The Many Colors Of Teas Around The Continents

The Many Colors of Teas Around the World to enchant even the fussiest tea drinkers.

Black, red, white and green - when one first begins to study the teas of the world and the vast choices of each of the tea varieties it can be both intoxicating and dizzying all at the same time. In recent years the interest in teas has had a sudden increase in the higher quality leaf teas, so where should a young grasshopper start? How about beginning with learning how one plant is able to produce all of these teas in the world? How can that possibly be you ask? Follow along grasshopper and you will soon see.

The Camellia sinensis, a plant originally native to China, is being raised in many different parts of the world today. It can also come in a many different forms from leaf cuttings to full bushes, growing to easily over 60 feet tall if not pruned, with it from shiny to the most sought after fuzzy and downy white haired leaves and buds. This one single plant can produce over 3,000 unique choices of tea. Roughly indexed into six basic categories: black, oolong, white, green, pu-erh, and finally the flavoreds. Some scientists would try to add another and that would be for the blends. If that has not been confusing enough grasshopper there are also many different other types such as herbal infusions that have been called "tea" but which are not related to the real tea grown from real Camellia sinensis bushes.

White Teas - The Best of the Best

White tea has long been the best and also one of the rarer of all teaes. A product of only the Fujian province on China's south east coast, has for many years been difficult to find outside of mainland China until just in recent years. This tea is so named for the very pale, almost colorless liquid, and also for its very fine white downy hair of the early buds of the plant. There are no actual tea leaves are in the white teas. The best secret has to be the delicate flavor in addition to its color, this tea is very mild, yet slightly sweet in flavor and some say a nutty taste too. Silver Needle White teas make up is of only the finest white downy haired buds from the bush which have been hand picked or plucked as they say in China; while some of the lesser quality white teas may contain a few leaves in the mix. The young buds are dried naturally by using either the suns drying or some areas use steaming methods. However, this will be the final process in the white tea production, and the white tea never fermented nor crushed.

Green Teas - A Lowly Cousin

Green teas make up generally around ten% of all the world's tea. It's production, similar to that of its cousin the white teas, begins with the withering or drying, followed by either a pan roasting or asteam process aimed at preventing the fermentation of the tea. (The two types main difference is that white teas have a high concentration of only young buds and no leaves compared to green teas having more leaves). After the steaming process but before the green tea is allowed to dry, the leaves next must be gently rolled which gives a much desired shape. In mainline China, it produces eyebrow-shaped, somewhat twisted pieces, flat needles, tight balls, or even a very gently curl in the whole leaves. Another cousin is the green tea produced by Japan which has shiny green leaves and somewhat red stalks. Green teas final brewing or infusion give the tea a greenish-yellow hue, and the slightly grassy, tart quality. Recent studies show that both the green and the black teas help reduce the amount of cavities and also help prevent gum diseases, plus they are known to help increase the body's antioxidant levels. With this increase comes the added bonus of weight loss due to appetite suppression.

Oolong Teas - from Taiwan comes the Champagnes of Tea

This tea is known to be among some of the finest and with that often one of the most expensive - tea of the planet. The largest production of oolongs is from Taiwan; while in China these same teas are referred to as pouchongs. Oolong tea has been "slightly-fermented," meaning it is processed for a short amount of oxidation (fermentation) which in turn changes the leaves from shades of green to a subtle reddish brown. When brewed or infused it becomes a pale yellow color, with a soft floral, yet fruity quality - somewhat similar to peaches but with just a touch of smokiness. This tea is so delicate that the majority drinkers often prefer it as is without either milk or sugar.

Black Teas -
Most people call this type of tea "black tea" but it is known to the Chinese as "red tea" because of its very reddish brown hue when brewed. Many feel that the black teas are probably the most universal of teas worldwide. It does have the ability to have a choice of flavors, but it is mostly heavy with a more assertive taste than its cousins the greens or the oolong teas. When processing it is fully fermented and for a time of several hours prior to the heating or drying process is begun. This time for oxidation is what gives this Black tea its often dark color and also increases the caffeine triple. Beware grasshopper of the caffeine.

Pu-erh Teas - In a Class of its Own

Pu-erh tea is usually put all by itself. Though it should normally be classed as another variety of Chinese Black tea, it does have a difference from the above teas in that it is double fermented. This double process is strictly guarded and then followed by a period of time for the leaves to mature, which is complete when a thin layer of mold forms on the leaves. This molding process leaves a very distinctive earthy flavor that many tea tasters find to be offensive to their palate. For that very reason, pu-erh teas are often used only for medicinal purposes and it's very often used as a digestive aid.

The Lesser Teas - Often Distant Cousins

Flavored Teas

One remarkable thing about tea is how easily it absorbs different aroma and taste if placed with another ingredient. It is for this reason that tea drinkers all over the world have added different ingredients to their teas for additional flavors, such as flower petals and plant oil to different herbs and many spices. Adding flavors to tea has been a well established practice in China for centuries, where the people have put many odd things in their brewed teas such as onions, orange peels, peach leaves and berries. The Chinese also have become known for the many flowered teas - such as jasmine, orchids, rose, magnolia and even marigold.

In the Arabic areas mint plus a lot of sweetener is their flavoring of choice. While in India, the "masala tea" which is spicy has become their popular beverage. It is made by rapid boiling of black tea and then adding the desired spices such as cardamom, gingers, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, milk and sugar.

Many companies producing teas have surpassed the simple herbs and spices to arrive at the flavor craze which has encouraged the companies to develop teas with every flavor they can think of from bananas to even chocolate pudding.

Tea Blends - The Heinz 57 Variety of Tea

Blends are not thought of very highly in the tea circles and is often treated like mutts because of their mixed origins instead of having a tea lineage or history. Tea companies have often made blends by mixing many different types of teas to achieve the flavors they feel the public will buy. Some of the most common blends would be English Breakfast Tea, Irish Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey Teas, and Caravan Tea.

The word "tea" is often said to describe any of the drinks made with the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. However, technically speaking, only true "tea" is from the Camellia sinensis bush- and all of the others is just not "tea" at all. The true connoisseurs of tea will be quick to enlighten you in the fact that all leaf-derived drinks other than true "tea" should be properly called tisanes or even as herbal infusions but not "tea".

Tisane is a drink that is made by the steeping of various herbs, spices, flowers, and just about anything in rapidly bubbling water.

"Herbal infusion" is actually almost the same thing as Tisanes: it is made by steeping of the herb in very hot water. The one true benefit to herbal drinks is that they are often associated with both a persons physical and mental health, and generally are drank for their soothing or great rejuvenation properties. Recently they have become more popular because they also fit the needs of many who wish to lower or avoid caffeine from the teas. Common herbal infusion drinks are chamomile, fennel, peppermint, rose hips, and popular lemon verbena.

Now grasshopper you have learned the knowledge you must have to proceed in your journey to find the best teas of around the world.

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Did you know that over 3,000 choices of Tea came from a single cultivar? How can this many choices of Tea produce beneficial effects to your life?

This article is written by Sandra M. Morris of Silver Needle White Tea and she hopes that you will begin the journey to find just how teas can benefit you and your health.

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