In comparison to other tea categories, its flavor is longer lasting and it has the highest concentration of caffeine. This is most popular form of tea in south Asia and Europe.

This Chinese tea produces full-bodied amber when brewed. The tea leaves are fully fermented giving them to have a strong flavor and dark color. This type of tea undergoes withering, ferment for a long period of time, and then roasted. The leaves of this variety become completely oxidized after processing.

Green tea is said to be the most natural of Chinese tea. It is usually picked, naturally dried and briefly fried to get rid of its grassy smell. Contrast to the other tea types, green tea skipped fermentation process.

Green tea is believed to have the most medicinal value and the least caffeine content of all Chinese tea classes. The aroma of this type of Chinese tea is medium, while the flavor is usually light.

This type of Chinese tea is a hybrid between green tea and black tea. It is half fermented. Its leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of the process to soften tea leaves.

Oolong tea leaves are basically withered and spread before undergoing a brief fermentation process. Then, it is fried, rolled and roasted. Its taste is more similar to green tea than the black tea, but has less a "grassy" flavor than green tea.

Tie Guan Yin is a type of Oolong Tea. Tie Guan Yin undergoes a longer fermentation period than ordinary Oolongs and is blended and roasted using a more traditional recipe. It delivers deep flavor, with an intense, floral and nutty aroma and a fruity finish. When steeped in boiling water the crinkly balls unfurl, revealing green-brown, lace-edged leaves. This tea is suitable for someone who loved strong aroma and flavor.

The tea leaves have undergone years of fermentation, giving them an unique earthy flavor. This variety of tea is usually compressed into different shapes like bricks, discs and bowls.

Unlike other teas that should ideally be consumed shortly after production, Pu Er can be drunk immediately or aged for many years. Pu Er is often classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages.

There can be various mixtures of flowers with green tea, black tea or oolong tea. Flowers used include jasmine, gardenia, magnolia, grapefruit flower, sweet-scented osmanthus and rose. There are strict rules about the proportion of flowers to tea.

Jasmine tea is a well-known favorite with the northerners of China and with a growing number of foreigners.