 There are thousands of different
types of tea out there, and the vast majority
of consumers are confused and poorly informed
as to which tea is which, and the differences
between teas.
Where does tea come from?
Tea is grown in many parts of
the world, but is most famous for originating
in China and being produced in Japan, India and
Sri Lanka (Ceylon). More recently, Kenya and South
Africa have grown impressive tea industries, and
many more countries, especially in Asia and South
America, are adding to the mix. Particular countries
are associated with particular types of tea -
for example, Japan is famous for its green tea,
and India its black tea. However, whilst some
teas are more suited to certain climates and soils,
most types of tea are grown in each of the major
tea producing countries.
How is tea processed?
This is how we get the different
tastes, aromas and sensations from different types
of tea. Basically, all tea is picked (either by
machine, which is generally used in tea bags,
or by hand, which is generally sold as loose leaf
tea) and then dried. It is the differences in
where the tea is grown, at what time of the year
it is picked, where on the bush the leaves are
picked from, how it is dried, and how it is further
processed (some of the finest hand-crafted oolong
and pu-erh teas go through ten or more stages
to completion) that determine what type of tea
is produced and its character and taste.
Is it actually tea?
All "real" tea comes
from the camellia sinensis plant - the
"tea plant " or "tea bush".
There are many different strains of tea plants,
and even more different methods of picking and
processing the leaves. These differences make
all the different styles of tea, all of which more or less fit into the following five categories:
White tea is the uncured and unoxidized tea leaf which produces a light colored, clean tasting brew. Like green, oolong and black tea, white tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. White tea often contains buds and young tea leaves, which have been found to contain higher levels of caffeine than older leaves, suggesting that the caffeine content of some white teas may be slightly higher than that of green teas. White tea also contains the higher levels of antioxidants than other types of tea. A specialty of Fujian province in China, the leaves come from a number of different tea plant varieties. The most popular are Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha bushes. According to the different standards of picking and selection, white teas can be classified into a number of grades.
Green tea is made with the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Minimal oxidation during processing gives green tea its astringent, grassy taste. Green tea originates from China but has become associated with many countries, especially Japan. Green tea is becoming increasingly popular in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created, which differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time. Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea has also been claimed useful for weight loss management.
Oolong tea, sometimes called wulong tea, is a traditional Chinese tea, popularly served in Chinese restaurants. With oxidation of 10% to 70%, it is usually somewhere between green and black in color and taste. It lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it likewise does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. It is commonly brewed to be strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet aftertaste. Several subvarieties of oolong, including those produced in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian and in the central mountains of Taiwan, are among the most famous Chinese teas. Oolong tea leaves are processed in two different ways. Some oolong teas finish with long, curly leaves, while some oolong teas are rolled into a ball-like form similar to gunpowder green tea. The former method of processing is the older of the two.
Black tea is more oxidized than oolong, green, and white tea. Black tea is generally stronger tasting and contains more caffeine than other teas. Two principal strains of the species are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety (C. sinensis sinensis), which is also used for green and white teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis assamica), which was traditionally only used for black tea, although in recent years some green has been produced.
Black tea is grown extensively in China, India, and Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Kenya, Indonesia and several other countries and is the most familiar tea around the world. Black tea is usually used as the base for many varieties of flavored tea.
Pu-erh tea is available as loose leaf or more commonly, and famously, as cakes or bricks of compacted tea. Pu-erh tea is made from a "large leaf" variety of the tea plant and named after Pu'er county near Simao, Yunnan, China. Pu-erh tea is produced as either raw/green (sheng) or ripened/cooked (shou), depending on processing method or aging. Sheng pu-erh can be roughly classified on the tea oxidation scale as a green tea, and the shou or aged-green variants as post-fermented tea (like black teas). Unlike other teas that should ideally be consumed shortly after production, pu-erh can be drunk immediately or aged for many years; pu-erh teas are often now classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages. The best vintages fetch huge sums at auction; tea connoisseurs and speculators pay thousands of dollars for older pu-erh cakes.
"Tisanes", which are
usually referred to as Herbal Teas, don't actually
contain any tea - the term "tea" is
used here to describe infusions of herbs, flowers
and fruits. Herbal infusions can be delicious,
but if the product does not contain tea (camellia
sinensis) then it will not give the health
benefits associated with tea. However, many of
the herbs traditionally used in herbal teas have
health benefits of their own. Examples of herbal
teas include Rooibos (or Red Tea, Red Bush), Yerba Mate, floral herbal teas with chamomile, chrysanthemum and rose buds,
herb teas made from mint, ginger and lemongrass, and many fruit flavored herbal tisanes.
Infusions that do contain real
tea as well as herbs or flowers are known as Flavored
Teas or Scented Teas. This includes the popular Jasmine Green Teas from China,
Earl Grey flavored with exotic Bergamot Oil, Indian chai tea, flambouyant Display Teas and many flavored green teas and particularly fruit-flavored black teas.
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Other Teas - 
