Types of Tea

What creates the different kinds of tea is the oxidation process. Oxidation refers to the drying time of the tea leaves. Black teas are oxidized the longest, and then Oolongs, followed by greens and whites being oxidized the shortest amount of time. White teas are made from the top 2 leaves just after sprouting while they still have white fuzzy tips. There are many grades of tea ranging from whole leaf to broken leaf and then finely ground leaf commonly used in bagged teas. Some teas such as Dragon Phoenix pearls and Gunpowder tea are rolled tea leaves. Dragon Phoenix Pearls are rolled with Jasmine leaves.

Due to a lack of information on the subject, there is great confusion over one of the simplest of tea terms, OP (Orange Pekoe). Contrary to popular opinion, Orange Pekoe does not refer to a particular flavor, or even to a specific variety or quality or tea. Orange Pekoe is nothing more than a designation of leaf size.

 As a result of the manufacturing process, the final product is comprised of leaf particles of varying sizes. Because the finer particles steep quickly, the tea is sifted into lots of uniform leaf size. Teas designated OP are comprised of larger leaf particles or whole leaves that will not pass through a sieve of a particular gauge. BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe) designates a grade that is finer than OP. Grades finer than BOP are called fannings, PF for Pekoe Fannings, and the smallest particles are referred to as dust. Dust grades are used primarily in teabags.

Other letters are often appended to the grade of tea to produce a baffling list of designations such as SFTGFOP1 (Super-Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, grade 1). While there is a general correlation between acronyms and the general appearance and character of the tea, there is no strict correlation between the acronyms and the value or flavor of the tea. While these lengthy acronyms appear on nearly every chest of single-estate tea, the real value of the tea is in its appeal to the palate.

When tea is not tea

If it is not made from tea leaves it is not tea. It is important to remember that true tea is a beverage created by the infusion of boiling water and the leaves of only one specific plant the Camellia sinensis. Western cultures however have embraced the term tea to encompass healthful herbal, root, fruit, tree bark and seed brews in rapidly growing verities and blends. Well known examples, all of which are caffeine free, are chamomile, rosehip, burdock, ginseng, and a wide array of mints. The French call these refreshing herbal infusions “Tisanes” to distinguish them from tea.

How to brew the perfect cup of Tea

For black tea bring the water to a boil. Do not allow the water to boil too long and never reheat. If you do not like the taste of your tap water you won't like it in your tea. In that case you should use bottled water. Use a clean and warmed (warm water for a few minutes) ceramic or glass tea pot. Place one rounded teaspoon or tea bag into the teapot for every 6 oz cup you are making. Poor the water over the tea in the pot, stir and allow the tea to brew for a full five minutes. For consistency in flavor do not attempt to judge the brew by the color of the water but by the amount of time brewed.

For Oolongs, greens and whites, brew 2 to 3 minutes in water just under the boiling temperature so as not to scorch the leaves. Some delicate white teas may only need 1 minute for brewing.