China

China is the historical home of green tea and produces a wide range of green tea styles. Well-known production regions include Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Yunnan. In addition to terroir and cultivar, processing plays a key role in shaping the character of the tea. In China, the leaves are commonly heated in a pan soon after picking to stop enzymatic oxidation. Pan-firing often gives the tea roasted, nutty, and chestnut-like notes. Some teas are dried with hot air, while others are steamed; these methods produce different flavor profiles, from fresh and vegetal to more aromatic and rounded styles.