There are a few varieties of the Camellia Sinensis plant which grow mainly in tropical and subtropical climates. Only the top one to two inches of the plant, including its leaves, leaf buds and internodes, are picked each time for processing. Each separate harvest is called a “flush” and each plant grows a new flush every seven to ten days.

A tea’s type is determined by the processing each flush undergoes. After picking, tea leaves begin to wilt and oxidize if they are not dried quickly. This means they progressively become darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. Oxidization can be stopped by heating the leaves which deactivates the enzymes responsible for the process. Different types of tea are, therefore, created by heating each harvested flush of tea at a predetermined stage. 

Black Tea
Black teas have been allowed to wilt and fully oxidized during processing. Sometimes the leaves are also then crushed. Most varieties of tea that are sold in the west are blends of different teas. The reason for this is usually to obtain a better flavour of tea. Black tea contains less antioxidant than white or green tea due to its oxidative preparation; however, it also contains more caffeine.

Assam
Named after its place of origin in India, Assam, which is the world’s largest tea growing region. Assam tea is a black tea with a bold, malty flavour that makes a perfect base for many popular black tea varieties, especially ‘breakfast’ tea varieties.

Ceylon
Named after its place of origin, Sri Lanka (previously known as the Island of Ceylon), this tea is another black tea, but has a lighter, crispier flavour than Assam and often has citrus tones.

Darjeeling
Again, named after its region of origin in West Bengal, India, this is tea is known as the champagne of tea and is prized for its thin-bodied and light coloured liquor as well as its floral aroma and musky spiciness. Most Darjeeling teas are classified as black but have not undergone complete oxidization. They are often described in terms of which flush they are and are graded and classified by size as whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings and dust.

Lapsang Souchong
This variety of black tea, grown in the Fujian Province of China, is pan-fried over burning pine to produce a smoky, earthy flavour. This is reminiscent of the early days when tea was transported from China to Europe over land and absorbed the flavour of the trader’s fires along the way. Lapsang Souchong is an acquired taste as it is one of the more boldly flavoured teas. Traditionally, this tea is more popular with men.

Yunnan Tea
Sometimes also known as Dian Hong tea, Yunnan tea is named after the province in China from which it originated. This high quality tea, often used in blends, is classified based on the amounts of leaf buds or golden tips of the tea plant present in the tea. These are harder to pick, therefore making this variety of tea more valuable.

Green Tea
Green tea is neither wilted nor oxidized. Due to this, green teas (and white teas) retain the most antioxidants. Green tea has traditionally been popular in the East; however, during the past few decades it has grown in popularity in the West. Green tea has also been widely researched more recently for its many health benefits.

Sencha
This Green tea is harvested from the Shizuoka region of Japan. Although its name means ‘roasted’, unlike most Chinese Green teas, Sencha is not pan-fried, but is instead steamed to prevent oxidization. The leaves are not ground, but are rolled and shaped before drying and are then fired to aid in preservation. This results in Sencha tea holding a more full-bodied grassy, vegetal taste than most Green teas, sometimes even giving a taste similar to seaweed, and also giving a much more green coloured liquor.

Dragon Well
This is China’s most famous Green tea. For hundreds of years the emperors themselves drank this high quality tea in preference to all others. The broad flat leaves used for Dragon Well tea produce a tea that is less grassy and vegetal than Sencha, and more medium-bodied. Dragon Well tea is usually hand-picked, resulting in a more expensive value than many Green teas, and is often pan-fried which results in a lovely nutty flavour.

White Tea
White tea, which originated from the Fujian Province of China, has not been oxidised but has been allowed to wilt. White tea is so called due to its pale colour resulting from having been picked when the plant was quite young. It contains just as much, if not more, antioxidant than Green tea, and due to the younger age of the leaves, it is suggested that White tea has more health benefits than its Green relative. This tea is much more delicate than others, requires greater care when handling and brewing and is, therefore, a more valuable tea.

Silver Needle
This is the most popular of the White tea varieties. Silver Needle tea is so named as it is produced from only the silver-white tea buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant. The finest of white teas, Silver Needle tea gives a light, delicate and sweet flavour.

Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is neither oxidised nor wilted, but has been allowed to yellow. More recently, the popularity of Yellow tea is slowly beginning to grow as it has the same antioxidant content as tea, but lacks the grassy, vegetal taste disliked by some. Yellow tea is a very rare variety of tea, but unlike White tea, it does not carry such an expensive value.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that has been wilted, bruised and partially oxidised. This variety of tea has a taste more akin to Green tea than black though it lacks the grassy, vegetal taste. Oolong tea derives its name from its Chinese title meaning Black Dragon tea, though there are a few theories for the possible origin of this name. This tea is traditionally brewed to be quite strong resulting in a bitter tea, but with a strong, sweet aftertaste.

Post-Fermented Tea
This is Green tea that has been allowed to ferment (oxidize) and compost.

Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh tea is named after its place of origin in China. This large leaf tea can be found as a green tea, but is more often found as a post-fermented, aged tea which was traditionally consumed for medicinal purposes. Although true aged Pu-erh is difficult to find, this mellow flavoured tea is often purchased as a compressed tea which is then wrapped to protect it from sunlight and moisture and stored to age much like wine.

Herbal Tea
Unlike what its name suggests, Herbal tea is not a true variety of tea, but is rather a tisane or infusion of flowers, fruit, herbs, leaves and other plant materials. This tisane comes in a large variety of flavours and is often consumed for its health benefits.

Rooibos Tea
Unlike all other teas, this variety is not made from the Camellia Sinensis plant, but from the Rooibos plant which is grown in South Africa. This red tea, or more accurately, tisane, comes in a large variety of flavours which can be enjoyed with milk and sugar as well. This tisane is growing rapidly in popularity as it contains no caffeine and has numerous health benefits, including their complex mix of common and rare flavanoids and antioxidants.