6 variétés de thé chinois

The six main types of Chinese tea are green, white, yellow, oolong, black and dark tea. They are distinguished by how the leaves are processed, rather than simply by the colour of the finished drink.

One naming detail makes a big difference: hong cha (红茶) is black tea in English, although its Chinese name means “red tea”. Hei cha (黑茶) is dark tea, a different category associated with microbial fermentation. Keeping those two names separate makes Chinese tea much easier to explore.

Six types of Chinese tea at a glance

Oxidation and microbial fermentation are different processes. Older descriptions often use “fermentation” for both, but the distinction helps explain why black tea and dark tea belong to different categories.

Ready to taste the differences? Explore our Chinese teas, or start with the Huang Shan tea sample pack. Check its current options to see which teas are included.

Thé vert – 绿茶

Green tea is heated early in processing to limit oxidation. It is then shaped and dried.

This early heating helps preserve the leaves’ green character. Pan-firing and steaming are two ways of applying that heat; the exact method depends on the tea.

Son processus de fabrication comprend les étapes suivantes : le « Sha Qing » (arrêt de l'oxydation), le malaxage et le séchage. Le « Sha Qing » consiste à utiliser une température élevée pour inactiver les enzymes oxydantes, afin d'empêcher l'oxydation des feuilles de thé et de préserver leur couleur verte. Le malaxage sert d'une part à façonner les feuilles, et d'autre part à briser leurs cellules afin de permettre plusieurs infusions. Le séchage, en plus de faciliter la conservation des feuilles de thé, a également pour effet de rehausser l'arôme.

Les thés verts les plus courants sont le thé blanc d'Anji, Huangshan Mao Feng, Taiping Hou Kui, le Dragon Well de Xihu, le Mao Jian de Xinyang, le Bi Luo Chun, etc.

Découvrez d'autres articles sur le thé vert chinois.

Dark Tea – 黑茶 (Hei Cha)

Dark tea, or hei cha, is associated with microbial fermentation after the initial processing of the leaves. It is a different category from the tea called black tea in English.

Examples include Liubao from Guangxi and Qimen An Cha from Anhui. Ripe Pu-erh is also commonly discussed alongside dark tea. Pu-erh includes both raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) styles, which should not be treated as one identical processing method.

The name hei cha literally means “black tea”, but “dark tea” is the clearer English term here. In English, black tea usually means hong cha (红茶).

Pour en savoir plus sur le thé noir chinois, cliquez ici.

Thé blanc – 白茶

White tea is mainly made by withering and drying, with relatively little handling of the leaves. It is produced mainly in Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi and Jianyang counties in Fujian. It is processed without frying or kneading. The tea leaves are dried in the sun or with a gentle fire. Thus, the white hairs remain intact. The white tea has a complete bud and hair, full of hair appearance characteristics, as well as the characteristics of fresh fragrance, yellow-green color and clear broth, light and sweet taste.

Le thé blanc se divise en deux catégories : le thé en bourgeon et le thé en feuille. Le thé composé d'un seul bourgeon est appelé “ aiguille d'argent ”. Le thé composé d'un bourgeon et de deux ou trois feuilles est appelé “ pivoine blanche ”. Il existe également le “ Gong Mei / Shou Mei ”, qui comporte généralement trois feuilles ou moins.

Découvrez d'autres articles sur le thé blanc chinois.

Black Tea – 红茶 (Hong Cha / Red Tea)

Black tea is called hong cha (红茶), or “red tea”, in Chinese. The English and Chinese names refer to the same category. The leaves are withered and rolled, then allowed to oxidise before drying. This oxidation helps develop the tea’s colour and flavour.

Examples of Chinese black tea include Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong, Jin Jun Mei, Dian Hong and Keemun. CTC means “crush, tear, curl”, a processing method often used for tea bags.

Read more about Chinese black tea (hong cha).

Thé Oolong – 乌龙茶

Oolong tea, also called Qing Cha, is partially oxidised. Tieguanyin and Da Hong Pao are both oolong teas, even though they can taste very different.

Yao Qing, or shaking the leaves, is part of the processing of many oolongs and helps control oxidation. Oolong covers a wide range of styles, so its flavour also depends on the leaves, processing and roasting.

Le thé oolong est généralement classé en fonction de son origine, et les principales zones de production se concentrent dans le Fujian, le Guangdong et à Taïwan.

Four familiar regional groups are:

1. Oolong du nord du Fujian : thé de roche de Wuyi, etc. ;
2. Oolongs du sud du Fujian : Tieguanyin, Golden Cinnamon, etc. ;
3. Oolongs du Guangdong : Phoenix Dancong, Lingtou Dancong, etc. ;
4. Oolongs de Taïwan : Dongding, Oriental Beauty, etc.

Découvrez d'autres articles sur le thé oolong chinois.

Compare Dahongpao, Rougui and Shuixian to explore three familiar Wuyi rock teas.

Thé jaune – 黄茶

Yellow tea includes a covered yellowing step, often called men huang, as part of processing. This distinguishes it from green tea and helps develop its yellow character.

Comparé aux autres types de thé, le thé jaune est relativement peu répandu ; il s'agit donc pour l'instant d'un produit de niche.

Les thés jaunes courants sont : le « bourgeon d'argent » de Junshan, le « bourgeon jaune » de Mengding, le « bourgeon jaune » de Huoshan, etc.

Découvrez notre coffret dégustation de thés Huang Shan