Page 99 - #57 English

Certainly, bitterness, aftertaste of sweetness and cleans- is a result of a similar processing with that
ing aroma are not all what tea has. of Pouchong tea, the least oxidized oolong.
Vocabulary for describing tea flavors might include Pouchong tea is a kind of Taiwan dark green
green grass, rose, gardenia, pear, peach, cream, nut, choco- tea, also known as oolong. But in the milk
late, cinnamon, sticky rice and chicken soup etc. China is tea community, Taiwan dark green tea
one of the biggest producers and consumers of tea in the mostly refers to Pouchong tea. Most
world, but we don’t seem to have looked into the flavors of Pouchong tea is featured with clean flowery
tea in a deep enough way. When we mention “Chinese Tea”, smells, such as Sijichun, which is a perfect
we are not really sure what tea we are talking about because choice for blending an oolong latte, and
of the big variety with their distinctive flavors. Qingxin oolong with orchid aroma.
While tea may fall into six broad categories, more types
can be further developed in each category; the complexity
might overwhelm anyone before he tries to learn about it. STRONG AND FRAGRANT
I would like to highlight three categories of tea based
on their flavor.

FRESH AND LIGHT

Dark green tea

This category covers most oolong teas.
Compared with other tea, oolong is
Green tea White tea Light-flavor distinctively featured with a heavy aroma
Tieguanyin tea and varied flavors, which is resulted from
the combination of its extremely complex
processing, kinds and origins. As we know,
These categories mostly cover green tea, white tea, yel- most Robusta bean is for instant coffee,
low tea, Pouchong tea and the light-flavor Tieguanyin tea. while Arabica for specialty coffee, like-
Those teas are popular with most northerners as simple wise, a variety of oolong teas with unique
and pure with a low degree of oxidation. They are perfect flavors have developed based on the types
for a big cup and long and repeated brewing would not affect of camellia sinensis, such as narcissus tea
the flavor too much as long as the right amount of tea is used. with orchid aroma, Jinxuan tea with milk
Green tea, for its freshness from plants, might come aroma, Aijiao oolong tea with peach aroma,
with light fragrance of green grass, flowers, fruits and chest- Cassia with heady aroma etc.. Wuyi rock
nut. Slurping the green tea would bring freshness and brisk- tea, more than any other oolong tea, has
ness of a chicken soup. particular flavors of different origins based
Freshness and briskness apply to white tea as well, only on where the tea bushes are located among
that they are less strong and astringent than in green tea. the seventy-two rocks in the thirty-six
Pekoe fragrance in white tea comes as simpler and more peaks of Wuyi mountain, which is the in-
elegant, and the tea infusion is thicker with stronger texture. teresting part with rock tea.
Abstract as the term of pekoe fragrance is, it is basically the Oolong tea can suit any taste. To name
clean and even hairy mouth feel. Indeed, the plucking of just a few, flowery aroma light-roasted
young tealeaves with much fine hairs produces good quality Queshe, fruity aroma medium-roasted Cas-
white tea of a high pekoe value. If green tea is a graceful sia, Oriental Beauty with honey and ripe
Shanghai lady, white tea, in comparison, is a gentle and fruit aroma, Ice Peak with nut and sesame
quiet girl of a southern water town. aroma, rice fragrant Tieguanyin, full-
Tieguanyin is a premium kind of Chinese oolong tea; its roasted Dahongpao with chocolate and
aroma, compared with that of green tea, is richer and more milk fragrance, Old Bush Narcissus with
unpredictable. Light-flavor Tieguanyin is featured with an wood freshness, Phoenix Single Bush with
elegant orchid aroma and a clean and sweet mouth feel, which strong flower aroma.

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