Tea has become such a broadly accepted term for brewed leaf or herbal matter. For many, our journey stops here. For our tea enthusiasts, however, there are thousands of years steeped in history. Tea has developed over time by different cultures, creating the huge array of teas that we have available today. Read on to understand the basics when it comes to tea.
Tea technically only comes from the Camellia sinensis plant and includes four types; Green Tea, Black Tea, Oolong Tea and White Tea. “Herbal tea” or “Tisanes” on the other hand, are infusions made from anything other than the leaves of the tea plant.
Herbal teas can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds, fruits and roots. Herbal teas have been used across cultures for many years as a form of herbal medicine, a method to extract the active constituents of plants for health and healing.
Tea and herbal teas are generally brewed by pouring boiling water (or near-to-boiling water for green, oolong and white tea) over the plant parts, letting them steep for a few minutes, straining and serving. While all “teas” come from the one Camellia sinensis plant, they all exhibit different qualities that have been determined by the way the tea leaves have been processed. The tea-making process may involve a full oxidation (or fermentation) of the tea leaf, partial oxidation or no oxidation before it is dried and it is this that will determine the colour, flavour and characteristics of the tea.
White tea is derived from the young new leaves from the tea plant in early spring. They contain no chlorophyll and still have silvery white “hairs”, indicating new growth - hence the name “white” tea. The tightly rolled buds of the white tea are immediately fired or steamed after letting them wither (air dry) for a period of time so that they do not go through any oxidation. White tea has the highest level of antioxidants and the lowest amount of caffeine out of all the teas.
The processing of green tea is similar to white tea in that it does not go through any oxidation. After the leaves are plucked, they are sometimes laid out to dry. Then in order to neutralise the enzymes, thus preventing oxidation, the leaves are steamed or pan-fried. Next, the leaves are rolled up in various ways and tightness before further drying takes place. Other Green tea variations include Jasmine, Buddha Tears and Energy.
The processing of black tea requires a full oxidation of the leaves. After the leaves are plucked, they are laid out to dry for up to 24 hours. The leaves are then rolled in order to crack up the surface so that oxygen will react with enzymes and begin the oxidation process. The leaves are left to completely oxidise, thus turning the leaves to a deep black colour and for further drying to take place. Black tea naturally has a more robust and full-bodied flavour, is the highest in caffeine out of all the teas and can also be taken with milk. BBTC Black teas include English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Chai in our Traditional Tea Range.
The processing of Oolong tea is the most difficult as it is partially oxidised and somewhere in between green tea and black tea. After the leaves are plucked, they are laid out to dry for up to 24 hours. The leaves are then tossed into baskets in order to bruise the edges of the leaves. This bruising only causes the leaves to partially oxidise because only a portion of the enzymes is exposed to air. The leaves are then steamed in order to neutralise the enzymes and stop any oxidation before further drying takes place.
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Enjoy!
& The BBTC Team
