Types of Chinese Green Tea
- The best of all Chinese green teas are the Moyunes from Anhui province. They're said to be toasty, rich and tender. The second best are the Tienkais, which have the flavor but not the body of the Moyunes. The two major styles of Chinese green tea is Gunpowder, which is good quality tea rolled into balls, and Young Hyson, which is good tea twisted into a long leaf. Imperial is an older leaf used like Gunpowder but more loosely rolled. Hyson is like Young Hyson but with older and poorer leaf. To enhance the fragrance of green tea it's sometimes mixed with orange flower buds, chrysanthemum or jasmine.
- Variations of Chinese green tea are Cloud Mist, which is usually drunk in the afternoon. The plant is grown on high mountain cliffs and the leaves plucked by trained monkeys. Dragon Well is light in color and has a fresh taste. This tea came from Dragon Well Village near the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. Dragon Beard, also known as Dragon's Whiskers, is another popular green tea. Eyes of Longevity is served between meals, and Fragrant Petals is served at parties for friends and relatives.
- Swong Yuck tea is a green tea made from young mulberry leaves. Silver Needle is served at banquets and Water Nymph is a light tea served at midmorning. Green Snail Spring tea is a very sought after Chinese green tea. It's grown around Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. It gets its name because the tea is green, curled like a snail when it's finished and is harvested in spring. It has a fruity taste and a flowery fragrance so strong that some connoisseurs called it "Scary Fragrance Tea." Melon Seed Tea also comes from Anhui province. It got its name from the shape of the processed tea leaves. For this tea the second tea leaf and not the bud is used.
- Hairy Tip tea is an award winning tea from Xinyang in Henan Province and has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. It has a sweet, light grassy fragrance. Monkey King tea is grown in Anhui province high in the mountains. In the case of this tea the long leaves of the tree are picked instead of the buds. The finished tea smells like orchid blossoms.
