TEAS OF THE WORLD

WHAT IS TEA?
There are three main types of tea, and many varieties within each of these categories: Black Teas, Green Teas, and Flavored Teas.

At its most elemental, tea is a beverage made by brewing tea leaves in boiling water.

Tea is the dried leaf of the perennial evergreen shrub Camellia Sinensis, which grows in a variety of climates and places around the world. It is said that the first tea bush sprung from Buddha’s tears. A Chinese legend claims that the idea of drinking tea came about after some leaves from a tea bush fell in water that was being boiled for drinking by Emperor Shen Nung thousands of years ago.

BLACK TEA
Premium black teas are grown and plucked at high elevations for best flavor. The leaves are green when plucked but are crushed and tightly rolled into wiry threads, which release an enzyme that begins the fermentation process. This rapidly turns the leaves a bright coppery color. The fermented leaves are then dried by oven firing, which results in a black leaf and creates deep red amber color liquor and rich malty flavor.

GREEN TEA
Green tea is made from leaves of the same plant as black tea, but is not allowed to ferment so the leaves maintain their natural color and taste. After plucking, green tea is steamed, which halts fermentation, and then dried by steamfiring, panfiring or basketfiring. Green tea has a lighter, milder, more astringent taste than black tea and a light green, somewhat golden color.
The green tea does contain caffeine, sometimes, even as much as black tea.

FLAVORED TEA
These are wonderful combination of high-quality black and green teas blended with fruit peels, berries, pieces of fruit and other natural flavors. Though traditional western tea culture has been slow to accept these blends as authentic, ancient Tazo writings indicate that these may actually be some of the oldest forms of tea.

HERBAL INFUSION
Also known as herbal teas, they actually do not contain any real tea leaves at all but are delicious and comforting nonetheless. Herbal teas are blends of flowers, roots, tree barks, berries, fruit peels, seeds and grasses and contain no caffeine.

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VARIETIES OF TEA
The three main varieties of the camellia sinensis tea plant are the India, or Assam, the China and the hybrid. India tea is large-leafed and grows well in lower altitudes, while China tea is small-leafed and grows well in higher altitudes. Hybrid tea mixes quantities of both China and India teas.

Another website provided a different way of categorizing types of teas. The four main types of tea derived from India, China and hybrid teas are oolong, green, black and white.

Processing tea usually involves oxidation, or fermentation. The oxidation occurs when enzymes in the tea plant are either bruised, broken or crushed so that the enzymes are exposed to air. White tea is not oxidized at all, but just left to dry as is. This air drying process is called withering.

White tea gets its name from its silver-colored dried buds with their white, thread-like growths. White tea has the least amount of caffeine and the highest amount of antioxidants of the four main types of tea. Silver Needle is a type of white tea with a delicately sweet flavor.

Black tea is the most popular tea worldwide, but it does not have as many antioxidants as the other types of teas and it contains the most caffeine. Black tea is fully oxidized. The leaves are rolled to break up the surface so that the leaves are open to air. When the leaves are fully oxidized, they turn completely black, hence the name black tea. Keemun black tea is said to have a chocolate-like flavor. Darjeeling and Ceylon are other examples of black tea. Green tea is closer to white tea than black tea as it is non-oxidized. The difference between white and green tea is that green tea uses rolled leaves and not the buds. The grassy taste of green tea is very similar to that of white tea and green tea is low in caffeine and high in antioxidants compared to black tea. Jin Xian Te Jian and Hojicha are types of green tea.

Oolong tea is often considered the most difficult tea to process as oolong leaves are only partially oxidized. The leaves cannot be broken or crushed, as full oxidation would occur, so they must only be bruised.

Bruising tea for oolong usually occurs by throwing the leaves in baskets so only the edges of the leaves are opened to air. Oolongs can be more like black teas or more like green teas in their fermentation. Pouchong and Formosa are two kinds of oolong tea.

