Tea Types

"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world"  -  T'ien Yiheng

True tea is taken from the Camellia Sinensis bush, which is an evergreen with dark green, leathery leaves.  It is grown in about 35 countries, including the United States (on an island off the coast of Charleston, S.C.)  Worldwide, there are over 3,000 varieties.  Tea is the 2nd most popular drink worldwide, after water.

Tea types are determined by the processing method used.

Black tea is made with fully fermented tea leaves.  Green tea leaves are allowed to wither and then are twisted to release and oxidize their enzymes.  The tea is then allowed to dry.

Green tea is the oldest type of tea and is made with unfermented leaves.  The leaves are simply steamed, rolled and dried.

Oolong tea, which is Chinese for "black dragon", is semi-fermented, and has a flavor between black and green tea.

White tea is the most delicate and most expensive tea.  It is made from the very tips of the tea bush and is simply dried.

Rooibos tea (pronounced roy bus), is not a true tea.  It is made from the leaves of the rooibos plant, which is only found in the Cedar Valley in South Africa.  This tea is often referred to as red tea or red bush tea.

Herbal teas are technically not "teas" at all.  They do not contain any tea leaves but are instead composed of herbs, flowers, fruits, roots, berries and bark or other leaves.  They are naturally caffeine free.

To remove most of the caffeine from your tea, simply let it steep for 30 seconds, pour that water off, and steep again.  Regular tea has about 40 milligrams or caffeine per cup, compared to about 80 milligrams in a cup of coffee.

Information provided by Lavender Lane Gifts & Tea, (540)887-7528 / lavender@lavlane.com.