Tea Types

So what exactly is the world's biggest brewed beverage?

Tea is basically the dried and processed leaves of only one species of plant - the aforementioned camellia sinensis.

Herbal teas or herbal infusions are not really "teas", simply dried flowers, herbs, roots, spices or other parts of some plants, "tisanes" to be precise.

Even though all teas come from only one species, there are 2 major varietals:

• The China:
  Small leaves and generally thrives at higher altitudes.
  
  
• The India (or Assam):
  Larger leaves and generally thrives at lower altitudes.

Tea Processing

The processing is the art of tea. Where the taste, body, and character are created.

Taking the raw green leaves and deciding whether or not, and how much oxidation (or fermentation) should take place before drying them out.

Tea leaves have enzymes in their veins. When the leaf is broken, bruised, or crushed, the enzymes are exposed to the air resulting in oxidation.

The amount of oxidation depends upon the length of exposure. There are four methods of processing and each produces a different type of tea:

• White Tea
• Black Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Green Tea

White tea

White tea is the least common, the least processed, and the most like fresh leaves or grass... Read more

Oolong Tea

...They are somewhere between green and black tea because they are only partially oxidized during the processing... Read more...

Black tea

...They are the highest in caffeine and lower in antioxidant properties... Read more

Green Tea

...Picked, the leaves are placed in a high humidity to maintain quality. A moist low temperature keeps the leaves fresh... Read more...