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tea 101

History of Tea
Types of Tea
Brewing Tea
Tea Storage
Tea Health

Types of Tea
There are four categories of tea. All tea comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. What separates these teas is how the leaves are processed after they are harvested.
Green Tea
The staple in China and Japan, green tea has gained western popularity for its potential health benefits. The tea gets its fresh, green color from the absence of oxidation. After picking, the leaves are withered then either steamed, baked, or pan-fried. This heat treatment destroys the enzymes that causes the oxidation in the leaves, and also helps to preserve the natural antioxidants (polyphenols and tannins). The leaves are then rolled, shaped, and dried (many finer green teas are still rolled and shaped by hand). Green teas can exhibit a broad range of flavors, from light, sweet, and grassy to bold, malty, and herbaceous.
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White Tea
The rarest and most delicate of all teas, white tea was originally grown in the Northern Fujian province of China where it flourished for thousands of years. Harvested during a very short period in early spring, only the new leaf buds of specific varieties are used to produce this tea. The silvery-white down found on the underside of the budding leaf lends white tea its name. White tea goes through similar processing as green tea, which is to say, very minimal. Therefore white tea yields the many of the same benefits of green tea. Its fragrant, sweet brew is packed full of antioxidants and naturally low in caffeine.
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freshly picked leavesfiring tea leaves by hand

Oolong Tea
Take some of the best characteristics of green tea and black tea, and you have the complex oolong. The similarity to both teas is no coincidence, as oolong tea stradles the line by being partially oxidized. The leaves are first wilted by sunlight, shaken in tubular bamboo baskets to bruise the edges of the leaves, then left out to oxidize. Once the desired degree of oxidation is reached, the leaves are put through a heat process. Oolongs can be found with varying degrees of oxidation. The bolder and fuller bodied Oolongs from China tend to be oxidized longer, while the less oxidized Formosa Oolongs from Taiwan are fresher and lighter in body; however with a greater range of flavor.
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Black Tea
One of the most popular and recognized teas worldwide, black tea accounts for about 80 percent of all tea sold. Black tea is the most processed of the four main types, making it the most transformed from its original state. After harvesting, the tea is first allowed to wither. The leaves then go through a process of rolling, which bruises the membranes and releases the enzymes that initiate oxidation. The resulting reaction gives the tea leaves a dark, coppery, rust color. This process is followed by a heating or firing to arrest any further oxidation. The bold, robust character of black tea stands up well to additions like milk and sugar.
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next section: Brewing Tea >

* tea leaf photographs courtesy of Prudence Yim

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