TYPES OF TEA

Tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. How the fresh leaves of the tea plant are processed and their level of contact with oxygen determine resulting types of tea. There are seven basic steps of tea processing: plucking, withering (allowing the leaves to wilt and soften), rolling (to bruise the leaves to break down the cell wall), oxidizing, firing (applying heat to lock in the flavor), shaping and drying. Some teas don't utilize all of these steps, while other teas repeat them several times. During oxidation, tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions that result in distinctive color and taste characteristics. There are at least five different types of tea: white, green, oolong, black, and post-fermented teas such as Pu-erh tea.

 

White Tea

White teas are made of tea leaves that are picked before they fully open. It is essentially unprocessed as the leaves are simply plucked and allowed to wither and dry naturally, resulting in a delicate, subtle flavor and aroma.

Green Tea

Green tea is known for its fresh, grassy flavor. To process green tea, tea leaves are plucked, withered, and steamed or pan-fried to prevent oxidation. This process preserves the vibrant green color and retains many of tea's natural antioxidants.

Black Tea

Black tea is fully oxidized, resulting in a robust and bold flavor. The oxidation process darkens the leaves and intensifies the flavor, giving black tea its characteristic deep, rich taste. It can have malty, fruity, or even smoky notes, depending on the region and processing method.

Oolong Tea

Oolong falls somewhere between green and black teas, in that the leaves are only partially oxidized. Lightly oxidized oolongs have floral and fruity notes, similar to green tea, while more heavily oxidized oolongs can develop rich, roasted, and toasty flavors closer to black tea.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh is an aged tea that has gone through an extra step to allow fermentation. Originally, pu-erh was compressed in cakes for easy transport, but nowadays you may find pu-erh in loose form. Pu-erh can be classified into raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) types. Raw Pu-erh has a robust and slightly astringent flavor while ripe Pu-erh is typically smoother and more mellow, with rich, dark, and earthy notes.

Wait… but what about my favorite chamomile “tea”?

Technically, if the plant or leaf that you are steeping doesn’t come from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, it is called a tisane. Tisane or herbal tea are an infusion made from a variety of leaves, roots, bark, fruit or flowers of other plants. Examples include chamomile, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, and hibiscus. Most tisanes are caffeine free, except Yerba Mate, which has as much caffeine as coffee.

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