Organic Tea Chao Qing Green Tea
Green tea was first developed in China during the Yuan Dynasty (1280–1368). Tea growers were looking to produce a tea that was milder overall, with less bitterness. They developed a process called chaoqing, which translates to “roasting out of the green.” This pan fired method de-enzymed the tea leaves, which radically changed the profile of the tea. This new tea had less bitterness, improved flavor, and an attractive appearance with a pleasing color. These traits were highly sought after by Chinese tea consumers. However, with packaging technology lacking, green teas could not travel far, as their quality would not hold up. Just about every tea region was producing a type of green tea with different production techniques. This led to the array of green teas that are available today. Luckily for us, technology caught up over the centuries so that everyone can enjoy these wonderful teas.
Chaoqing is one of those aqueous terms thrown around a lot within the world of green tea, especially in China. When asking farmers about what exactly makes a tea Chaoqing, the answer one usually arrives at is ‘Chaoqing is just green tea.’ Usually when a farmer calls a tea Chaoqing, what they mean is that it isn’t a special type of green tea. Thus, if a farm produces a Maofeng tea and a Chaoqing tea, the Chaoqing is the tea made without the special attention given to leaf pick and leaf shape that has been given to the Maofeng.
Chao Qing green tea is made by stir-frying to deactivate the enzymes. Chao means “Stir-frying”. Chao Qing green tea is characterized by bright green, rich fragrance, beautiful shape and it has the highest yield. Stir Fried is plucked early in the spring harvest and then pan-fired to a lovely, wholesome & sweet vegetal flavor. As it is not produced for the export market, it is generally grown on small farms and found in local tea markets.
The famous green teas Longjing tea and Biluochun tea belong to Chao Qing green tea.
Green tea ｜ Hunnan ｜ Nonfermentation ｜ Spring and Summer
