Oolong is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation to occur before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas,especially those of fine quality,involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation,which is controlled by the length of time between picking and final drying,can range from 8% to 85% depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular in southeastern China and among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia,as is the Fujian preparation process known as the gongfu tea ceremony.
Pu'er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province,China. In the context of traditional Chinese tea production terminology,fermentation refers to microbial fermentation,and is typically applied after the tea leaves have been sufficiently dried and rolled. As the tea undergoes controlled microbial fermentation,it also continues to oxidize,which is also controlled,until the desired flavors are reached. This process produces tea known as hēichá (黑茶),literally "black tea",though the term is commonly translated to English as "dark tea" to distinguish it from the English-language black tea,which it is not.
Chinese teas can be classified into six distinctive categories:white,green,yellow,oolong,black and post-fermented. Others add categories for scented and compressed teas. All of these come from varieties of the Camellia sinensis plant. Most Chinese teas are cultivated and consumed in China. It is commonly available in Chinese restaurants and grocery shops worldwide. Green tea is the most common type of tea consumed in China.
Compressed tea,called tea bricks,tea cakes or tea lumps,and tea nuggets according to the shape and size,are blocks of whole or finely ground black tea,green tea,or post-fermented tea leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form. This was the most commonly produced and used form of tea in ancient China prior to the Ming Dynasty. Although tea bricks are less commonly produced in modern times,many post-fermented teas,such as pu-erh,are still commonly found in bricks,discs,and other pressed forms. Tea bricks can be made into beverages like tea or eaten as food,and were also used in the past as a form of currency.
Dongfang meiren(Chinese:東方美人;lit. 'eastern beauty') or Oriental Beauty,or baihao(白毫),among other Chinese names,is a heavily oxidized,non-roasted,tip-type oolong tea originating in Hsinchu County,Taiwan. It is a tea produced from leaves bitten by the tea jassid,an insect that feeds on the tea plant. Terpenes are released in the bitten leaves,which creates a honey-like taste. Oriental beauty,white-tip oolong,and champagne oolong are other names under which dongfang meiren is marketed in the West.
Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea.
High-mountain tea or gaoshan tea refers to several varieties of Oolong tea grown in the mountains of central Taiwan. It is grown at altitudes higher than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level,and includes varieties such as Alishan,Dayuling,Yu Shan,Wushe,and Lishan. The high humidity and natural precipitation in the high mountain ranges of Nantou and Chiayi Counties make the region a suitable environment for growing tea plants. High Mountain Oolong is a tea that holds all of its original nutrients that are within the unfermented green tea. It does not hold the usual grass-like taste,hints of chestnut flavor paired with nutty aromas are often described. The fermentation process that removes the harsh ingredients allows the tea to taste flavorful.
Scirtothrips dorsalis,the chilli thrips or yellow tea thrips,is an extremely successful invasive species of pest-thrips which has expanded rapidly from Asia over the last twenty years,and is gradually achieving a global distribution. It has most recently been reported in St. Vincent (2004) Florida (2005),Texas (2006),and Puerto Rico (2007). It is a pest of economic significance with a broad host range,with prominent pest reports on crops including pepper,eggplant,mango,citrus,strawberry,grapes,cotton,tea,peanuts,blueberry,and roses. Chilli thrips appear to feed preferentially on new growth,and infested plants usually develop characteristic wrinkled leaves,with distinctive brown scarring along the veins of leaves,the buds of flowers,and the calyx of fruit. Feeding damage can reduce the sale value of crops produced,and in sufficient numbers,kill plants already aggravated by environmental stress. This thrips has also been implicated in the transmission of three tospoviruses,but there is some controversy over its efficiency as a vector.
Graphocephala coccinea is a meadow and woodland-dwelling species of brightly colored leafhopper native to North and Central America,from Canada south to Panama. Common names include candy-striped leafhopper,red-banded leafhopper,scarlet-and-green leafhopper and red-and-blue leafhopper.
Cnaphalocrocis medinalis,the rice leafroller,is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in south-east Asia,including Hong Kong,Sri Lanka,Taiwan,Thailand and most of Australia.
Taiwanese tea includes four main types:oolong tea,black tea,green tea and white tea. The earliest record of tea trees found in Taiwan is from 1717 in Shui Sha Lian (水沙連),present-day Yuchi and Puli,Nantou County. Some of the teas retain the island country's former name,Formosa.
Empoasca decipiens is a species of leafhopper belonging to the family Cicadellidae subfamily Typhlocybinae. The adults reach 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) of length and a are homogenously green with whitish markings on its pronotum and vertex. E. decipiens is commonly referred to as the “green leafhopper”because of its colouration. The absence of clear stripes along the forewings can easily distinguish it from the similar leafhopper species E. vitis,but distinguishing it from other leafhoppers with the same colouration requires examination under a microscope. It is present in most of Europe,in the eastern Palearctic realm,in North Africa,in the Near East,and in the Afrotropical realm. Both nymphs and adults of this small insect are considered to be a very destructive pests on field crops,vegetables and greenhouse plants.
Eterusia aedea,the red slug caterpillar,is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1763 Centuria Insectorum. It is found in Sri Lanka,India,Nepal,Taiwan,Japan and China.
Empoasca decedens is a species of leafhoppers belonging to the family Cicadellidae. This species has a small,slender body with a yellowish green coloration. Both males and females measure between 3.1 to 3.3 millimetres in length.
Potato leafhopper belongs to family Cicadellidae and genus Empoasca within order Hemiptera. In North America they are a serious agricultural pest. Every year millions of dollars are lost from reduced crop yields and on pest management. Crops that are impacted the most are potatoes,clover,beans,apples and alfalfa.
The western potato leafhopper are small,yellow,green or brown winged insects. That reach a length of approximately 3mm.
Aleurocanthus spiniferus,the citrus spiny whitefly,is an insect native to Asia. It is considered an invasive pest,notably affecting citrus and tea plants. They are part of the whitefly family.
Insect tea refers to teas made from leaves bitten by,and the droppings of,insects fed on specific plants. Most insect teas originate from the Southeast Asian region. They are often used in local traditional medicine,but have not been well-studied in the scientific literature.
Amrasca biguttula,commonly known as the cotton jassid,is a subspecies of leafhopper belonging to the subfamily Typhlocybinae of family Cicadellidae. It is a pest of cotton,okra,and other crops in southern Asia and West Africa.
