Tea is one of the most ancient beverages on the planet, and it’s made by soaking dried leaves in water. Many people choose to drink tea instead of coffee because certain blends are refreshing without the same level of caffeine. From matcha tea made for Japanese tea ceremonies to old-fashioned sweet tea you’d find in the South, tea is complex and offers a huge variety of flavors.
Here are the major classifications of tea you need to know about –
Black Tea
High in its caffeine content, black tea is of a dark, coppery color, and usually has a stronger, more robust flavor than other types of tea. Black tea is derived from tea leaves that are wilted and dried after harvesting. The leaves are then crushed and fully oxidized which gives them a blackish-brown color. Preparing tea from the final product emanates a similar color to the drink which gives it its name.
Green Tea
Almost the opposite of the production of black tea, green tea has low caffeine. Usually of greenish-yellow color, Green tea is harvested and afterward promptly either steamed or fried to stop the oxidation cycle. Halting oxidation is the process that gives green tea leaves their radiant green tone and their light, vegetal taste. The tea leaves are then rolled or pressed into their last shape and dried.
White Tea
A lightly processed form of tea is highly sought out as a fancy beverage. White tea typically has very low caffeine, but some silver tip teas may have higher caffeine content. White tea is minimally processed before being dried and bundled.
At times, similarly, as with silver tip and silver needle teas, white tea is collected from the absolute first tips and buds of the plant, before they turn to full leaves. Other white teas are reaped after the leaves spread out and develop. In both cases, white teas experience low levels of oxidation.
Oolong Tea
Lying between the oxidation levels of black and green tea, oolong tea is partially oxidized. Oolong teas can range from around 10-80% oxidation, giving them a yellow-amber color. Oolong teas are collected, shriveled, and afterward go through halfway oxidation.
Contingent upon the kind of oolong, they might be oxidized for just a brief timeframe or may go through more careful oxidation nearly to the level of a black tea. Oolong teas can be re-infused several times.
Pu-erh Tea
An aged and heavily oxidized with high levels of caffeine like that of black tea, this kind of tea is initially processed like green tea. The tea leaves are fried or steamed after harvesting to halt the oxidation process and later fermented. The tea drying process takes over several years. The leaves are aged and dried. It has a deeper black tone to it and the rich taste of tea makes it a special form of tea.
Purple Tea
A comparatively new kind of Tea, purple tea is made from the purple leaves of a rare tea plant found in the northeastern Assam region of India. Purple tea is typically processed in a way like oolong teas. The leaves are collected, withered, and go through partial oxidation prior to being formed and dried. At the point when prepared, purple tea brews up a light reddish-purple, on account of the novel shade of its leaves.