Tea: A Guide to Varieties and Brewing Methods

Green Tea: Vivacity of May

Green tea has found its way into our hearts hundreds of years ago. What makes it special is its health benefits and its pure, refreshing taste. It’s said that drinking fine green tea is like taking a walk along a vast, green meadow or a deserted, silent seashore. Compared to white tea, green tea is marked by a stronger flavour, more vivid tasting notes and a brighter colour. Green tea of the highest quality originates from either China or Japan: Chinese varieties are more delicate and subtle, while Japanese ones are more intense.

Processing

To produce the finest green teas, the first buds are plucked along with the young leaves. A few hours later, they’re either pan-fried (the Chinese method) or steamed (the Japanese method) to prevent oxidation. That’s why the leaves of green tea retain their enchanting emerald colour — it’s as if it becomes “fixed”. To unveil the aromas hidden in the leaves, they’re rolled by hand or with the help of special machinery after frying (a manual or mechanical technique is chosen based on the subspecies and class of tea). That’s when the leaves are shaped into balls or strips (depending on the customs of the country or region). Finally, the leaves are left to dry until the right moisture content is obtained. 

Effect

Just like white tea, green tea is brimming with antioxidants capable of boosting our immune system. Green tea has been proven to enhance memory, improve productivity and curb anxiety. It can also help control hunger. Sipping it is like running around a meadow or strolling along the seashore on a warm, refreshing spring’s day.

Aroma and flavour palette

Green tea has numerous subspecies, so when it comes to aromas and flavours, its palette is particularly varied. Chinese green tea is lighter and more delicate. It’s marked by a hint of sweetness, just like white tea is. You’re likely to detect the aroma of freshly cut grass in this tea, along with the flavours of fruit, flowers and nuts. The taste of Japanese green tea is more intense: it’s marked by strong hints of greenery and seaweed. Its aroma may remind you of the smell of the sea too. Once steeped, the prepared drink acquires a faint green colour, with a shade of yellow.

Brewing guide

When brewing green tea, the trick is to avoid high temperatures at all costs — they often result in extra bitterness and, unfortunately,  mark the most common mistake in the brewing of green tea. Use water of around 80 °C for Chinese green tea and reduce it to 60–70 °C if you’re brewing a Japanese variety. Use 1 teaspoon (around 2 g of tea leaves) for a single serving and steep for 2–3 minutes.

Oolong Tea: High Jinks of Summer

The name of oolong tea originates from the Chinese phrase wu long, which means “black dragon”. Some locals say it was inspired by the look of the leaves once they unfurl in the water: they’re reminiscent of black dragons engaged in a dance. 

Depending on their oxidation level, oolong teas are grouped into two different categories: lightly oxidised oolongs (10–30%) are reminiscent of green tea, while heavily oxidised oolongs (50–70%) are more likely to remind you of black tea. The first ones are delicate, creamy, fruity and flowery, while the second ones tend to be heavier, thicker and more vivid. 

The homeland of the finest oolong teas is Taiwan and the Chinese region of Fujian. Nowadays, however, other regions — such as Thailand — produce excellent oolongs too. 

Processing

Oolong tea is produced from relatively large leaves. They’re plucked and then left for a few hours to wither naturally. Afterwards, these leaves are usually moved to special premises where air temperature of 22–25 °C is maintained, along with a high moisture content of around 85%. There, they’re tossed gently to encourage the release of water and aroma. Once the desired oxidation degree is obtained, the leaves are pan-fried to stop oxidation (just like in the case of green tea), then rolled and dried. This process requires a great deal of skill and a high level of mastery. Each tea artisan uses a unique recipe that’s usually kept secret and passed down from generation to generation.  

Effect

Oolong is great at boosting the digestive system, so lots of people believe that it can be used as an effective weight loss tool. Its benefits on the skin are also well-known: some even go as far as to call it a youth elixir. A sip of oolong tea is bound to get you in a dreamy, poetic mood and encourage creativity.

Aroma and flavour palette

Oolong teas boast the widest palette of flavours and aromas. Lightly oxidised oolongs are similar to green tea: they’ll present you with a bouquet of flowery, fruity notes, along with a few hints of tropical fruit mixed in. Their consistency is deliciously creamy. The flavour of heavily oxidised oolongs, as much as it may remind you of black tea, is actually more complex and multi-layered: you can encounter exquisite notes of cocoa, cherries and even chocolate.

Brewing guide

We recommend using 2 g of oolong leaves for a single serving. The more heavily oxidised your tea is, the higher the brewing temperature you should choose. While green and white teas are suited well for lower temperatures, oolong requires a higher temperature of around 90 °C. Steep it for 4–6 minutes. Again, the higher the oxidation level, the longer the recommended steeping duration. The world’s finest oolongs can be re-steeped as many as 6–8 times and they’ll still keep on revealing new, undiscovered flavours in every cup you brew.