Decaffeinated black teas are popular in Western cultures. The United States has approved both the use of carbon dioxide and ethyl acetate in the process of removing caffeine from black tea. The American Medical Association has stated that up to seven cups of black tea a day is not an excessive amount of caffeine consumption for most adults.

Herbal teas, though not actually from the tea plant, are often very flavorful. Herbal teas can be made from many different flowers and herbs. Herbal tea varieties such as peppermint, peach, strawberry and lemongrass are popular tea alternatives.
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Just like grapes, the taste of tea is dependent on where and how it is grown. The altitude, the soil, and the climate all have a marked effect on the flavor. Varieties of teas grown at the highest altitudes, for example, mature more slowly and have a lower yield, resulting in a higher quality. The main tea-producing countries are China, India, and Japan; however, there are a few other regions worthy of mention. Kenya is home to some very fine teas, particularly those cultivated east of the Great Rift Valley, where some of the tea gardens are at altitudes of 1 1/4 miles (2 km) above sea level. The teas are all black, with a brisk flavor. In Georgia, tea is grown on the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, and the leaves are fermented to produce black tea that gives a very mellow brew. The way in which tea is harvested, dried, and processed will affect the flavor of the brew: Indian tea tastes quite different to that from China or Ceylon, and teas from Assam in Northern India differ in flavor to those from Nilgiri in the South. Some teas are blended according to special recipes.

Chinese Green Teas
Most familiar as the tea served in Chinese restaurants,
these teas are all mild, with a pleasant fruity flavor.

Gunpowder Green Tea This is a classic tea that uses tightly rolled, unfermented leaves. It yields a very pale drink with a light flavor.

Chinese Oolong Teas In general, these teas are stronger than green teas, but milder than black teas.

Taiwan (Formosa) Oolong Tea Considered by some experts to be one of the finest of teas, this has a natural fruity flavor that is not too strong.

Formosa Oolong Peach Blossom This tea does not contain peach blossom-it takes its name from its unique peachy flavor that is found only in the best-quality teas.

Chinese Black Teas These teas range in flavor from mild, to smoked, to strong.

Keemum A delicate and aromatic tea from Northern China, this is low in tannins with a deep, rich flavor.

Lapsang Souchong A large-leaf tea that is rich and full-bodied, this has a very distinctive but delicate smoky, tarry flavor.

Yunnan Western A tea containing a high proportion of the youngest leaves, this has a sweet taste and a light golden color.

Pu-erh tea Pu-erh and its raw materials from various tea mountains were gathered along the Ancient Tea Route to Pu-erh, and then conveyed by caravan to Beijing, Tibet, Southeast Asia and Europe. It is most often brewed in either yixing teapot or gaiwan teabowl. Pu-erh is brewed gongfu style, meaning that the tea leaves are only immersed in hot water for a short time before the tea is poured into another container. The best Pu-erh tea can be steeped multiple times up to 10-2 times before beginning to loose its flavor.

Indian Teas
All of the teas produced in this country are black teas.

Assam One of the classic Indian teas, this is grown in the Brahmaputra Valley in northeast India. The taste is strong and malty. The best quality Assam teas contain the "tips," or unopened buds, from the bushes and are known as Tippy Assam.

Darjeeling Another popular tea from Northern India, this type is noted for its distinctive, delicate flavor. The small, broken-leaf grade produces a light, golden drink with a subtle flavor. Bushes from the highest tea gardens in the foothills of the Himalayas have large leaves that produce teas with a unique "muscatel" flavor of perfumed grapes. The most notable of all the various Darjeelings is Darjeeling Broken Orange Pekoe, which is sometimes called the champagne of tea.

Ceylon Teas
The teas produced in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) are all black teas.

Dimbula Grown at altitudes reaching 11/4 miles (2 km) and over, this tea has a fine quality and, like most Ceylon teas, a rich color and flavor. Orange pekoe and broken orange pekoe are the usual leaf grades, resulting in a drink with an aromatic fragrance and a delicate, fresh taste.

