What is Tea?
What is Tea?
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Tea is a type of drink that is derived from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. Once harvested, the leaves of this plant go through different processes to become tea!
Caffeine:
Contrary to common belief, all true teas contain caffeine. Caffeine occurs in the Camellia Sinensis plant itself, with some additional factors later in the processing of tea that will lead to the final caffeine content. So in other words, decaf tea is still caffeinated, just a little amount.Â
If you want a truly decaffeinated option, opt for an herbal tea. Herbal tea is technically not tea at all, as it does not contain Camellia Sinensis. Herbal teas instead consist of mixes of various herbs, flowers, and spices. For example, Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Tea consists of:
Chamomile, Spearmint, Lemongrass, Tilia Flowers, Blackberry Leaves, Hawthorn, and Rosebuds
Types of Tea:
There is black, oolong, green, white, pu-erh, yellow, rooibos (herbal), and herbal. The three main teas are green, oolong, and black tea.
Green Tea
Green Tea
Green Tea is either grown in sunny or shady conditions. Green tea is harvested in Spring to early Summer. the leaves are then procced in the next 24 hours. some are withered, and some skip this step to go straight to the heating process. The taste can be more floral and nutty by roasting the tea or it can be more oceanic and briny through steaming the tea. then the leaves are rolled and shaped before drying.
Oolong Tea
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is harvested about four times a year but can be up to six times. The withering process then begins to dispose of some of the moisture. Then unlike many green teas, oolongs are oxidized. The oxidization process leaves a different flavors and color. Then to halt the oxidization and kill the enzymes, the tea is put through a high heat tumbling process also known as killing the green. After this process is over, the teas are rolled and dried.
Black Tea
Black Tea
Black tea is the no. 1 most popular tea in the world! Black tea is harvested in spring summer and fall. Like oolong, black tea starts it journey post harvest at withering. Then the tea is rolled before the oxidization process in order to break the cell walls and build the complex flavor that comes with black tea. The tea is then oxidized turning the leaf from green to brown. finally the leaves are dried.
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