Facts About Types of Teas

Facts About Types of Teas
Tea is an important beverage throughout the world. It is common for every household to have tea leaves in their homes. Although there are certain varieties which are expensive there are others that are of high quality, aromatic and rich in flavour but are affordable.

It is said that tea was discovered in China but the beverage travelled fast through trading and is grown in several parts of the world. Since Vietnam shares their border with China, tea is also a common growing there and is hence one of the beverages which the Vietnamese love to drink. Besides Vietnam – India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey Indonesia and a few other countries lead in the production of tea. There are about 3,000 varieties of the Camellia Sinensis shrubs that grow in different parts of the world. There are six types of teas which are usually available.

Facts on Tea Types:
All the six are made from the same shrub but it is the processing of the leaf that defines the type of tea.
Black Tea: Black tea is oxidized more than any other teas. They have a strong flavour and you get a reddish colour when it is brewed. Black tea retains its flavour for many years. This is also the reason why it is easy to trade them. The Western world prefers to drink black tea and accounts for about 90% of the sale.

Green Tea: This type of tea is oxidized the least. It gets its name from the green colours that it retains. The fresh tea leaves plucked are heated for a very time through steaming or pan firing. The taste of green tea is vegetal and sweet. After the oxidation they are rolled into shape before they are packaged. Once the tea leaves are rolled they are not allowed to oxidize. Green tea a famous health drink and is loaded with several elements that are great for your body. It is widely known to aid weight loss. The Lotus tea is among the most famous varieties from Vietnam.

Oolong Tea: Oolongs are grown on high altitudes and the higher the altitude the better the oolong tastes. Oolong variety of tea can be said to be partially oxidized. The tea leaves develop amazing flavours which are subtle. Some have fruity flavours while some are milky to taste. There is a variety of oolongs available and every country is famous for its distinct style. They are available in different varieties and come in strips, rolled in balls and leafy style.

White Tea: New buds and very young leaves of the plants are used to make white tea. The buds are shielded from the sun so chlorophyll is not formed. The buds and leaves are then fried or steamed so that the oxidation doesn’t take place. This is why white tea contains catechins in high quantities and also tastes sweeter than the other varieties of tea.

Yellow Tea: Yellow tea is the rarest variety of tea that is available in the market. The production is similar to that of green tea but an additional step that gives the tea a yellowish colour is that the tea leaves are steamed under a damp cloth after the oxidation process. Unlike the grassy flavour that the green teas develop, yellow teas taste mellow because of the added step.

Post-fermented Tea: This variety of tea undergoes microbial fermentation which could last from months to years. When the tea leaves are exposed to oxygen and humidity it leads to endo-oxidation and exo-oxidation. This type of tea is completely different and shouldn’t be mixed with black tea.