A Comprehensive Guide to Tea

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Whether you prefer tea bags, or loose; in a mug, or commuter cup; alone, or with a friend, if you are reading this, you probably enjoy tea. Tea is one of the most popular beverages on the planet, and has been consumed for more than 4,000 years. There are many distinctions that separate kinds of tea – based on where it is from, how it is cultivated, how it is prepared, and what stage of growth the leaves are picked at.

One of the first things to know about tea is that it all comes from the same plant – camellia sinensis. Technically many of the drinks we think of as tea – such as red tea and herbal teas – are actually “herbal infusions”. The tea plant, camellia sinensis, provides us with four different kinds of tea: green, black, white, and oolong. Each of these has thousands of different sub-groups as well.

Green Tea

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Green tea has been a staple throughout Asia, most notably in China, Japan, India, and Thailand. Mature leaves of the camellia sinensis plant are processed in a way to minimize oxidation. The leaves are picked, sometimes dried, pan-fried or steamed, and then go through a final drying process before packaging. Green tea is known to have a slightly grassy, vegetal flavor.

Caffeine Content: 35-70 mg (per cup)

Preparation Temperature: between 176 °F to 185 °F (80 °C and 85 °C).

Steep Time: Generally 1-3 minutes

Common Types of Green Tea

Gunpowder: A quite popular variety of Chinese green tea. The leaves are rolled into small pellets that unfold while steeping. Gunpowder has a rich smoky flavor.

Sencha: The most common variety of Japanese green tea. Part of the preparation process involves exposing the leaves to direct sunlight. Sencha tastes bittersweet and grassy with a clean finish.

Genmaicha: Also known as “popcorn tea”, genmaicha is a blend of pan fried sencha green tea and toasted rice.

Matcha: A powdered Japanese green tea often used in Tea Ceremonies. The flavor of matcha differs depending on the quality and what type of soil it is grown in, but high quality matcha pleasant and slightly sweet.

Bancha: A green tea made up of larger, more mature leaves that are harvested in the latter part of the season. During the harvesting, the stems and stalks are included in the picking. Has a savory flavor that is weaker than many other varieties of green tea.

Pekoe: A high quality Chinese green tea with long thin leaves. It has a smooth and mellow taste and pleasant aroma.

Dragon Well: Some consider it the ultimate green tea. Due to a rather extensive preparation process, this Dragon Well costs more than many other varieties of green tea. It has broad, flat leaves, and has a rich green color once steeped. It is refreshing and delicate, with taste both sweet and smooth.

Jasmine Green: This isn’t technically a type of green tea, but rather green tea leaves blended with jasmine flowers. The jasmine blossoms add a fragrant aroma and delicate floral taste to the tea.

Black Tea

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Black tea is extremely popular worldwide, especially in the west, where it accounts for 90% of tea sales. Black tea is grown worldwide – in countries ranging from China and India to Java, Sumatra, and Kenya. Black tea is generally dark crimson brown in color, but ranges based on the variety used and the time steeped. This variety of tea has a rich taste and often rosy or fruity aroma.

Caffeine Content: 60-90 mg (per cup)

Preparation Temperature: Water should be added at boiling point – (212 °F or 100 °C)

Steep Time: Generally 2-5 minutes

Common Types of Black Tea

Assam: The most popular tea grown in India. Assam is a strong and robust tea that has a slightly malty flavor. Enjoy plain or add milk to taste.

Darjeeling: Some have dubbed it the “Champagne of Black Teas.” Darjeeling is light and thin bodied for a black tea, and has a fruity, floral flavor.

Ceylon Black Tea: Ceylon refers to teas grown in Sri Lanka. There are a number of varieties of ceylon black tea, but they all tend to have a crisp, light flavor and aroma.

Lapsang Souchong: This Chinese black tea is smoked and withered in a bamboo basket over pine fires before being pan-fried and rolled. The preparation process gives it a distinctive smoky flavor and slightly bitter taste.

Earl Grey: Earl Grey is quite popular in the UK and North America. Earl Grey is a blend of Indian and Ceylon black tea and bergamot citrus flavor. This combination creates a refreshing tea that is light and slightly tart.

English Breakfast: A blend of Ceylon, Assam, and Kenyan black teas that became popular in where else – England. It is rich and dark, often served with milk or cream and sugar.

White Tea

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White tea is made of uncured, unoxodized buds and young leaves of the tea plant. White tea goes through the least amount of processing – usually, it simply undergoes a process of withering and sun drying. The tea is named for its light color, and for the white hairs that appear on the unopened buds. White tea is generally more mild than other varieties with a slightly sweet taste.

Preparation Temperature: around 180°F (80°C)

Steep Time: Generally 2-3 minutes, although higher quality white teas can be brewed as long as 10 minutes without developing harsh or bitter characteristics.

Caffeine Content: 30-55 mg (per cup)

Silver Needle: Hailing from China, silver needle is the highest quality of white tea on the market. It is made up of the tea plant buds that are only picked between the end of March and beginning of April to ensure the highest quality. The result is a tea that can be steeped for longer, and has a taste that is quite delicate, fragrant, and sweet.

White Peony: White peony is picked later in the growing process, and contains both the bud and two leaves. It has a shorter steep time than silver needle, and has a smooth mellow flavor.

White Pu-erh Tea: This white tea is grown only in the high mountains, making it rather rare. Its claim to fame is a lack of bitterness and mildly sweet taste.

Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei): This is a lower grade white tea that is often mass-produced – it is likely the variety you will find at local supermarkets. It is made from the young leaves left behind during the harvest of more premium teas, such as silver needle and white peony.

Oolong Tea

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Also known as “Wu Long tea”, oolong is more oxidized than green tea, but less so than black tea. Oolong leaves are rolled until they curl or pressed into small ball-like pellets – similar to gunpowder green tea. Unlike black tea, oolong begins undergoing processing immediately after harvesting. Roasting completes the final step of preparation before packaging. Oolong tea is generally bold tasting with a mild sweetness, without the grassy flavor of green tea or the fruity hints of black tea. Unlike green tea, oolong leaves can be steeped several times while still yielding an enjoyable cup of tea. Oolong tea is best prepared

Preparation Temperature: 180°F to 190°F (82°C-87°C)

Steep Time: generally 3-4 minutes.

Caffeine Content: 50-75 mg (per cup)

Ti Kuan Yin: This Chinese oolong is named after Kuanyin, the goddess of compassion. It has a delicate sweet flavor with nutty undertones

Feng Huang Dan Cong: Made from tea leaves from a select strain of plants that are quite aromatic even before they are brewed. It has a flowery sweet taste reminiscent of peach.

Shuixian: Sometimes referred to as “rock tea”, due to the terrain of the high mountainous region where it is grown. This darker oolong is not blended with fruit or flowers, and features a strong, full-bodied roasted flavor.

Da Hong Poa: Also known as “big red robe.” It has a malty apricot flavor and a lingering sweetness.

Darjeeling Oolong: Only coming about in the last few decades, Darjeeling oolong is an Indian tea brewed using Chinese methods. A smooth, clean flavor accompanies its floral aroma.