What are the main categories of black tea in China?

YuanJia131

Traditional production areas are concentrated in Anhui (Qimen), Yunnan (western Yunnan), Fujian (Zhenghe, Tanyang), Hubei (Yichang) and other places. It is also introduced in countries such as India and Sri Lanka. However, Chinese black tea is benchmarked by "Zhengshan Xiaozhong", "Qihong" and "Dianhong".

1. Qimen black tea: one of the traditional Chinese Gongfu black teas and one of the three major high aroma teas in the world, created in 1875. Qi Hong is the most outstanding and fragrant among all, renowned for its high fragrance and unparalleled reputation. It is internationally known as the "Qi Men Xiang" (a fragrance with unique regional flavors such as floral, fruity, and honey aromas, and some say it resembles rose and woody scents) and won a gold medal at the Panama International Exposition in 1915.

2. Jinjunmei: It is a kind of black tea of Zhengshan race, mainly produced in Tongmuguan, Mount Wuyi, Fujian. Founded in 2005, it is named after its golden color, founder name Liang Junde, and finished tea mushrooms that resemble eyebrows. It is a black tea with the quality characteristics of "golden soup color, sweet soup, and sweet aroma".

3. Dianhong: Successfully developed in Fengqing, Yunnan in 1939 (formerly Shunning Tea Factory, later Fengqing Tea Factory). Due to different drying methods, it can be divided into sun dried red and baked red. The former has a richer taste, while the latter highlights the aroma. Secondly, there is a type of wild black tea (made from wild tea trees in Yunnan), which has a reddish and grayish color on the dry tea leaves, and is clearly different from other Yunnan red teas. The soup aroma of wild black tea is mainly fruity and woody, while traditional Yunnan red tea is mostly floral, and the former is more intense.

4. Jiuqu Hongmei: produced in Zhejiang Province, with a curved and tight appearance resembling a hook, second only to West Lake Longjing in terms of fame.

5. Yingde black tea: produced in Yingde City, Guangdong Province. In the 1990s, the "Golden Hair Tea" in English German black tea was successfully developed and was hailed as the "Oriental Golden Beauty". The tea soup of English German black tea exhibits a complex aroma of sweetness and orchid fragrance, which is more pronounced in the processing of fresh tea leaves from the English Red No. 9 variety.

6. Tanyang Gongfu: mainly produced in Fu'an, Tuorong and other places in Fujian. The trial production was successful in the 37th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1698). In the eleventh year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1746), Tanyang Gongfu tea further innovated and opened up the European market, becoming the main beverage for royal afternoon tea in Britain and other countries. In 2022, it will be listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

7. Zunyi Red: a famous Gongfu black tea product mainly produced in Meitan, Guizhou. It was successfully developed in the 1840s based on Qianhong and has the quality characteristics of "tender, sweet, fragrant, fresh and refreshing taste". The shelf life is 2 years.

8. Ninghong: Produced in Jiangxi and created during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu, treasures from Ninghong were presented as tribute.

9. Yihong Gongfu (Yichang Gongfu): produced in Yichang and Enshi, Hubei Province, it is recorded to have been created during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. The rope is tight and fine, with a high aroma and mellow taste.