What’s The Tea on Tea?
Let’s talk about all things tea! Not the gossip kind, though that tea can be tasty too, but the kind you find in your local stores and that has been a staple of many cultures for hundreds of years. Most people call hot beverages, other than coffee, tea. But that isn’t a completely accurate categorization.
First and foremost, what is tea? Tea (plant) is an evergreen shrub or small tree (Camellia sinensis) that is native to South and Eastern Asia¹. This is tea in the traditional sense, green, yellow, white, oolong, black and pu-reh teas.
Herbal teas (tisanes) are drinks not made from Camellia sinensis. They are infusions (extractions of the chemical compounds and flavors from plant material) of fruit, leaves, other plant parts like stems, bark and roots, and steeps of rooibos and mates².
Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis, is in the legume (pea/bean family) and means “red bush”. It is non-caffeinated.
Yerba Mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is from a bush native to central and southern regions of South America (Paraguay, Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay). The leaves of the pant are steeped in hot water called mate in the Guarani language. Both the plant and the beverage contain caffeine.
Tea is divided into categories based on how it is processed¹. From least to most processed:
Green: Unwilted and unoxidized
Flavor Profile: Aromatic, astringent, bright, light to full-bodied, grassy, vegetal
Yellow: Unwilted and unoxidized but allowed to yellow.
Flavor Profile: Mellower than green tea
Aromatic, medium-bodied, bright, clean and fresh
White: wilted and unoxidized
Flavor Profile: Smooth and mellow due to oxidation
Full-bodied, clean, soft, sweet
Oolong: wilted, bruised and partially oxidized
Flavor Profile: great range of taste profile because oxidation can vary from 20 to 80 percent
Aromatic, full-bodied, smooth, sweet soft, earthy, lingering finish
Black: wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized
Flavor Profile: the flavors that you can bring out of black tea will vary with your steeping method and water used
Light to full-bodied, astringent, coppery, lingering finish, smoky, spicy, malty, nutty, crisp
Pu-erh (Post-fermented): green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost; ONLY made in China
Flavor Profile: Full-bodied, aromatic, woody, heavy, musty
So what does all this mean? What is oxidation? How does it affect the taste of the tea? Well, here’s a quick download: after being picked, tea leaves begin to wilt and oxidize (the chlorophyll begins to break down and tannins are released. This darkening is stopped at predetermined stages using heat, which deactivates the process. When making black tea, the halting of the oxidation process by heating is done simultaneously with the drying process. Without careful moisture and temperature control the growth of undesirable molds and bacteria can make the tea unfit for human consumption¹.
After basic processing, the teas can be altered through additional processing steps. For example blending with other tea varieties, flavoring (like with ginger, cloves, mint, bergamot - like with Earl Grey tea, etc.), scenting (like with jasmine) and decaffeination of teas.
So how do you know which tea is right for you? It’s a game of trial and error really! But that’s the fun of it! If you are going for a caffeine kick then green and black teas and mates, with mates having the highest caffeine content of the three (apex 70-85 mg/8oz). See the caffeine content infographic courtesy of Adiago Teas³ below.
If you want something earthy then herbal/rooibos and green tea might be right up your ally!
Anyway you look at it, tea drinking is meant to be a total sensory experience and a journey! Find what works best for you at any particular time and enjoy!
Heiss, Mary Lou, and Robert J. Heiss. The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: a Guide to Enjoying the World's Best Teas. Ten Speed Press, 2010.
Zak, Victoria. 20,000 Secrets of Tea: the Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs. Bantam, 2000.
“Caffeine And Tea - Your Guide To Caffeine Content In Tea (vs Coffee).” Adagio Teas, www.adagio.com/info/caffeine_and_tea.html.