The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
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| The Six Main Types of Tea |
| When I was a newbie to tea drinking, I assumed that black, green, and oolong teas, etc., all came from different kinds of tea plants. It turned out I was wrong about that and many other assumptions I made early on. One of my goals for The Tea Detective is to share everything I've learned about tea over the years so you can come to understand and enjoy, as I have, all the truly remarkable traits and qualities of tea. |
| There are six main types of tea, which are: black tea, green tea, white, oolong, yellow, and pu-erh. All come from the same plant family-Camellia sinensis. So the plucked tea brought to the processing facilities or factory starts out basically the same, from the same kind of tea leaves. There are, of course, other variables such as the country and climate where the tea is grown, type of pluck, is it an early or late spring flush, and more, that all factor into the production. |
| No Tea From the Tree |
| The Camellia sinensis is actually a type of ever- green that if left alone would grow to heights ranging from 35 to 60 feet. Most all of the tea we |
| drink today comes from well-tended bushes pruned until they are three to five feet tall and wide. The exception to this is Fenghuang Dan Cong oolong (or Fonghuang Tan-Chung) that is pruned to grow and develop into a tree with a single trunk and individual branches. Ladders must be employed to pluck this tea. Harvesting the Tea Most quality loose leaf tea purchased today is plucked by hand, mainly by women. Carrying baskets on their backs or heads, the women make their way through waist high bushes, plucking the tea leaves from the stem in swift, practiced motions. Each worker picks about 30,000 shoots a day, about forty pounds, equalling ten pounds of processed tea leaves. In Japan many tea companies and estates employ mechanized tea picking using large machines which ride over the top of the rows of tea. The tea is processed in large, state-of-the-art mechanized factories, with little orthodox, artisan teas made by hand. The opposite is true of China, where they insist the leaf tea have an excellent appearance through all stages of manufacture. Much of their high quality leaf is still processed by hand, especially by the smaller artisan farms. |
| White-Green-Black-Yellow-Oolong or Pu-erh It's All in the Processing |
| Once the plucking is finished, the fresh leaf is quickly taken to a factory or processing facility, which can be anything from a simple pavilion set in the midst of the tea garden, located in a village at the base of the mountain, or a pristine regional factory built specifically for processing large amounts of tea. No matter the type of tea being made, all tea processing has eight common elements, which are:
Number five on the list, the manufacture specific to the type of tea, is the step that determines the type of tea being processed. The size of the leaf, the climate in which it was grown, whether at higher, moist elevations, or lower, drier elevations, whether its a first or second flush, the type of soil, all goes into what the tea eventually becomes. But it's mainly the percentage or type of drying or oxidation the leaves receive that determine the type of tea they will become, whether black tea, which is fully oxidized, green or white tea, which receive minimal oxidation, or oolong, which lies in the middle and is semi-oxidized. Be sure to visit the other The Tea Detective pages to get an in-depth look at each type of tea, and to learn more about what it takes to bring the finest teas to your table. Enjoy. |
| For more information or to learn more about tea visit, our other pages: Shou pu-erh-the faster aging pu-erh tea. How faster aging Shou pu-erh is made, and the difference between Shou pu-erh and its longer aging counterpart, Sheng pu-erh. How is Sheng pu-erh made? Learn how Sheng pu-erh is manufactured and the difference between the two styles of pu-erh tea. Oolong tea-nature and a careful manufacturing process makes the difference. Nature provides the perfect growing conditions, while a long, careful manufacturing process gives oolong teas a wide selection of flavors, some light and sweet, and others robust and hearty. How is green tea made? Learn about the unique manufacturing process for green tea, keeping it in its near natural state, and preserving the flavor, vitamins, minerals, and important anti- oxidants, making it one of the healthiest of teas. What makes yellow tea so unique? Find out what extra step is taken during processing to set yellow tea apart and make it unique, while still sharing many attributes of both white and green teas. How is white tea made? White tea receives the least amount of processing, leaving it in its near natural state. Learn how this healthy tea is made, and why it's only available in limited quantities. How is black tea made? Many people enjoy the full, robust flavor of black tea. We'll walk you through the manufacturing process step-by-step to show you what it takes to bring this quality tea to your table. Flavored Teas - Everyone Has a Favorite! Satisfy your favorite cravings with a healthy, low calorie cup of tea. Whether it's berries, citrus, or even chocolate or caramel, your favorite flavor of tea is just waiting for you. (Try chocolate with chocolate chips tea from Silver Leaf Tea Co.). So who is Earl Grey, anyway? Earl Grey is probably the most recognizable of blended teas, but there are many other tasty blends that make the perfect beginning or ending to your day. |
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