewed with hot water, but is also very enjoyable cold brewed. For cold brewing, simply add 5 g of leaves to one liter of water and leave it for several hours.

For more on brewing, see “New Release of Taiping Houkui 2017”.