Types Of Tea

Camellia sinensis, native to East, South and Southeast Asia, but now cultivated across the world in tropical and subtropical regions is the plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce all types of teas. Different types of tea - black , green , oolong , white - are classified by the way they're processed, which results in varying levels of oxidation. Dry tea leaves can act like a sponge and absorb the flavors and scents with whatever they come in contact. While matcha and green tea have similar characteristics, the process of making matcha involves whisking tea powder made from ground tea leaves while green tea is made by infusing tea leaves in water.

White teas contain only the buds and very young leaves of the tea plant. It can range from tasting similar to a fresh green tea, to tasting darker and more robust like a black tea. Key Point: There are five true teas - black, green, oolong, pu'erh, and white tea.

White tea normally gives a light cup with sweet or flowery flavors. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Many teas from China often have poetic names that don't give any information about the type of tea or the region that it came from, such as Cloud Mist and Fairy Branch.

It is partially oxidized during the processing, so it stands somewhere between green and black tea. Likewise, all tea comes from the tea bush Camellia Sinensis and is generally either Black, Oolong, Green or White. The names of Chinese green teas denote loose leaf tea los angeles styles and often make reference to the region where the tea is from.

Dried mint leaves are blended with dried tea leaves for brewing. It's simply amazing to me how so many different types of tea liquor can all come from the same plant. White tea leaves are picked early and barely processed, which helps them retain their delicate flavour and aroma.

Green tea; White tea; Black tea and Oolong tea. Black teas offer the strongest flavors and, in some cases, the greatest astringency. The tea is plucked (oftentimes only the downy buds of the tea plant are harvested), withered and then dried. The flavors of green tea covers a wide spectrum from buttery and grassy to smokey, and even broth-like and savory.

Light oolongs are often rolled, compressed and heated multiple times - a process that releases the aromatic oils - before being dried and fired to seal in their flavours. The thing to note here, is that although some fruit teas will contain just fruit, others are actually a blend of black tea and fruit flavourings.

Teas are made from young, tender Kudzu leaves or dried ground Kudzu tubers. When poured however, most Black teas will have a dark amber hue to them. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than the less oxidized teas. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.

To prevent fermentation, the leaves are brought to a high temperature, using either dry heat by tossing them in a huge wok over a fire, or damp heat by steaming them over water (this latter, typically-Japanese, method gives the tea the sea-breeze aromas found in the Sencha or Matcha Japanese green teas).

However, there are additional processing techniques (such as rolling and shaping) which further differentiate oolong from black tea and green tea. In fact, compared to other types of green tea, sencha contains the highest amount of these compounds ( 44 ). Black tea is processed the longest and has the most exposure to oxygen, making it dark and rich.