Tea Types

Four main types of tea are produced around the world: black, green white and oolong teas. All teas come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The Camellia Sinensis bush is grown as an important plantation crop and is kept to a height of three feet or more for ease of cultivation. From these four main types, over 3100 varieties of tea are available and there is a blend to suit most anyyone's taste. The tea types include: Black Tea: Most commonly found in North American tea bags, black tea is made from leaves that have been fully oxidized, producing a deep rich flavour in a coloured golden brew. It is the oxidation process, oxygen coming into contact with the enzymes in the tea leaf, that distinguishes black teas from green. The oxidation process is also known as fermentation. The types of Black Tea includes the following: Assam (India) Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Darjeeling (India) Earl Grey Keemun (China) Lapsang Souchong (China) Nepal Nilgiri (India) Pu-erh (Chna) Sikkim (India) Sumatra (Indonesia) Yunnan (China) Popular blends include English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Russian Caravan Green Tea Very popular in Asia and making headway in the U.S. , green tea is not oxidized. It is withered, immediately steamed or heated to prevent oxidation and then rolled and dried. It is characterized by a fairly delicate taste, light yellowish/green color, many anti-oxidents and is extremely refreshing. Darjeeling Gunpowder Dragon Well Jasmine Sencha, Bancha, Hojicha (Japan) Genmaicha Gyokuro (Japan) Spider Leg (Japan) Mattcha, Tencha (japan) Oolong Tea: The name oolong literally translates as "Black Dragon" and is very popular in China. Oolong refers to partly oxidized leaves, combining the taste and colour qualities of black and green tea. Oolong teas are consumed without milk or sugar and are extremely flavourful and highly aromatic. 3.1. Formosa Oolong (Taiwan) Ti Kuan Yin (or Tai Guan-Yin) (Mainland China) Pu-erh (China) Formosa Pouchong Black Dragon White Tea: The production of this tea is quite different than other teas. Only the best one or two leaves and unopened buds are selected. The leaves are not processed and are typically withered in the sun. If mechanical drying is necessary, the leaves are baked at temperatures under 40 degrees C. (and never fired). After withering and drying the leaves are painstakingly selected and sorted by hand! This tea is completely unfermented and much milder than other teas. Pai Mu Tan (China) Peony White Needle (China) Sowmee (China) Star Of China Snow Dragon Panda Pearls 100 Monkeys Darjeeling White Tips (India) Adams Peak (Sri Lanka)   Flavoured Teas: These are real teas (Camellia Sinensis), blended with fruit, spices or herbs. Fruit flavoured tea such as apple or blackcurrant, is real tea blended with fruit peel or treated with the natural oil or essence. Spiced and scented teas using cinnamon, nutmeg, jasmine or mint, are also real teas blended with spices, flowers or other plants. Herbal/Tisanes: Herbal infusions or tisanes such as Camomile,peppermint or nettle, do not contain any real tea leaf. The term "herbal tea" is somewhat of a misnomer, since these products are not really tea at all. Herbal beverages or infusions can be derived from a single ingredient or a blend of flowers, herbs, spices, fruits, berries and other plants.