Tea
Types of Tea
In essence Tea is the dried and processed leaves of only one species of plant the Camellia sinensis. This Tea bush has provided mankind with the luxury of enjoying tea for thousands of years!
Tea can generally be compartmentalised into categories, based on its production technique, with the main varieties being:
- Green Tea - Young leaves are picked, and the fermentation process is minimal/none. This results in a fresh and slightly "grassy" flavour when the tea has been steeped, and a light to dark green appearance. You will find China and Japan to be the main producers of Green tea.
- White Tea - Produced from buds that are well hydrated. During the production process, white tea is not fermented, which results in a very delicate flavour and pale appearance. This variety of tea is common in China.
- Oolong - Common in Taiwan and southern China. Leaves and buds from the tea bush are picked and fermented partially, resulting in a dark brown appearance after steeping.
- Black/Red Tea - The most common type of tea in the west. The name comes from the appearance of the steeped tea. Because the leaves undergo a lengthy fermentation process, the steeped tea looks black, hence the name. India is the main producer of Black tea, but you will also find it in other countries such as Kenya and Turkey.
History of Tea
The history of tea has many fantastical stories attributed to it. In recent years botanists have concluded that the tea bush Camellia sinensis is native to the Yunnan province, China. A similar variety of this species of tea bush is also found to the northern region of Myanmar and the state of Assam, India.
Regions of Tea
In the 21st century Tea is available from nearly all regions in the world. Despite this fact there are the age old lands that were once home to the finest and most exclusive teas. Predominantly, tea is found and cultivated in many countries within Asia, including; China, India, Japan, Pakistan and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
How it's made
As mentioned above, the different teas are produced using varying techniques and have different qualities as described below:
- Green Tea - Green teas are regarded as more of an "untouched" tea. Green teas have undergone less processing than black teas, and have a much lighter flavour. The health benefits of green tea are seemingly endless. Since the leaves are not fermented, as with their counterparts in other teas, the taste is pleasantly fresh and herbal. One variety of green tea in which is found in abundance is Dragonwell tea.
- White Tea - The name of this tea derives from the cultivation process and how it is picked. It is picked and harvested at an early stage, even before the leaves have opened fully. The buds of the leaves at this time are covered in fine white hair, hence the name. Although scarcer than most other varieties of tea, it is still enjoyed, yet at a price! A very popular variant of white tea enjoyed by tea connoisseurs globally is called the Silver Needle.
- Oolong - Oolong tea is a somewhat a funny one. It is a tea that falls between a black and a green tea, a slight hybrid. It only undergoes a small amount of fermentation during processing. Often is the case that Oolong tea is infused with Jasmine, to give it an aromatic and subtle taste.
- Black/Red Tea - Black teas are oxidized and fermented during processing, to give them their distinctive flavours. Black tea has a full, rich taste. A popular variety of this is Keemun.
How to use
For many years experts have tried to determine the most popular usage techniques for tea. Traditional methods for making a cup of tea is with loose tea placed either directly, or in a tea infuser, into a tea pot and pouring boiling water of the tea.
Simply put, many people are too lazy to prepare tea properly. A hybrid method of preparing tea (combining lazy techniques as well as proper ones) is to:
- Boil the kettle with ample water, ensuring the kettle is clean
- Once boiled, pour a small amount in a tea pot and swirl around, so as to warm the inside of the pot
- Once completed, place 2-3 teabags (or even better, loose leaves) into the pot and pour in the boiling water. Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes, depending on how strong you drink your tea.
- Pour into a cup as quickly as possible, and enjoy! Savour the taste without milk or add a splash to enhance the taste! If youre really fancy you will use the technique below though...
...Contrary to popular convention and modern methods to making a "cuppa," when making a tea with milk, you should put the tea into the cup before pouring in the tea. Bear in mind that if you are seen to be doing this, you will most definitely get funny looks, however this is the way tea is meant to be savoured!
