Tea! What is It?

Tea has been around for almost 5,000 years. It was first discovered in China and has since become a staple of the human diet across the globe. The hot and iced beverage rose from humble beginnings into one of the most consumed beverages on the planet. Tea is the second most popular beverage in the United States surpassed only by water.  With the many health benefits, and unique flavor profiles it is no surprise.  Drinking tea is so much more than simply drinking leaves in water. The history of tea, its importance in cultural ceremonies, and the myriad varieties all deepen the tea drinking experience. Discover the world of tea and find out everything there is to know about this unique drink.

What Is Tea?

In order to truly understand what tea is, you need to know what constitutes a tea as a tea.  There are three main categories of tea you will hear: true tea, herbal tea, and flavored tea.  These teas are defined by the plant that is used to make them.  Each one of these categories of teas also have subcategories to further categorize the different types of tea.

There are many new tea drinkers that are surprised to find out that herbal tea and flavored tea are often not actually true teas.  Many times these kinds of tea do not actually contain any part of the camellia sinensis plant, which is the scientific name for the actual tea plant.  Herbal teas and flavored teas tend to blend herbs, spices, flowers and flavorings to create their blends which should technically be referred to as a tisane.

True Teas

There are five main categories of true teas: White, Oolong, Green, Black and Pu-erh.  These teas are made from the actual leaves of the tea plant and were first discovered thousands of years ago.  When scientists begin studies to research the benefits of tea these are often the categories they will focus on.  Though all these teas come from the same plant they vary wildly in smell, appearance and flavor.  White tea is a delicate and airy tea while black tea is very pungent and bold.  But how can these teas vary so much you may ask?  It is all due to the production of each type.

White Tea:

White tea is the least processed of the true teas.  In order to maintain its natural look and flavor it undergoes the simplest production process.  The tea leaves are harvested by hand and then immediately dried outdoors in the natural sunlight.  Only the youngest of the tea leaves are used to make white tea.  Generally producers will harvest only the first two leaves of each tea shoot.  Traditionally white tea has been produced in the Fujian province of China but more recently they have begun producing white tea in Africa and Sri Lanka.  These are known as African White and White Ceylon, respectively, to help differentiate them from the traditional teas from China.

The two highest quality white teas you can find are Silver Needle and White Peony.  Silver needle is made using only the buds of the tea plant and has a sweet flavor that is somewhat reminiscent of honeysuckle.  It is said to be full of antioxidants and therefore many health benefits such as regulating blood glucose and metabolizing fat. 

White peony uses both the buds and the leaves and has a robust flavor that is sweet and mildly sharp.  Though it doesn’t contain as many antioxidants as Silver Needle it still is rich in anti-oxidants, and has been reported to help prevent hardening of the arteries and remove toxins from the body.

Green Tea

Like white tea, Green tea is made from the leaves that are only minimally processed. 

Although Green teas are not oxidized they still undergo a production process that is slightly longer than White tea.  Like White tea, tea leaves are hand picked but instead of drying out in the sunshine they are immediately shipped to an outside facility, where they are spread out either on bamboo or cloth mats to wither.  This allows the producers to extract some of the moisture content of the leaves.  Once the leaves are limp they are then blasted with heat to prevent them form oxidizing.  Usually they are either pan-fried (china) or steamed (japan) during this process.  While these tea leaves are drying this is when the tea master would begin shaping the leaves into their well known shapes, pearls, spindles, balls, or cakes.

The most common types of Japanese green tea are matcha and genmaicha.  Matcha is a grounded out tea leaves into a fine powder often made into lattes or used as a food additive.  Genmaicha is the mixing of green tea leaves and popped rice kernels giving a toasted flavor that is close to the traditional Chinese green tea flavor.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea, known in China as “wulong tea,” is a semi-oxidized tea. The tea leaves are allowed to oxidize, but only for a short period of time. The flavor and color of oolong tea are stronger than green tea, but more mellow than black tea.  Oolong tea leaves undergo a moderate production process.  The plucked tea leaves are withered and bruised in bamboo baskets or on bamboo mats. The bruising exposes enzymes in the tea leaves to oxygen. These enzymes begin a controlled fermentation process that alters the flavor and color of the leaves.

Oolong teas are cultivated exclusively in China and Taiwan. Most oolong teas are classified by the region in which they are grown.  This helps to reflect the different flavor profiles caused by terroir—the idea that soil composition, climate, and other regional factors impact the way foods taste. The flavor of oolong teas can vary dramatically depending on where they were grown.  The flavor of oolong teas also differs depending on how long the leaves are oxidized. Oolong teas can undergo anywhere from 8 to 80 percent oxidation.  The least oxidized oolong teas are called pouchongs. Pouchong tea is floral and tastes similar to green tea. The most heavily oxidized oolong tea is a Chinese creation known as Da Hong Pao. It offers a malty flavor that is strong yet smooth.

Black Tea

Of all the true tea varieties Black tea is the most processes.   It undergoes a lengthy process of withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. This production process produces a tea that is bold and reminiscent of the flavor of coffee.  Black teas are most commonly produced in China, India, Sri Lanka, and Africa. The largest black tea growing regions are the Assam and Darjeeling areas of India. This is followed by Nilgiri, Sri Lanka—the third largest growing region in the country formerly known as Ceylon.

Black teas, like Oolong teas, are typically named after the regions in which they are produced. Black teas cultivated in Assam are made using the tea variety called Camellia sinensis var. assamica. These teas are fully oxidized and appear deep black in color.  Tea plants in Darjeeling are of the Camellia sinensis var. sinensis variety. Darjeeling teas are only semi-oxidized due to the climate of the region.  Ceylon black teas cultivated in Sri Lanka are characterized by the long, wiry shape of the leaves. Most Chinese black teas including Keemun are cultivated in Yunnan province. Chinese black teas are typically stronger and maltier than Indian varieties.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu'er or Pu-erh teas are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, but are post-oxidized. Pu-erh tea consists of two categories: raw Pu-erh and aged Pu-erh. Raw Pu-erh tea undergoes a production process similar to green tea.  The leaves are hand harvested, withered, and then subjected to heat to prevent oxidation. The result is a tea that is technically a green tea varietal, but often sold as raw Pu-erh depending on production.

Aged Pu-erh tea is post-oxidized. The carefully controlled process allows the leaves to age just like fine wines. As the leaves age, they undergo a natural oxidation process. Pu-erh tea leaves are typically aged anywhere from 10 to 15 years. The highest quality aged Pu-erh teas can be aged for up to 50 years.

Herbal Tisanes

Herbal teas do not contain any leaves from the tea plant. Instead, these beverages are made by infusing spices, herbs, flowers, and twigs in hot water. There are thousands of flavors when it comes to herbal teas due to the wide variety of plants used to make infusions. While the health benefits of true teas have long been researched by scientists, herbal teas have only recently piqued the interest of mainstream medical practitioners. Herbal teas have been used in traditional medicine such as Ayurveda for thousands of years.

Flavored Teas

Flavored teas are made by combining true teas with herbal tisanes. A true tea such as green tea or black tea is used as a base while herbs, spices, and flowers are added to create stunning flavor profiles.

Some of the most popular flavored teas include Earl Grey and masala chai. Earl Grey is a popular British tea that infuses black tea with bergamot orange. It is a citrusy delight that blends fruity and malty flavors.

Masala chai is a popular Indian beverage that combines spices and a black tea base. Typically, masala chai is made with an Assam or Darjeeling black tea and five spices: black peppercorn, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and ginger. It boasts a spicy flavor that is evened out by the addition of creamy nut or dairy milk.