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La La Shan hides itself in many ways. Down in the southern corner of TaoYuan county, narrow and winding roads keep it off the itinerary of most travelers. For those who do come, they more likely beat a path to the ancient cypress trees, those sentinels of time and cousins of the redwood. And if anyone does press on past the forests and the shoulder-less mountain passes, she must still ascend into the clouds.

LaLa Shan (拉拉山) tea production occurs at elevations of 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level. On the pecking order, it means the mountain isn’t as extreme as Li Shan and Da Yu Ling teas that can grow well above 7,500 feet.

This difference in altitude is not to say LaLa Shan teas deserve to be turned away. The qing xin varietal flourishes here as it does on those other lofty slopes. Depending on season and weather, the farms can turn out 20,000 to 40,000 jin (26,000 – 52,000 lbs) of finished tea per year.

LaLa’s real challenge lies in its northerly position. As spring arrives, southerly mountains warm up first, granting Li Shan (about 35 miles south) and Ali Shan (about 90 miles south) a head start on growth and plucking before the spring rains begin.

So LaLa Shan has 2 cards dealt against it; the first is elevation. Higher altitude can foster divine teas, but the cool days among misty clouds can sink a tea processor’s heart to the deepest low. Necessary withering and drying has to be done in controlled conditions that nature does not provide here.

The second obstacle is LaLa Shan’s northerly position. It waits longer for the warm Spring air, then has less time before the rains begin. LaLa Shan producers work frantically within this small window.

The result is that LaLa Shan remains tucked away, waiting until more people discover its richness. Tea plantations there are about 15 years younger than those of Li Shan or Ali Shan. Until they gain more credibility, their teas often get marketed under the catch-all “Gao Shan Cha” (High Mountain Tea). You may have already tasted some of LaLa Shan’s treasure but didn’t realize it. Some Li Shan and Da Yu Ling processors will blend LaLa Shan tea with their leaves to increase the volume they can sell under a more reputable mountain name.

But LaLa Shan teas deserve a place of their own. When done properly, the tea here takes on the floral sweetness of sweet pea blossom. Textures run rich while resorting to less bitterness. Maybe this character is due to the extra coolness in these northern mountains. The  bushes may have been more sluggish in waking from winter, and therefore did not pump as much polyphenol into their younger leaves.

Until this tea gets the recognition it deserves, the treasure will be blended into obscurity. Or it will be reserved for those who brave the winding mountain roads, through ancient forests, and into the clouds.

Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings.

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Score: 88
Price (as of post): 0.5 oz = $7
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Sample provided by California Tea House.
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Origin: Anxi county, Fujian Province, China
Score: 89
Price (as of post): 3.5 oz = $20
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Sample provided by Teasatia.
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Origin: Dong Ding, Taiwan
Score: 86
Price (as of post): 3.5 oz = $20
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Sample provided by Teasatia.

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Origin: Guangdong, China
Harvest: Spring 2009
Score: 90
Price (as of post): 3 oz = $25

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Price (as of post): 3 pouches totaling 2-3oz = $19 per month
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Sample provided by Steepster.

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Origin: Tai He District, Ali Shan, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2011
Score: 92
Price (as of post): 25 g = $11. 15% off with code: “walkerteareview”. Now free shipping on all orders.
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Sample provided by Asha Tea House.

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Origin: Long Juan, Anxi, Fujian, China
Harvest: 2009 Autumn
Score: 86
Price (as of post): 25 g = $15.78
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Sample provided by Canton Tea Co.

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Origin: Wuyi, Fujian
Harvest: Spring 2011
Score: 84
Price (as of post): 125 g = $6.99
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Sample provided by China Cha Dao.

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Just when you think you’ve tasted even most of the world’s teas, or at least heard of them, think again.

I found this very useful outline for categories of Chinese teas. The source is An Album of Chinese Famous Tea from the China Tea Museum of Hangzhou.

As you look more closely you may find some illuminating features:

- I suspect that what is sold as Lapsang souchong may be either zheng shan xiao zhong or yan (smoke) xiao zhong. That would explain why I have come across both smokey lapsang and others more similar to non-smokey teas.

- There is red tea and black tea. Red teas are usually called black teas in English. Black teas are a category of their own, of which pu’er is just a sub- sub-category.

- There are so many more teas and kinds of tea to try.

“Category” is a tricky concept in the outline. Some categories are a result of geographic origin, others by processing style. Inasmuch as some teas are a result of location-specific traditions, some categories are a bit of both. Whenever geographic or proper names were used, I capitalized those names.

The English translation:

Green tea

1. chao qing (pan fried)

a. mei (eyebrow): te zhen (special treasure), zhen mei (aka “chun mee,” treasure eyebrow), zhen (needle) mei, tu (bald) mei, Gong Xi

b. zhu (pearl): zhu cha (pearl tea), yu cha (rain tea)

c. xi nen (fine and delicate): Xi Hu long jing* (West Lake dragon well), lao zhu da fang, bi luo chun, yu hua, song zhen (pine needle)

2. hong qing (baked)

a. pu tong (common): Min hong qing, Zhe hong qing, Hui hong qing, Su hong qing

b. xi nen (fine and delicate): Huang Shan mao feng, Tai Ping hou kui, Hua Ding yun wu, gao qiao yin feng

c. shai qing (sun-dried): Dian qing, Chuan qing, Shaan qing

3. zheng qing (steamed): En Shi yu lu

Red tea

1. xiao zhong (suchong): Zheng Shan xiao zhong, yan xiao zhong

2. gong fu: Dian hong, Qi hong, Min hong

3. hong sui (broken): sui (broken), pian (piece),  mo (dust)

Wulong (Oolong)

1. Min bei (North of Min River): shui xian, da hong pao, rou gui

2. Min nan (South of Min River): tie guan yin, qi lan, shui xian, huang jin gui

3. Guang Dong: Feng Huang dan cong, Feng Huang shui xian, ling tou dan cong

4. Taiwan: dong ding, wen shan bao zhong

White tea

1. bai ya (white sprout): bai hao yin zhen (silver needle)

2. bai ye (white leaf): bai mu dan (white peony), gong mei

Yellow tea

1. huang ya (yellow sprout): Jun Shan yin zhen, Meng Ding huang ya,

2. huang xiao: Bei Gang mao jian, Wei Shan mao jian, Wen Zhou huang tang

3. huang da: Huo Shan huang ya, Guang Dong da ye qing

Black tea

1. Hu Nan hei cha: An Hua hei cha

2. Hu Bei lao qing cha: Pu Qi lao qing cha

3. Si Chuan bian cha: nan lu bian cha, xi lu bian cha

4. Dian gui hei cha: Pu Er cha, liu bao cha

Categories of Chinese tea

* links direct to examples, but not all linked teas fully exemplify tea categories. For example, some tie guan yin wulongs may be from Taiwan.

Notice an error? Let me know if I’ve overlooked something. I’m happy to correct or clarify.