Is Si Ji Chun Green Tea? You Might Have Tea Classification Wrong!

When inquiring about Si Ji Chun tea, many customers often ask: “Is Si Ji Chun green tea?” In fact, this question is not entirely accurate. Si Ji Chun is not a tea made through a specific production method, but rather a tea tree variety. Depending on different processing methods, Si Ji Chun can be made into black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and other types, and is not limited to green tea alone.

Si Ji Chun is a tea tree variety and can be made into various types of tea

Si Ji Chun is a tea tree variety, meaning its leaves can be turned into different tea categories through various processing methods. In other words, Si Ji Chun tea can be made into green tea, black tea, oolong tea, or even white tea. This differs from how many tea beginners understand green and black tea classifications, because these categories actually refer to the tea’s production method rather than the tea plant variety itself.

An example of variety versus processing method: Irwin Mango

Take the Irwin mango as an example. Irwin is a mango variety, and we can use Irwin mangoes to make different products like mango ice cream, dried mango, or mango jam. In this example, Irwin is the “variety,” while mango ice cream and dried mango are different “processing methods.” Similarly, Si Ji Chun is a variety, while green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are different processing methods.

Available in our shop: Si Ji Chun

Is Si Ji Chun green tea? You might have tea classification wrong!

In summary, depending on the processing method, Sijichun can be made into green tea, black tea, oolong tea, or other tea types. In practice in Taiwan, over 90% of Sijichun tea is crafted into lightly fermented oolong tea. However, we cannot simply say that Sijichun is exclusively oolong tea, as it can also be made into green tea, black tea, and even white tea. Understanding the distinction between tea varieties and production methods is the key to truly appreciating the rich diversity and wonderful nuances of tea.