Kandy This tea is noted for its full-bodied quality and strength, appealing particularly to those who like a robust beverage.

Nuwara Elz:ya A light, "bright" tea with a fragrant flavor, this is excellent when served with lemon wedges.

Uva This is a fine-flavored tea from the eastern slopes of the central mountains.

Japanese Green Teas

These are quite different from Chinese green teas
because the flavor of some can be decidedly strong.

Sencha These long, green leaves make a light, bright easy-to-drink tea that is good for everyday drinking.

Sencha Brancha This is a combination of tea leaves and rice that results in a drink with a nutty flavor.

White Teas

Produced for the most part in China, white teas are made from the buds and young leaves, where other teas are made from more mature leaves. The buds and leaves may be shielded from the sun, so no chlorophyll may be formed in them. Flavor is sweet and light.

Blended Teas

Most packages of commercial tea are made up of a blend of fifteen or more leaves from different areas. There are also some rather special traditional teas that are blended.

English Breakfast Tea is a blend of strong Indian teas that gives a full-bodied and fragrant drink.

Earl Grey Tea is a blend of Keemun and Darjeeling teas flavored with oil of bee balm. The recipe was given to the diplomat Earl Grey by a Chinese mandarin, and the earl took the recipe back with him to England.

DID YOU KNOW?
The thing that makes Earl Grey Earl Great is essence of bergamot, which is applied to the tea leaves during the blending process.

Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown in the Reggio Calabria area of Southern Italy that resembles a lemon. Only the peel of the fruit is used to make the essence and it takes 200 pounds of fruit to make just one pint.

Russian Caravan Tea is a blend of fine teas from China, Taiwan, and India. It was originally transported to Russia from India via camel caravan; hence its name.

Herbal Teas

In addition to the many types of teas that vary in taste, there is also a wide range of flavored teas. They are flavored with flowers or fruits or with extracts such as chocolate, mint, or brandy. Many teas are flavored naturally with dried fruit, flowers. and spices; some are flavored artificially.While most other teas contain caffeine and act as stimulants, herbal teas generally do not contain any (unless blended with other teas), though some are still stimulative while others act as sedatives. Herbal teas are often drunk for their effects or medicinal properties. Most herbal teas are best on their own, without the addition of milk, lemon or sugar. (see next post for health benefits of herbal teas).

Jasmine Tea

Traditionally served with dim sum dishes, this is a classic Chinese tea. It is a green tea, exotically scented with the addition of real jasmine flowers.

Rose Pouchong Tea From the province of Guangdong, this is made by interspersing flower petals with the tea leaves during drying. It makes a pale, soothing tea. Rose Congou is another rose-scented tea.

Chrysanthemum Tea This is medium strength black China tea blended with chrysanthemum flowers.

Orchid Tea This is obtained by blending a semifermented oolong tea with crushed orchid flowers. It makes a light, delicate, and fragrant brew, considered to be the tea of connoisseurs.

Lychee Tea This is a traditional Chinese blend that is perfumed with the husks of the Lychee fruit.

Fruit Teas Modern blends are produced using varied fruits: apricots, black currants, apples, wild cherries, passion fruit, oranges, lemons, and mangoes. The producers of fruit teas carefully blend their own mixtures of China, Indian, and Ceylon teas to go with the chosen fruit.

Teas from Roots Ginger root tea, South Pacific Kava root tea and licorice teas are examples.

Teas from Grains Roasted barley tea, known as bori cha in Korea and mugicha in Japan, has a coffee-like taste and is usually served cold. Roasted wheat tea also tastes like coffee. Roasted corn and toasted rice teas are also served in Korea.

Tea from other Herbs:

Rooibos or Red Tea

Rooibos, colloquially known as Red Tea, is an herbal plant that grows in South Africa. Because of its recent popularity we wanted to mention it separately. Rooibos is a flavorful, caffeine-free alternative to tea for those seeking to eliminate caffeine intake.