Characteristics and classification of Tieguanyin

Tieguanyin tea is a semi-fermented tea, and its quality characteristics are "green leaves with red edges" and golden soup color. During its processing, the edges of the fresh leaves are damaged after the collision of the green tea, and a chemical reaction with the oxidation of polyphenols and the formation of related pigments as the "red edges" occurs. Tieguanyin tea has a rich, thick and refreshing taste, which is different from the taste style of black tea with polyphenols and their oxidation products as the main body, and is also different from the "bitter and astringent" taste of green tea dominated by polyphenols. Tieguanyin tea is a quality characteristic that is gradually completed and formed through processes such as sun-drying, cooling and green tea making. It has special requirements for the physical and chemical properties of the raw materials, and pays attention to the conditions and control requirements of the transformation of the contents according to specific methods in the process. In terms of aroma, in the process, the smell of the fresh leaves shows regular changes, and finally forms a rich and lasting aroma of the finished tea and a distinctive "variety aroma". The appearance of Tieguanyin tea is tight, thick, round and heavy, with a green color, obvious sandy green and good oiliness. The bottom of Tieguanyin tea is thick, soft and bright, with a bright red edge. The internal aroma of Tieguanyin tea is rich and lasting, with various special aromas such as orchid, milk, jasmine, etc. The tea soup is golden yellow, orange yellow, and translucent. The taste is mellow and sweet, with a light honey aroma, fresh and refreshing, and obvious rhyme.
Variety classification
There are three types of Tieguanyin: light fragrance, strong fragrance, and aged fragrance. How to choose?
The most widely circulated types of Tieguanyin in the market include light fragrance, rhyme fragrance and aged fragrance. Each type has different quality characteristics and consumer groups. [5]
Light fragrance Tieguanyin: The light fragrance type has a relatively light taste and a slightly sweet taste on the tip of the tongue. It tends to be made by modern technology and occupies the largest market share. Light-fragrance Tieguanyin has a emerald green color, clear soup, rich aroma, obvious floral fragrance, and mellow taste. Since new tea is cold in nature, it should not be consumed too much, otherwise it will hurt the stomach and cause insomnia to a certain extent.
Strong-fragrance Tieguanyin: Strong-fragrance Tieguanyin has a mellow taste, high and long aroma, and is relatively sweet. It is a product processed by traditional technology and then baked and processed. Strong-fragrance Tieguanyin has the characteristics of "fragrance, rich, mellow, and sweet". It has a dark and bright color, golden soup, pure aroma, and heavy taste. Compared with the light-fragrance type, the strong-fragrance Tieguanyin is warm in nature and has the effects of quenching thirst, promoting fluid production, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach.
Aged-fragrance Tieguanyin: Aged-fragrance Tieguanyin is also called old tea or cooked tea. It is made by long-term storage and repeated reprocessing of strong-fragrance or light-fragrance Tieguanyin. It is also a semi-fermented tea. Aged-fragrance Tieguanyin has the characteristics of "thick, mellow, moist, and soft", which is manifested as black color, rich soup, sweet and mellow, and agarwood rhyme. Its characteristics and taste are similar to Pu'er tea, black tea and dark tea, and it has a heavy historical and cultural heritage.
Charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin is a type of Tieguanyin with a strong aroma. Charcoal roasting is the last step in the processing of finished oolong tea to change the quality. It is the process of roasting Tieguanyin's light-fragrant tea leaves after using charcoal. The roasting time, number of times and temperature depend on personal taste and the market.