A Guide to Types of Tea

Just like grapes and wines, the taste of tea is dependent on where and how it is grown. We are providing this guide to types of tea as a quick reference for flavor notes, countries of origin and notes of interest. The altitude, the soil, and the climate all have a marked effect on the flavor. Varieties of teas grown at the highest altitudes, for example, mature more slowly and have a lower yield, resulting in a higher quality. The main tea-producing countries are China, India, and Japan; however, there are a few other regions worthy of mention. Kenya is home to some very fine teas, particularly those cultivated east of the Great Rift Valley, where some of the tea gardens are at altitudes of 1 1/4 miles (2 km) above sea level. The teas are all black, with a brisk flavor. In Georgia, tea is grown on the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, and the leaves are fermented to produce black tea that gives a very mellow brew.

The way in which tea is harvested, dried, and processed will affect the flavor of the brew: Indian tea tastes quite different to that from China or Ceylon, and teas from Assam in Northern India differ in flavor to those from Nilgiri in the South. Some teas are blended according to special recipes.

Chinese Green Teas
Most familiar as the tea served in Chinese restaurants, these teas are all mild, with a pleasant fruity flavor.
Gunpowder Green Tea
This is a classic tea that uses tightly rolled, unfermented leaves. It yields a very pale drink with a light flavor.

Japanese Green Teas
These are quite different from Chinese green teas because the flavor of some can be decidedly strong.
Sencha
These long, green leaves make a light, bright easy-to-drink tea that is good for everyday drinking.

Sencha Brancha
This is a combination of tea leaves and rice that results in a drink with a nutty flavor.

White Teas
Produced for the most part in China, white teas are made from the buds and young leaves, where other teas are made from more mature leaves. The buds and leaves may be shielded from the sun, so no clorophyll may be formed in them. Flavor is sweet and light.

Blended Teas
Most packages of commerical tea are made up of a blend of fifteen or more leaves from different areas. There are also some rather special traditional teas that are blended. English Breakfast Tea is a blend of strong Indian teas that gives a full-bodied and fragrant drink. Earl Grey Tea is a blend of Keemun and Darjeeling teas flavored with oil of bee balm. The recipe was given to the diplomat Earl Grey by a Chinese mandarin, and the earl took the recipe back with him to England. Russian Caravan Tea is a blend of fine teas from China, Taiwan, and India. It was originally transported to Russia from India via camel caravan; hence its name.

Herbal Teas
In addition to the many types of teas that vary in taste, there is also a wide range of flavored teas. They are flavored with flowers or fruits or with extracts such as chocolate, mint, or brandy. Many teas are flavored naturally with dried fruit, flowers. and spices; some are flavored artificially.While most other teas contain caffiene and act as stimulants, herbal teas generally do not contain any (unless blended with other teas), though some wil still stimulative while others act as sedatives. Herbal teas are often drunk for their effects or medicinal propertie. Most herbal teas are best on their own, without the addition of milk, lemon or sugar

Jasmine Tea
Traditionally served with dim sum dishes, this is a classic Chinese tea. It is a green tea, exotically scented with the addition of real jasmine flowers.

Rose Pouchong Tea
From the province of Guangdong, this is made by interspersing flower petals with the tea leaves during drying. It makes a pale, soothing tea. Rose Congou is another rose-scented tea.

Chrysanthemum Tea
This is mediumstrength black China tea blended with chrysanthemum flowers.

Orchid Tea
This is obtained by blending a semifermented oolong tea with crushed orchid flowers. It makes a light, delicate, and fragrant brew, considered to be the tea of connoisseurs.

Lychee Tea
This is a traditional Chinese blend that is perfumed with the husks of the Lychee fruit.

Fruit Teas
Modern blends are produced using varied fruits: apricots, black currants, apples, wild cherries, passion fruit, oranges, lemons, and mangoes. The producers of fruit teas carefully blend their own mixtures of China, Indian, and Ceylon teas to go with the chosen fruit.

Tesa from Roots
Ginger root tea, South Pacific Kava root tea and licorice teas are examples.

Teas from Grains
Roasted barley tea, known as bori cha in Korea and mugicha in Japan, has a coffee-like taste and is usually served cold. Roasted wheat tea also tastes like coffee. Roasted corn and toasted rice teas are also served in Korea.

Tea from other Herbs:
Vatnip and chamomile tea used to calm, echinacea used to alleviate and help prevent cold and flu symptoms, Essiac tea used to treat cancer, fennel, hibiscus used for longevity, honeybush, gentian, horehound, labrador, lapacho made from the inner bark of the Lapacho tree, lemongrass, coca tea made from coca leaves, mint teas, European mistletoe, nettle leaf, raspberry leaf, rooibos tea AKA red tea touted for its antioxidants, rose hip, sage, sassafras, skullcap, thyme, tulsi, vetiver, wong logat, woodruff, yarrow, yerba mate, and yuen kut lam kam wo tea.

Rooibos or Red Tea
Rooibos, colloquially known as Red Tea, is an herbal plant that grows in South Africa. Because of its recent popularity we wanted to mention it separately. Rooibos is a flavorful, caffeine-free alternative to tea for those seeking to eliminate caffeine intake.