Black Tea: Autumnal Enthusiasm

The Western world seems to absolutely adore black tea. It’s no surprise then that it makes up the majority of all teas produced globally. Interestingly, in China, black tea was discovered years after its green counterpart. It happened at the end of the 16th century, when the Chinese began to export their teas. The story goes that the very first tea shipments to leave what is now known as the city of Guangzhou contained green tea. Over the next 6 months, as the cargo was travelling to Great Britain by sea, the leaves oxidised and, once it reached its destination, the tea was as black as coal. The Europeans quickly took a liking to this beverage when they started adding milk and sugar to it. By the way, in China, black tea is known as “red tea” because of its reddish colour. 

Just like white, green and oolong teas, black tea is obtained from a plant known as camellia sinensis. The main difference between these varieties lies in the way the leaves are processed after plucking. Black tea is fully oxidised, which is what gives it its rich, strong taste. It has hundreds of subspecies: that’s because black tea is grown in various countries and certain elements of its processing differ from region to region. You can discover your favourite: from subtle Darjeeling to malty Assam or smoky Lapsang Souchong. 

Black tea also serves as an excellent base for various tea blends. It’s often mixed with fruit, spices, flower petals, or seasoned with essential oils.

Processing

Black tea is made from mature leaves. Once they’re plucked, the leaves are allowed to wither naturally. To encourage oxidation, these leaves are then rolled by hand or, more often than not, using a special drum. The enzymes within the leaves react with oxygen, which causes these leaves to change their colour and flavour. Finally, the tea is dried, sorted and packed. To give them a smoky aroma, some teas are pan-fried too.

Effect

Black tea has an energising effect, so it’s perfect for enjoying in the morning. It’s filled with flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants and can reduce cholesterol, leading to a lower risk of heart disease. Black tea is guaranteed to wake you up and provide you with that much-needed boost of energy. 

Aroma and flavour palette

Indian teas tend to dominate the Western world: they’re strong, quite bitter and particularly energising. Malty flavours and hints of caramel can be detected in these teas. Chinese black tea is more delicate, not as energising, marked by notes of dried fruit and a pleasantly sweet aroma. The prepared brew is bright red.

Brewing guide

Black tea isn’t as sensitive to water temperature as green or white tea is, so we suggest using water of 100 °C and steeping for 4–5 minutes. Most black teas go excellently with milk. Note: first-flush Darjeeling teas and other premium Chinese black teas should be brewed using water of 96 °C and steeped for around 3 minutes. These teas are so unique that there’s no need to add anything to them.

Pu-Erh Tea: Wintery Slumber

The name “pu-erh” comes from the town of Pu’er located in the Chinese province of Yunnan and known for centuries for producing delicious tea that’s been gaining ground in the West too lately. This heavily fermented — and often aged — variety is brimming with microorganisms that act as natural probiotics. It stimulates digestion and boosts our immune system. In addition to its health benefits, pu-erh tea is also characterised by a unique flavour and aroma. These often come as a complete surprise to those tasting this tea for the first time. 

There are two varieties of pu-erh tea: green pu-erh and black pu-erh. The first is non-fermented, raw, reminiscent of green tea, while the second is fermented, similar in its taste and colour to traditional black tea. Both varieties originate from the Yunnan Province in southern China. For maximum precision, you should reserve the name “pu-erh” exclusively for teas produced in Yunnan — if produced elsewhere, such tea is referred to simply as “dark”. 

What makes pu-erh so special is the fact that it is aged. You can age it yourself or purchase pu-erh that has been aged already. With time, this tea acquires a more complex, profound flavour, so aged pu-erh teas tend to be cherished by true tea connoisseurs. 

Processing

When making green pu-erh, tea leaves are plucked, withered, allowed to oxidise lightly, then fired, rolled and eventually dried. The workers sort through the dried tea again and either press it or leave it as is. Green pu-erh tea is particularly energising and has a relatively rich taste. If it’s aged for several years, the flavour becomes sweeter, richer and more delicate. Aged for more than 15 years, this tea acquires a colour reminiscent of black pu-erh. The taste becomes similar to its black counterpart as well, although it tends to be even more complex.  

Black pu-erh has its roots in the 1960s. It was discovered when looking for a faster way to produce “aged” pu-erh. This tea is very heavily fermented and can be either loose or pressed. Once the drying stage is over, black pu-erh is placed in a moist environment and left to ferment for 1.5–2 months. This process is very meticulous and the end result ultimately depends on how clean and orderly the fermentation stage is.

