Types of Tea

3.0    Types of Tea

Tea processing is five steps; and some made tea don’t undergo all these steps. The 5 basic steps or stages are Plucking, Withering, Rolling, Fermentation (Oxidizing) and Drying.

Crucial process which define the type or categories of tea is fermentation. From this processes, comes the 5 basic types of made tea i.e. Black, Green, White, Oolong and Pu’erh. (Tea Class).

Black Tea goes through all the 5 basic processing steps with complete oxidation i.e. fermentation. The brewed liquor of a black tea ranges between dark brown and deep red. Black teas offer the strongest flavors.

Green Tea is plucked, withered and rolled but it is not oxidized or fermented. Oxidation is prevented by applying heat. The leaves are then given final firing or drying to fully dry them, after which they are done. The liquor of a green tea is typically a green or light yellow, and flavors range from toasty, grassy to fresh steamed greens with mild, vegetable-like astringency.

White tea is essentially unprocessed tea. The name is derived from fuzzy white “down” that appears on the unopened or recently opened bud. White tea is simply plucked and allowed to wither dry. White teas produce very pale green or ywllow liquor and are the most delicate in flavor and aroma.

Oolong tea is one of the most time consuming tea to manufacture. It undergoes all the basic processing steps with rolling and oxidizing done repeatedly. Oolong typically have much complex flavor than green or white tea, with smooth, soft astringency and rich in floral or fruity flavors.

Pu’erh tea undergoes a process similar to green tea but before the leaf is dried, it’s aged either as loose-leaf tea or pressed into dense cakes and decorative cake. Pu;erh is a fermented tea. The aging process lasts from few months to several years. A vey old, well-stored pu’erh are considered “living tea”, just like wine. There are prized for their earthy, woodsy or musty aroma and rich, smooth taste. (Tea Class).

                       SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF TEA

KINGDOM	Plantae
ORDER	Ericales
FAMILY	Theaceae
GENUS	Camellia
SPECIES	C. Sinensis
VARIATIES	C. sinensis var sinensis, C. sinensis var assamica, C. sinensis var pubilimba C. sinensis var dihungensis