Beginner’s Guide

to the different types of tea

All varieties of tea are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the differences between the types of tea are primarily due to how they are processed after the leaves are picked and how much they are oxidized to bring out specific flavors and aromas.
Beverages we call “herbal tea” - peppermint, rooibos, chamomile, etc. - are not from the Camellia sinensis plant, therefore, they are not tea in the technical sense. If you want to learn more about herbal teas, please click here for more information.

There are 6 main types of tea which includes white tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea and pu-erh tea.

White Tea

Originally from China, white tea is simply withered and dried, causing a very light oxidation. White tea has the most gentle and delicate flavors and aroma among the major tea varieties.

Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is the rarest type of tea. It is similarly processed to green tea, but is more slowly dried to make the leaves take on a yellow color. The taste of the tea is mild, often described as being somewhere between white and green tea.

Green Tea

Green tea is a type of tea where oxidation is stopped very early in the manufacturing process in order to retain its natural green color and fresh flavor. This type of tea has a more delicate flavor than black tea and often brews up pale green or golden in color.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is produced mainly in China and Taiwan and is only partially oxidized. This type of tea is usually characterized as having a flowery or fruity taste, but can also have a smoky flavor.

Black Tea

Black tea is withered, fully oxidized and dried. Black teas are often split up into two categories: broken and full-leaf. Broken leaf black teas have leaves that are broken into smaller pieces before they are processed, and tend to be higher in caffeine, while full-leaf teas are gentler.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh is green tea that has been fermented, often stored underground for several years. This tea is often characterized by a hearty brew with a low caffeine content, and the resulting taste lacks the sharpness otherwise found in other types of tea.

Each type of tea has an ideal range of temperatures to be applied in brewing, the wrong water temperature can cause an over extraction or under extraction of polyphenols (tannins), which can alter the flavor of your tea.
Although many water temperatures fall lower than 100°C, ideally, you will boil the water and cool down to the desired degree.

Would you like to learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea? Click the button for more information.