Effect

Pu-erh is known for its detoxifying and digestion-boosting abilities, so it’s a great choice straight after a heavy meal. It’s believed that this tea aids in weight loss, reduces cholesterol and improves circulation. Pu-erh can also disperse the effects of alcohol, so it’s sometimes used as a hangover cure. A few sips of this tea will provide you with a sense of stability and groundedness, while helping you combat fatigue at the same time.

Aroma and flavour palette

The aromas and flavours of pu-erh tea are absolutely unique. You may detect notes of wet soil, moss, mushrooms, wood, leather or minerals in the prepared brew. Its colour is dark brown, sometimes almost black, and its body is particularly heavy.

Brewing guide

It’s generally recommended to use 2 g of pu-erh tea per serving. Tip: first, pour freshly boiled water over the leaves and then immediately drain it. This will wash off any impurities and wake the leaves up. Once you do that, pour freshly boiled water over the leaves again and steep for 3–5 minutes. High-quality pu-erh can be re-steeped several times.

Tea Blends

Nowadays, single-origin teas are still treasured by tea connoisseurs all over the globe — but that doesn’t preclude tea blends from retaining their popularity and even going through a rebirth of sorts. The artisans of various tea companies love experiments: they’re constantly on a search for a new, unique blend that might eventually turn into the company’s signature product. People at home aren’t far behind too: they’re also experimenting with various ingredients and trying to create extraordinary blends of their own. 

The tradition of blend production goes down several centuries. Before different processing methods were perfected and allowed us to enjoy the natural taste of this exquisite drink, tea used to be quite bitter when consumed on its own. To counteract this, as many as 400 years ago, the Chinese would mix tea leaves with jasmine or other flowers in order to endow their tea with a more pleasant flavour and aroma.  

Today, what’s referred to as a tea blend is a mixture of several types of tea. The word can also refer to tea with additional ingredients of some sort, such as fruit, flowers, spices or essential oils. These can be mixed with the leaves or used as natural flavourings. 

Some tea blends have become so popular over the years that they’re now seen as true classics, their names turning into generic terms used to describe certain varieties. Let’s look at a few of the best-known blends out there: 

English Breakfast 

One of the most popular blends of all time is the fabulous English breakfast tea. This rich, intense mixture includes black teas from Kenya, Ceylon and Assam mixed in various proportions. More luxurious variations of this well-known blend use the more subtle and expensive black Keemun tea from China. When brewed, the drink is characterised by a heavy body, rich flavour and bitter, often malty notes. It goes particularly well with milk.

Earl Grey 

Here’s another classic blend whose name is sure to sound familiar to pretty much every tea drinker out there. It’s a refreshing, citrusy mixture blending 1–3 types of black tea and flavoured with bergamot oil and/or peel. Again, it goes splendidly with a splash of milk. Because of its enduring popularity, Earl Grey now boasts numerous different variations, such as those that take green tea as their base or are flavoured with flowers instead of bergamot.

Genmaicha 

Originating from Japan and now sipped all over the globe, this must be the world’s best-known green tea blend. In its native land, it’s often called “people’s tea”. Genmaicha combines the delicious Japanese sencha tea with roasted rice. In the beginning, when green tea was still a rare and expensive delicacy, rice was mixed into the leaves to make the resulting blend cheaper. Nowadays, this tea is valued because of its exquisite taste. Popped rice is sometimes added to the leaves as well: this has led to some people referring to Genmaicha simply as “popcorn tea”.

Herbal and Fruit Teas

Hot herbal and fruit infusions are generally called teas. Strictly speaking, however, they are not: to quality as a tea, a drink must be produced from leaves of a tea tree. Because herbal and fruit infusions are made from fresh or dried fruit, flowers, herbs, seeds and even various roots, they’re not really part of the tea family and are instead simply hot drinks. 

No matter what you’re going to call them though, you won’t be able to dispute the popularity of these mixtures. One of the reasons behind it is the fact that these infusions are caffeine-free, so they can be enjoyed by children or those who are sensitive to the stimulant. Most of these infusions also offer a wide range of health benefits: for example, camomile tea has a calming effect, peppermint tea is particularly refreshing and capable of boosting digestion, ginger tea is perfect for those who have caught a cold, raspberry leaf tea can act as a natural cough remedy… Not to mention, of course, that drinks like that are extraordinarily delicious!

Rooibos tea, which has been growing in popularity lately, deserves a separate mention. It’s produced from the leaves of the South African Aspalathus linearis shrub. The drink is marked by the natural sweetness of honey, delicious notes of dried cherries and sometimes even vanilla. When brewed, it acquires a bright-red colour, which is why this tea is at times referred to as red. Its body is heavy and relatively thick. Like all herbal and fruit infusions, rooibos is caffeine-free, so some people see it as a great alternative to the intensity of black tea.