Tea Types
It's All About Oxidation.
All teas, white, green, oolong, black and pu-erh are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The level of oxidation is what determines whether a batch of tea leaves becomes white, green, oolong, or black tea. The taste of a particular tea type is also influenced by its terroir and the processing of the leaves.
Tea leaves start to oxidize the moment a leaf is harvested. The tea then goes through the various stages of processing: withering, rolling, and drying. The more oxidation the leaves receive, the darker they will become. White tea is only slightly oxidized, while black is fully oxidized.
White Tea.
White tea is quite rare and most sought after. It is essentially unprocessed tea. The leaves are picked when they are young and often have a white fuzzy layer on them, hence the name. When brewed, white teas produce a pale green or yellow liquor and has a sweet, delicate flavor profile and aroma. Most white teas have a very subtle, to the point of being able to miss it.
The young leaves and buds of a white tea are picked only once and earlier in the year, then allowed to dry naturally. They have high nutritional value and health benefits. Due to its minimal processing, white tea has the most antioxidants of all teas.
Typically, white tea is considered to contain the most caffeine of all the tea types. There are many factors that determine caffeine levels of tea, but generally the more processing the leaves receive the more caffeine is removed. However, the caffeine content is also the result of brewing. The longer the brewing and the hotter the water, the more caffeine is released. So, a cup of black tea, which is brewed in very hot water for more time, will typically have more caffeine than a cup of white tea, which has been brewed in cooler water for less time.
Preparation of white tea:
- Tea: 5g (2 Teaspoons)
- Water 8 oz.
- Temperature: 203°F
- Steep: 5-10 minutes
Green Tea.
Plucked, withered and rolled, green tea is not oxidized because the leaves are immediately steamed or fired to prevent oxidation. This lack of oxidation gives green tea its vibrant green color, fresh vegetal flavor, and why these teas are full of natural antioxidants.
Green tea contains L-theanine, a natural amino acid that provides a calming, and slows down the release of caffeine into the bloodstream. Green tea has positive effects on parts of the brain used for memory, increasing cognitive functions.
Preparation of green tea:
- Tea: 5 (2 Teaspoons)
- Water 8 oz.
- Temperature: 160-170°F
- Steep: 3 minutes
Oolong Tea.
Oolong teas have the most varied and wide-ranging flavor profiles. They use all five basic steps to produce, with rolling and oxidizing done repeatedly, thus making it very time consuming to create. Oolong falls somewhere between a green tea and a black tea and can be anywhere between 15% to 80% oxidized.
Oolongs increase your metabolism and have particularly high levels of antioxidants.
Preparation of oolong tea:
- Tea: 5 (2 Teaspoons)
- Water 8 oz.
- Temperature: 175-190°F
- Steep: 7 minutes
Black Tea.
Black tea is the most widely consumed tea in the world. It is processed like Oolong, using the basic five steps in processing. The difference is that it is allowed to oxidize more completely. Black teas are the type that takes milk and sugar well and are the most popular bases for iced teas. They offer the strongest flavors and also blend well with other ingredients to make flavored teas.
Unlike coffee, the caffeine in black tea is slow-release and therefore leaves you feeling energized for longer. Black teas are also naturally high in flavanoids, powerful antioxidants known to help lower cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Preparation of black tea:
- Tea: 5g (2 Teaspoon)
- Water 8 oz.
- Temperature: 212°F
- Steep: 5 minutes
Pu'ehr Tea.
Pu’erh (pronounced poo-ERR) is a post-fermented tea and a completely different art. The tea is aged and allowed to ferment. These leaves are processed like green tea (pick, wither, pan fire) but then they’re packed into small “cakes” and allowed to sit for years. And by years, they mean 20-25 years, from picking to fully fermented and ready to use.
Preparation of pu’ehr tea:
- Tea: 5g (2 Teaspoons)
- Water 8 oz.
- Temperature: 210°F
- Steep: 5 minutes
References:
- Harsh The Making of Tea, Harsh Maur, December 7, 2016, https://teafloor.com/blog/the-making-of-tea/
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.