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Image: Sencha, two types |
This post is an optional homework assignment for a tea education course. During an early class we discussed tea cultivation and the Japanese green tea cultivar 'Yabukita' was the case study. A cultivar is a cultivated variety that must be propagated vegetatively typically through cuttings whereas as a plant variety occurs naturally and is propagated through seeds. Learn more about cultivar versus variety. Yabukita accounts for 85% of green tea production in Japan. It is is one of more than 52 registered cultivars, both green and black, in Japan. Ricardo at My Japanese Green Tea has a list of the Japanese tea cultivars registered between 1953 and 2012.
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Image: Dragon Well |
I found the discussion of cultivars fascinating so decided to complete the optional assignment. Although the assignment was to chart 12 Chinese green tea cultivars I had been considering researching Taiwanese oolongs because I have been drinking a lot of these teas this year. However, in looking for the possible cultivar used to produce the Alishan oolong offered by Adagio Teas, I came across a list of Taiwanese oolong and black cultivars created by James at TeaDB. You can read my review of the Alishan oolong here.
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Image: Silver Needle |
Without further ado, here is my chart of 12 Chinese Tea Cultivars with preference given to green teas. I have drunk every tea on this list; most I have reviewed.
Tea Name | Translated Name | Type of Tea | Cultivar(s) | Region (Province) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Longjing | Dragon Well | Green | Longjing #43; Longjing Jiu Keng | Zhejiang |
2 | Pi Lo Chun/ Bi Luo (or Lu) Chun | Spring Green Snail | Green | - | Jiangsu |
3 | Lu Shan Yun Wu | - | Green | Longjing #43 | Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang |
4 | Huang Shan Mao Feng | - | Green | Mao Feng | Anhui |
5 | Bai Hao Yin Zhen | Silver Needle | White | Da Bai (Fuding; Zhen He) | Fujian |
6 | Bai Mu Dan | White Peony | White | Fuding Da Bai | Fujian |
7 | Tie Guan Yin | Iron Goddess of Mercy | Oolong | Tieguanyin | Fujian |
8 | Da Hong Pao | Big Red Robe | Oolong | Beidou No. 1 (is it a cultivar, or a sub-varietal of Shui Xian/ Shui Hsien?) | Fujian (Wuyi Mountains) |
9 | Jin Jun Mei | Golden Eyebrow | Black (Lapsang Souchong) | Jin Jun Mei (buds only); Fu Yun Liu Hao | Fujian (Wuyi Mountains) |
10 | Keemun | - | Black | Keemun Mao Feng (fine pluck); Keemun Hao Ya (A, B) | Anhui |
11 | Bai Lin Congfu | - | Black | Fuding Da Bai; Da Hao | Fujian |
12 | - | Golden Monkey | Black | Fuding (imperial pluck) | Fujian; Yunnan |
Image: Golden Monkey |
One of the things that struck me on reviewing the chart was that although the birthplace of tea is Yunnan Province, many of the teas I list here are from Fujian Province. This was accidental; I did not purposefully select teas from Fujian. The authors of Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties point out that Fujian "is renowned for the variety of teas it produces." Another curious feature is the lack of translated names for all the teas. I did not find a central source for tea cultivar information. Not all tea vendors list cultivar names. Luckily, of the teas presented in the chart, only one is missing a cultivar name, the Bi Luo Chun. It's possible that this tea does not have a cultivar, or that the cultivar used is not officially recorded, or that there is some disagreement about whether the tea is produced from a sub-varietal or a cultivar as in the case of Da Hong Pao. In some cases, such as Longing and Tieguanyin, the tea name and cultivar name are the same.
Image: Huang Shan Mao Feng |
Please review the chart. Let me about errors. Help me to fill in the missing information. Thank you!
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