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Three Major Types of Tea
Black Tea:The most commonly consumed tea in the world accounting for approximately 80% of all consumption. In the United States well over 90% of the tea consumed is black. Black teas are the most processed of all teas in that they are oxidized or fermented.
Darjeeling:A very high quality black tea grown in the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India. Called the champagne of teas.
Green Tea:Tea which undergoes minimal processing and most resembles the original green leaf.Gunpowder:A type of Green tea which has been rolled into pellets.Oolong Tea:Partially "fermented" tea which is allowed to wither, then is partially oxidized and dried. The term is of Chinese origins and means Black Dragon.
Other Types of Tea
Flavored Tea: Are usually black but could be any tea with flavor, characteristic taste and aroma of fine teas.
Pu'erh Tea: A fully fermented tea from the Yunnan province of China. It comes in two different types green and black pu'erh. It is similar to wine in that as it ages it becomes smoother.
White Tea: Considered to be derived from the first flush buds of the tea bush and grown exclusively in the Fujian province of China. It has the most subtle flavor of all teas, it is milder and thought to have the most antioxidant of all teas. White tea is the least processed of all teas, it lacks the rolling stage of tea production. White tea has a strong health association.
Tea Terms
Fementation: A term used to describe the processing of teas. The actual chemical transformation which takes place is oxidation.
Oxidation: The process of oxidizing. The combination of a substance with oxygen. The loss of electrons and an increase in the oxidation state of a molecule, atom, or ion.
Steeping: Saturation in a liquid solvent to extract a soluable ingredient, where the solvent is the desired product. Tea is brewed by steeping the leaves to release the flavor and nutrients.
Quality: Describes a preponderance of desirable attributes which are the essential characteristics of a good tea.
