Processing is not a fixed recipe imposed on fresh leaf. This chapter begins with the six tea categories and then uses Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Liu’an Guapian, Taiping Houkui, Silver Needle, rock tea, congou black tea, CTC, Lapsang Souchong and ripe pu-erh to see how shared processing principles are realised under different raw-material and style goals[1][2].
Read each article across three connected layers: fresh leaf sets the material boundary; key operations alter leaf condition; drying, roasting or later treatment stabilises form and flavour. A stated parameter only makes sense with its cultivar, equipment, weather and quality target, rather than as an instruction to copy unchanged[2][3].
In this chapter
China's Six Tea Categories — An Overview
Green, white, yellow, oolong, black, dark — Chinese tea is classified not by colour or region but by craft, and at its heart lies the degree and manner of oxidation. One oxidation spectrum makes sense of all six.
Congou vs. CTC Black Tea: Two Crafts, Two Characters
The same fully oxidised tea, made two very different ways—China’s whole-leaf congou and the modern CTC method that powers tea bags and milk tea.
The Craft of Longjing: How West Lake Dragon Well Is Made
From fresh leaf to flat, jade-green Dragon Well — spreading, pan-firing, resting and final shaping create one of China’s most celebrated green teas.
The Craft of Silver Needle: How Baihao Yinzhen Is Made
Uncooked, unrolled, only withered and dried — yet Silver Needle demands extraordinary precision. See how 48–72 hours of gentle water loss transforms plump green buds into silvery, downy needles.
The Craft of Lapsang Souchong: Birthplace of Black Tea
From Tongmu Pass pine-smoke roasting to modern smoke-free styles — how withering, rolling, oxidation and pine-wood firing create the world's first black tea.
The Craft of Ripe Pu-erh: How Microbes Shape a Dark Tea
From Yunnan sun-dried raw tea to the deep-red, mellow cup of ripe pu-erh — wet piling harnesses microbes (Aspergillus niger, yeasts, bacteria) to transform polyphenols into theabrownins, creating a unique aged aroma and silky mouthfeel.
The Craft of Wuyi Rock Tea: How Da Hong Pao Is Made
From bruising to roasting, discover how Wuyi rock oolong develops its "rock rhyme" and floral-fruity aroma through cycles of shaking, resting, and slow charcoal firing.
The Craft of Keemun: China Signature Congou Black Tea
From Zhuye cultivar fresh leaf to the famed Keemun aroma — how withering, rolling, oxidation and two-stage drying create rose, honey and orchid fragrance in a cup.
The Craft of Huangshan Maofeng: How a Hairy Peak Is Made
From fresh leaf to down-covered, peak-shaped Huangshan Maofeng — kill-green, light rolling and two-stage baking create the orchid fragrance and elegant form of this baked green tea.
The Craft of Lu'an Guapian: How the Only Bud-Free Green Tea Is Made
China's only bud- and stem-free single-leaf green tea. Leaf-plucking, twin pan-firing, and high-heat charcoal baking create Lu'an Guapian's distinctive melon-seed shape and clear fire aroma.
The Craft of Taiping Houkui: How Monkey King Tea Is Made
From fresh leaf to flat, straight, orchid-scented Houkui — kill-green, shaping, pinching and repeated baking create one of China''s most distinctive green teas.
Related chapters
- The Science — the chemistry and biology behind fixation, oxidation and pile-fermentation
- Flavor — how craft becomes aroma and taste in the cup
- Brewing — brewing strategies matched to different crafts
References
- Chen Zongmao (ed.). China Tea Dictionary. China Light Industry Press, 2000. — Comprehensive reference on tea classification by processing method and the six tea categories.
- Shi Zhaopeng (ed.). Tea Processing Science. China Agriculture Press. — Authoritative textbook on tea manufacturing techniques, kill-green, oxidation, and shaping methods.
- Wan Xiaochun. Tea Biochemistry (3rd ed.). China Agriculture Press, 2003. — Biochemical context for compositional change and quality formation during processing.
Editorial note
Later work will continue through key control points: raw-material suitability, hand versus mechanised processing, quality-fault clues, and how the same operation has different boundaries across tea types. New case studies will name their conditions and observation basis instead of presenting experiential ranges as universal formulas.