Tea

Tea is the dried leaf of one plant, Camellia sinensis; black, oolong and green teas differ mainly in how far the leaves oxidize before heat stops it, while white tea is simply withered and dried. Herbal infusions such as mint and chamomile come from other plants.

How to choose Tea

  • Black, oolong, green or white. Black tea is fully oxidized and oolong partly. White tea oxidizes lightly as it withers, and green tea hardly at all, because heat stops it early. Oxidation darkens the leaf and shapes much of its taste and aroma.
  • Loose leaf or bags. Many tea bags hold tiny pieces of broken leaf, which give a deep, strong cup within moments. Larger leaf takes longer: most black teas need 3 to 4 minutes, and oolong 3 to 5.
  • Plain or flavored. A flavored tea adds another ingredient to a base tea. Earl Grey, for one, is black tea flavored with bergamot, a citrus fruit also called bergamot orange.
  • Caffeine. An 8-ounce cup of brewed black tea has about 48 mg, green about 29 mg and brewed coffee about 96 mg, per the Mayo Clinic. Decaf black tea still has about 2 mg.

About Tea

Tea is the drink made by steeping the processed leaves of Camellia sinensis in hot water. Soon after picking, the leaves wilt and begin to oxidize, a darkening driven by the leaf's own enzymes. Bruising or tearing the leaf speeds that change, and heat stops it at the point the maker wants.

How the heat is applied matters too. Japanese green teas are usually steamed and Chinese green teas pan-fired, and the two methods give different flavors. China and India grow the most tea. Kenya and Sri Lanka export the most black tea, and China ships over 75 percent of all green tea exports.

Dried tea kept dry will not spoil, so store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from strong smells. Herbal infusions are made from the leaves, roots, bark, seeds, flowers or fruit of plants other than tea.

At a glance

Made from
Camellia sinensis leaves; herbals use other plants
Main types
White, green, yellow, oolong, black, pu-erh
Main origins
China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka

Tea questions

What is the difference between matcha and sencha?

Both are Japanese green teas, but you drink them differently. Sencha is grown in open sun, then steamed, rolled and dried, and the leaves are soaked in hot water, then strained out. Matcha comes from tea bushes covered with mats before harvest, and the dried leaf is ground on a stone mill into a fine powder. You whisk the powder into hot water, so you swallow the leaf itself.

Why does green tea sometimes taste bitter?

Usually the water is too hot. Catechins, plant compounds in the leaf, add bitterness and astringency, the dry, puckering feel in your mouth, and hotter water pulls out more of them. For sencha, a guide from Kyoto Prefecture in Japan suggests water at 158 to 176°F for about one minute. Black tea is the opposite case and is brewed at 194 to 208°F.

Is rooibos actually tea?

Not in the botanical sense. Rooibos comes from Aspalathus linearis, a plant that grows naturally only in a small winter-rainfall area of western South Africa centered on the Cederberg mountains, and it is naturally caffeine free. Most rooibos is fermented after harvest, meaning the leaf's own enzymes react with air, which gives the cup its amber color. Green rooibos skips that step and tastes mild, a bit like green tea.

Sources: Tea Association of the U.S.A.; UN Food and Agriculture Organization; Kyoto Prefecture.

Shop by brand

Guides and recipes

Related categories