Tea is not as popular as espresso at our dinner parties, but I enjoy it at breakfast. While Ireland and England are known for their breakfast teas, I prefer the rich depth of choices in Chinese teas. There is an infamous list of the ten most famous Chinese teas, which varies depending on who you ask. Having spent some time in the tea cafes of Hong Kong, it is simply something not to be missed and these teas we try to enjoy, along with some of the lessor known teas, on a daily basis, when not partaking in espresso or cafe au lait. More on Chinese tea pots in a subsequent post.
1) Junshan Yinzhen Tea
Of all the famous Chinese Teas, this tea has received a lot of attention lately due to its health benefits. The Silver Needle Tea is Junshan Yinzhen. It comes from Yueyang in Hunan Province. This white tea is among the rarest and it is my personal favorite.
2) Qi Men Red Tea
This Chinese name for this tea is Qimen Hong Cha from Qimen County in Anhui Province. It is the only red tea of the 10 famous Chinese teas and my second favorite to Silver Needle Tea.
3) Tieguanyin Tea
The English name for Tieguanyin is Iron Goddess Tea. This Oolong tea hails from Anxi in Fujian Province. It has a complex fermented taste.
4) Huangshan Mao Feng Tea
The literal English translation for Huangshan Mao Feng is Yellow Mountain Fur Peak Tea, from the area surrounding Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Anhui Province. This green tea gets its name from the small hairs that cover the leaves and the shape of the leaves which resemble a mountain peak.
5) Dragon Well Tea
Dragon Well Tea is called Long Jing in Chinese. This green tea originates in Dragon Well Village near the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province.
6) Bi Luo Chun Tea
The literal translation of Bi Luo Chun Tea is Green Snail Spring Tea, grown around the city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. This green tea has an imperial history and is the source of wonderful legends. Bi Luo Chun, also known as Pi Lo Chun, is a well-known green tea from China’s Jiangsu Province. It’s known for its floral aroma, fruity taste, and delicate appearance, and is hand-rolled into a tight spiral that resembles snail meat. The name translates to “green snail spring” and refers to the tea’s color, shape, and plucking time.
7) Da Hong Pao Tea
The English name for Da Hong Pao is Big Red Robe Tea. It is grown in the Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province and it is believed to be the original form of Oolong Tea.
8) Liu An Gua Pian Tea
The English name for Liu An Gua Pian Tea is Liu An Melon Seed Tea. It is delicately picked in Jinzhai in Anhui Province and is a Green Tea.
9) Xin Yang Mao Jian Tea
The English name for Xin Yang Mao Jian Tea is Xin Yang Hairy Tip Tea. It is produced in Xinyang in Henan Province and is a green tea.
10) Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea
The English name for Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea is Monkey King Tea. Of all of the famous Chinese Teas, it is perhaps the most unique in appearance. It is a Green Tea that comes from Taipin in Anhui Province.
If there were an Eleventh in my book, the Jasmine Pearls are missing from the list of famous teas and another of my favorites. My favorite tea shops in Hong Kong are Fook Ming Tong and Lok Cha. You can also order by mail from their tea shops.
