A Crash Course in Tea
What is Tea? All true teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. From two sub-species of this one plant come five types of tea, the... Processing Tea There are five steps involved in the processing of tea. The production of some types of tea involves all of these steps, even repeating certain... Plucking: First, tea is plucked. leaves are removed from the stems. In most regions of the world, fine teas are plucked by hand, though Japanese... Oxidation is the most crucial of the five processes as the extent of oxidation (or lack thereof) is the most significant in determining the flavor... During oxidation, the cell walls of tea leaves break down – this can happen naturally over time or can be sped up by crushing, rolling, or cutting... Before the chemistry of oxidation was properly understood, tea growers used the term “fermentation” to refer to oxidation. In some parts of the... 5 Types of Tea WHITE TEA White tea is unprocessed tea. We call it “white” because of the fuzzy white “hairs” that delicately cover the surface of new buds - the newest... To produce white tea, the new-growth leaves and buds are plucked and then allowed to wither dry. Though sometimes this process is gently “helped”... Once withered, these leaves come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have a white or light green/brown appearance. The tea liquor brewed from... ... GREEN TEA Green tea is named after its leaves, which are still vividly green by the time it is fully processed. Tea growers use heat during the rolling... Heat is used to destroy the enzymes that cause oxidation, thereby halting the oxidation process. The liquors of steamed green teas have bright,... Green teas in their dry, whole-leaf state are distinctive for their beautiful and unique shapes that are produced by hand. Leaves may be rolled,... Oolong Tea Oolong teas originated in the Anxi and Fujian regions of China and Taiwan. Oolongs, such as our Ti Kwan Yin, are created using all five steps in... The care taken to gently oxidize oolong tea results in a distinctive, smooth mouthfeel, especially compared to black tea. For our Earl Grey... Black Tea Black teas are grown all over the world and are produced in a very linear fashion: pluck, wither, bruise, oxidize, dry. None of the steps are... Black teas, such as those from the Ceylon region of Sri Lanka or the Assam region of India, are completely oxidized, unlike oolongs which are only... Black teas are most often known for their distinctive, bold flavors and notable astringency, though certain varieties such as Keemum, from the... Pu Ehr Pu Ehr tea, like our Pu Ehr #1 Organic is especially unique in that it is the only tea that undergoes true fermentation in its making. This type of... Raw pu ehr is bright green, while red (ripened/fermented) pu ehr is dark red and produces a deeply ruddy liquid. Pu ehrs are considered “living... The flavor profile of pu ehr teas is that of deep umami: earthy, woodsy, musty aromas with an exceptionally smooth finish.
