I’m a person who knows what I like and who doesn’t hesitate to say so. I’m also a person who knows that other people have their own preferences.
Sometimes, being so vocal about what I like is taken by them as more of a dictate, dissing their choices. Purely unintentional. One person stating an opinion is not a put down of others. We all have our own tastes and, thanks to the wonderful variety that is tea, we can all find something that satisfies.
Tree of Tea Varieties (not necessarily complete)
| Type | Country of Origin / Region | Tea |
| Black | China | Keemun |
| Lapsang Souchong | ||
| Czar Nicolas Russian Caravan | ||
| Yunnan Gold | ||
| Nine Bend Black Dragon | ||
| Lychee Congou | ||
| India — Darjeeling | various estates | |
| Flushes — first, second, monsoon, autumn | ||
| India — Assam | Orthodox and CTC versions | |
| various estates | ||
| blends | ||
| India — Nilgiri | CTC and orthodox (Orange Pekoe) versions | |
| blends | ||
| Japan | some black teas being produced but not too common | |
| Ceylon | Estate teas (Sylvakandy, Lovers Leap, etc.) | |
| Blends | ||
| Taiwan | Black Jade Taiwan Tea TTES #18 | |
| Kenya | Kambaa Estate Tea | |
| Blends | ||
| Malawi | ||
| Mauritius | CTC blends | |
| Mozambique | ||
| Rwanda | McLeod Russel | |
| Yorkshire Gold | ||
| South Africa | Kwazulu Tea | |
| Tanzania | CTC blends | |
| Uganda | ||
| Zimbabwe | Blends | |
| Nepal and vicinity | Orthodox and CTC versions | |
| Flushes — first, second, monsoon, autumn | ||
| Green | China — Zhejiang Province | Dragon Well (Longjing) |
| Huiming | ||
| Long Ding | ||
| Hua Ding | ||
| Qing Ding | ||
| Gunpowder | ||
| China — Jiangsu Province | Bi Luo Chun | |
| Rain Flower | ||
| Que She (Tongue of golden altar sparrow) | ||
| White Cloud | ||
| China — Fujian Province | Jasmine tea | |
| Dragon Tears — plain and Jasmine | ||
| Mao Feng tea | ||
| Cui Jian | ||
| China — Hubei Province | Yu Lu | |
| China — Henan Province | Xin Yang Mao Jian | |
| China — Jiangxi Province | Chun Mee | |
| Gou Gu Nao | ||
| Yun Wu | ||
| China — Anhui Province | Da Fang | |
| Huangshan Maofeng | ||
| Liuan Leaf | ||
| Hou Kui | ||
| Tun Lu | ||
| Huo Qing | ||
| Wuliqing | ||
| Hyson | ||
| China — Sichuan Province | Zhu Ye Qing | |
| Meng Ding Gan Lu | ||
| Japan | Aracha | |
| Asamushicha | ||
| Awabancha | ||
| Bancha (“common tea”) | ||
| Dancha (“brick tea”) | ||
| Funsaicha | ||
| Gabarancha (GamaAminoButyricAcid increased tea) | ||
| Genmaicha | ||
| Goishicha | ||
| Gyokuro (Jade Dew) | ||
| Hachijuhachiyacha (“88th-night”) | ||
| Hojicha or Houjicha | ||
| Hukamushi (Fukumushi) (“deep-steamed tea” or “misty green tea”) | ||
| Kabusecha (“covered tea”) | ||
| Kamairi-cha (“pan-fired tea” or “Chinese green tea”) | ||
| Kancha (“cold-season tea”) | ||
| Kenkoocha (“healthy tea”) | ||
| Konbucha | ||
| Kokeicha | ||
| Kukicha (“stalk tea” or “stick tea”) | ||
| Kuradashi-Sincha | ||
| Maccha or Matcha | ||
| Mecha (“bud tea”) | ||
| Mizudashicha | ||
| Mugicha (“roasted barley tea”) | ||
| Sencha (“roasted tea”) | ||
| Tamaryokucha (“curly tea” or “guricha”) | ||
| Tencha | ||
| Tokumushicha | ||
| Ujicha | ||
| Ceylon | Assamese tea stock | |
| Taiwan | Dragon Well (Longjing) | |
| Green Spiral (Bi luo chun) | ||
| Nepal and vicinity | ||
| Oolong | China | Ti Kuan Yin (“Iron Goddess”) |
| Taiwan | Formosa Oolong | |
| Dong ding | ||
| Pouchong | ||
| Oriental Beauty | ||
| Ti Kuan Yin (“Iron Goddess”) | ||
| High Mountain tea | ||
| Osmanthus Oolong | ||
| White | China — Fujian Province | Silver Needle |
| Pai Mu Tan (Bai Mu Dan, White Peony) | ||
| Shou Mei | ||
| China — Chongqing Province | Peony White Needle | |
| China | 100 Monkeys | |
| Snow Dragon | ||
| India — Darjeeling | Darjeeling white tips | |
| Ceylon | Adam’s Peak | |
| Virgin White Tea | ||
| Yellow | China — Hunan Province | Junshan Yinzhen (Silver Needle – also classified as a white tea) |
| China — Anhui Province | Huoshan Huangya | |
| China — Sichuan Province | Mengding Yellow Buds | |
| China — Guangdong Province | Da Ye Quing | |
| China — Zhejiang Province | Huang Tang | |
| Pu-erh* | China — Yunnan Province | Ripe (cooked) |
| Raw (uncooked) | ||
| China — Guangdong Province | Pre-2008 only (see above) |
* As of 2008, pu-erh tea was declared a “product with geographical indications” by the Chinese government. This restricts the naming of tea as “pu-erh” to those produced within specific regions of Yunnan Province, currently being disputed by producers from Guangdong, since they often produce cakes from tea leaves grown in Yunnan.
I would not even care to pretend that the above list is complete. The complexity and variety of teas that I have learned about in the past few years is still astounding. And hubby and I are still working our way through trying most, if not all, of them. How about you?
See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles here.
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