All true teas are made from the processed leaves of varieties of the tea bush.
The raw leaves are affected by the soil in which they grow, the climate, the weather and the time of picking, much like grapes that are used to make wine.
There is also a vast range of methods for processing the leaves,
involving various ways of wilting, bruising, heating and oxidising.
There are countless varieties of tea,
which fall into three broad categories. Oolong tea: the raw leaves are sun-wilted and then bruised,
which exposes their juices to the air,
so the leaves oxidise and start to turn brown like a cut fruit.
For Oolong teas, they are allowed to oxidise only partially,
giving them a rich, floral flavour. ‘Iron Buddha’ tea is a kind of oolong.
Black teas: 紅茶: these are made from leaves that are allowed to oxidise for longer,
giving the strong, dark tastes found in familiar Indian teas like Assam and Darjeeling.
Green tea: 綠茶: the most common in China,
green teas are made from unoxidised leaves,
which are simply heated,
rolled and then dried.
Dragon Well from Hangzhou is one of China’s most famous green teas.