The Bare Necessiteas

As you may already know, tea is the second most popular beverage on earth. There is always something new to learn about it! If you are a casual tea drinker, looking for a little more information, allow us to share with you the bare necessi-teas.

When you are picking a “tea”, you are most likely picking the same plant with a different harvesting and cultivating process. This magical plant is called Camellia Sinensis, which is commonly found in India and China. If you grab an herbal tea, though, you’re getting just that- HERBS. Good ole’ Camellia won’t be in these blends. 

White Tea
White tea is harvested the earliest from Camellia and gets its name from the little white hairs that grow on the buds of the unopened leaves. It is usually harvested during the early days of spring. Each baby leaf is plucked and dried right away, leaving no time processing. It is considered the most delicate of Camellias. 
Notes: fruity, floral, sweet, delicate

Green Tea
The process for green tea is slightly different, yet it shares a commonality with white tea- no oxidation. Oxidation is the process by which the teas are dried, withered, rolled, and treated with heat. Since green tea is not oxidized, it maintains many of its amazing components: minerals, tannins, antioxidants, and that awesome color! The leaves are plucked and heated by steaming or pan frying. It has more caffeine than white but less than the darker teas. 
Notes: sweet to earthy

Oolong Tea
Oolong (often pronounced “wu-long”) leaves are semi-oxidized. Because of this, it displays characteristics in-between green and black teas, including varying caffeine levels. The leaves are rolled, pan fried, and oxidized one or many times depending on the processor’s desires. 
Notes: light, nutty, grassy, floral, robust

Black Tea
Black tea is the most oxidized of Cammelias. The dark color comes from this oxidation process, which occurs before heating and drying. Black tea has the highest caffeine content of these teas as well. 
Notes: earthy, malty, citrusy

Herbal Tea
Ahh herbal teas. Personal favorites of ours (mainly because we have a hard time choosing a favorite and there are SO many options here). This type of tea does not contain any part of Camellia Sinensis. It is a blend of varying plant parts (eg. roots, leaves, flowers, fruit). This doesn't mean it can't have caffeine, though!
Notes: dependent on herbs included in the blend!

Rooibos Tea
Many place rooibos in the herbal tea category. Rooibos, AKA “red tea”, comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant, which is found in South Africa. The leaves are withered, rolled, oxidized, and dried which turns the leaves into the traditional red color. This tea is full of antioxidants and contains no caffeine.
Notes: woody, sweet, spicy

Yerba Maté
Yerba Maté is also placed in the herbal category. Unlike most other herbal teas, though, this one packs some serious caffeine! Found in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, this tea is high in antioxidants and is a great mood and energy booster! The leaves are picked and immediately exposed to heat to slow oxidation. They are then crushed, dehydrated, and stored for up to 24 months before being milled. 
Notes: Earthy, strong, bitter

Within any one of these categories you will find even more varieties, with increasingly specific methods of harvesting and producing the final product. If you try a tea, and don't immediately like it, consider looking into its origins and seeing if another tea in its family would better serve you!