Whether it is teh tarik, Oolong cha or plain old Earl Grey, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water, which actually makes up to 99% of tea anyway. The types of teas are so many, yet they all originate from the tea plant, or as scientists would tell you, the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal tea (or tisane), in contrast, is made not with tea leaves, but are made with infusions of herbs and fruits, like peppermint and rooibos tea.
What is it that makes the difference between the variations of tea? Tea enthusiast will be quick to enlighten you on the various classifications of tea, and the method that goes in preparing them. More specifically, wilting (sunbathing), bruising (rolling) and oxidation (fermenting) of the tea leaves are the key to the difference. And here we refer to the resource compiled by malaysia.cameron-highlands.net:
Black Tea
The leaves are allowed to ferment fully before being dried. It has a robust and full-bodied flavour, and goes well with milk. Black tea is also known as Ceylon or English tea. Boh Tea is an example of black tea. Other popular kinds of black tea include Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Darjeeling.
Oolong
The tea is semi-fermented and rolled lightly until it turns red, then dried over a fire. After brewing, the tea is usually light brown-red in colour. It is usually drunk without milk or sugar. Most Chinese teas are Oolong teas. Shui Xian, Pouchong and Alishan are some well-known varieties of Oolong tea.
Green Tea
This is unfermented tea which is withered, steamed, and then dried. It retains a distinctive green colour and has a delicate flavour with a slight tang. The most well-known form of green tea is Japanese tea. Gunpowder, Green Pekoe and Sencha are some of the popular varieties.
White Tea
White tea comes from tightly rolled buds of tea. It does not go through any fermentation; instead, the leaves are immediately fired or steamed after withering. There is also no rolling involved. Types of white tea include Silver Needle, White Peony and Darjeeling White.
And what about price? Generally, the smaller the tea leaves, the pricier the tea is, as young tea leaves are reserved for premium teas. Despite this initial grading, the largest determinant of value is the handling and manufacturing techniques used in later processes.
Tip: Tea leaves are rich with antioxidants!
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About the author: Adrian Foong View all posts by Adrian Foong
To protect himself from the big, bad world out there, Adrian puts on a facade to veil his inherent childishness. Try tempting him with a cuddly teddy bear.
What makes black tea black, and white tea white? Nope, not the amount of sugar you put in it! http://t.co/zUY7oqKz
Talking over Tea http://t.co/o42maDgu