There are over 3,000 varieties of tea but they all come from one plant -- the Camellia Sinensis, an evergreen bush with dark leathery leaves. There are hybrids of this plant and the flavors vary according to soil, altitude and climate.
How the leaves are processed / fermented decides the type of tea.
BLACK: fully fermented and dried -- rich, full-bodied;
brew at a rolling boil 3-5 minutes
OOLONG: semi-fermented -- flowery scent, subtle flavor between black and green;
brew at 190 degrees, 1 - 8 minutes
GREEN: unfermented, steamed, rolled, dried -- grassy, mellow flavor
brew at 160 degrees, 1 - 3 minutes
WHITE: least processed, made from silver buds and selected leaves that are steamed and dried -- light, delicate, slightly sweet
brew at 180 degrees, 4 - 8 minutes
YELLOW: rare, produced only in China, fermented but not completely oxidized, slow drying phase -- subtle, fresh taste, light and mild
brew 180 degrees, 1 - 2 minutes
OTHER TEA VARIETIES INCLUDE:
BLENDED TEAS: a mixed variety of tea
FLAVORED TEAS: tea mixed with fruit, spice, flowers, smoke or a combination of them.
brewing both blended and flavored varies according to type of tea used.
HERBAL (Tisane): made with herbs, flowers, fruit, roots, berries, bark or leaves from plants other than the Camellias Sinensis. It is not a true tea.
brew at a rolling boil, 5 - 8 minutes
RED (Rooibus): a South African herbal tea -- sweet, slightly nutty flavor
brew at a rolling boil, 3 - 5 minutes
