認識東方的綠色黃金-茶(二) / Getting to know the Green Gold of Orient -Tea (II)

Chinese tea boasts great variety. There are at least 1000 varieties of tea. Wide variety is the major characteristics of Chinese tea. Through fermentation, the tea presents its vivid and charming characters and personalities. According to the degree of fermentation, tea can be classified into three categories: non-fermented, half fermented and fully fermented tea.

中國茶的種類繁多，茶品至少有一千種以上。「品種豐富」，是中國茶最大的特點。經由發酵，茶葉展現它千姿百媚的風情，可依發酵程度的多寡將茶分成不發酵茶、半發酵茶和全發酵三種。

Non-fermented Tea (Green Tea) ／ 不發酵茶(綠茶)

Tea that does not go through fermentation is the so called “green tea”. Retaining the fresh light green color, the tea assumes aquamarine or greenish yellow color, its fragrance has a pleasant green grass aroma or the mung bean fragrance. Green tea is the type with the largest production among Chinese tea, accounting for approximately 60% of total output. Longjing tea and Pi Lo Chun are the most representative of the green teas. Of the green tea that are produced in Taiwan, Longjing tea from Sanshia, Taipei County, is most representative. 

完全沒有經過發酵的茶，就是一般所稱的「綠茶」，保留茶湯原本清新嫩綠的顏色，泡出來的茶湯是碧綠色或綠中帶黃的顏色，具有清爽宜人的青草香或是綠豆香。綠茶是中國茶中產量最大的品種，約佔茶葉總產量的百分之六十。龍井、碧螺春為最具代表性的綠茶。在台灣所生產的綠茶，則以台北縣三峽龍井的綠茶為代表。 

Half- fermented tea (Qing Tea) ／ 半發酵茶(青茶)

Ranging from light fermentation to deep fermentation, this category of tea is also called “Qing tea”. From the different degrees of fermentation, the color of tea ranges from golden yellow to brown. Its fragrance differs from the flowery scent to the fruity aroma. The taste and fragrance of half- fermented tea is the richest and most varied among all tea categories. It is the “characteristic tea” of China, with the most representative being the Oolong tea. In mainland China, take the Wuyi tea and Anxi Tieguanyin tea as representatives. “Dong Ding Oolong” and “High mountain Oolong tea” have almost become the common household name of Taiwan tea.

從弱發酵茶到全發酵茶之間的茶品均屬之，也就是「青茶」，因發酵程度的不同，泡出來的顏色從金黃到褐色，香氣從花香到水果香都有，半發酵茶是所有茶葉種類中滋味與香氣最豐富多變的品種，是中國的「特色茶」，最具代表性的就是「烏龍茶」。在中國，以武夷茶與安溪鐵觀音為代表; 而「凍頂烏龍」與「高山烏龍茶」幾乎已成為台灣茶的代名詞。 

Fully fermented tea (Black tea) ／ 全發酵茶(紅茶)

Generally called “black tea”, fully fermented tea goes through the process where the surface area of the tea leaf is destroyed to promote oxidation resulting in the tea leaf turning red. The color of the tea is red, with a rich mellow malt sugar or fruit fragrance. Black tea originated from Mt. Wuyi in China during the 18th century. Keemum black tea, Yunnan black tea or black tea from the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan are the high quality black teas which are widely favored by Chinese as well as westerners.

一般稱為「紅茶」，全發酵茶是將茶葉的面積破壞，促進氧化作用，造成茶葉變紅，泡出來的茶湯顏色是紅色，具有香醇濃郁的麥芽糖或水果的香味。紅茶的發源於是十八世紀中國的武夷山，祈門紅茶、滇紅或是台灣日月潭紅茶都是深受中西方人喜愛的優質紅茶。