Expert Article

Spilling the Tea

All the Juicy Details about Your Soon-to-be Favorite Drink

Tea. This popular beverage can be either hot or cold, sweet or unsweetened, or even with milk or no milk. Despite its popularity, few people know much about tea except to add hot water, wait, and enjoy.

Fun fact, there are only two words (with exceptions of course) used to reference this drink: cha and tea (Sonnad). This differentiation traces back hundreds of years to the advent of the Silk Road. When traders came to China, they took back with them the dried leaves of the tea plant. The Mandarin pronunciation, cha, spread along with this product. Today, much of mainland Asia along with eastern Africa uses a variation of the root word cha to describe what we know as tea, such as the Persian chay.

On that note, the word tea has a much more recent history. In the 17th century, European powers began extending their roots eastward, bringing with them a new age of globalization. British, French, and Dutch traders sailed to Asia, landing on the coastal towns of China, where the locals spoke Minnan dialects of Chinese. As you may have thought, their word for tea was pronounced te. This difference spread along the sailing routes of Europeans, causing many coastal nations to adopt this version of the word, like the Spanish té or the Afrikaans tee.

Despite its lack of linguistic variety, tea itself has many different forms–each with its own method of preparation and flavor profile.

But What is Tea?

Hailing from ancient China, tea has a long and rich history. In Chinese mythology, Emperor Shennong was famous as the progeny of agriculture and medicine. According to legends, in 2732 B.C. he first discovered tea when leaves from a wild plant fell into his pot of boiling water (“The History of Tea”). Trying the infused water, he was surprised by its flavor and invigorating properties, naming the drink cha.

Following Shennong’s legacy, tea was initially used for medicinal purposes, but by the 8th century, tea had become a recreational drink. Spreading throughout China, tea brought prosperity to many people seeking to harness its growing popularity. Although most of the tea in China was what we know today as “green tea”, with the increasing amount of global trade in the 17th century came the rise of other types of tea. For example, black tea became popular as a way to preserve tea for long journeys overseas.

Nowadays, we know that Emperor Shennong used the leaves of Camellia Sinensis, or more commonly known as the tea tree, hailing from East and Southeast Asia. Even though various types of tea that have surfaced do not use this plant anymore, the original and most popular types of tea continue to rely on this essential ingredient.

What’s the Difference between the Types of Tea?

No two teas taste the same–different environmental factors or methods of treatment alter the flavor profile of each type of tea (“Tea 101”). Despite the variety, there are four main groups of tea:

• White Tea
• Green Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Black Tea

Each of these groups has a common baseline on how to process and prepare their leaves. Furthermore, each group of tea has similar preparation instructions to maximize their flavors. Because tea can be so finicky, a properly prepared tea has both the perfect water temperature and steeping time to draw out all the flavors of the tea leaves (Wack).

White Tea
180℉ water. 2-3 minutes.

White tea is the least processed type of tea and is fittingly less well known than its more processed counterparts. The buds of the tea plant are picked before they fully open and then quickly dried. This quick method ensures that the leaves are minimally oxidized, forming a delicate herbal flavor.


Green Tea
180℉ water. 1-2 minutes.

Green tea is made from the fully matured leaves of the plant and is the second least processed form of tea. After the leaves are picked, they are exposed to heat, stopping the oxidation process, and then dried to preserve their green color.

The different types of heat exposure create differences in flavor within this tea category. In Chinese tradition, the tea leaves are pan-fired; this process imparts a more earthy taste to the tea. In contrast, Japanese green tea leaves are steamed. This softer process imparts a sweeter and more aromatic flavor to the tea leaves in comparison to Chinese green tea. Despite their differences, green tea is still relatively unprocessed compared to both oolong and black tea.


Oolong Tea
195℉ water. 2-3 minutes.

Oolong tea is a middle ground between green and black tea. Depending on the preparation, its taste can lean either way. There are two main factor’s in an oolong tea’s taste:

• The amount of oxidation
• The twists of the dried leaves

The less oxidized an oolong tea is, the more it resembles a green tea. This is also true in the opposite direction. Typically, the level of oxidation is up to the discretion of the tea maker, for the amount can vary from 8% to 80%.

Oolong leaves differ from other teas because they are rolled or twisted into shapes to draw out their flavor (Covey). Rolled oolong leaves are in the shape of tight balls, preventing much oxidation from occurring. This concentration of flavor brings out strong floral notes in the body of the tea. Twisted oolong leaves can vary in flavor depending on the level of oxidation. At low oxidation levels, twisted oolong leaves bring out more fruity flavors, while high oxidation levels bring out more toasty flavors.

The variance between the different types of oolong gives rise to oolong competitions, where masters of oolong tea making showcase their unique styles to claim victory.


Black Tea
212℉ water. 3-5 minutes.

Perhaps the most popular type of tea, black tea is fully oxidized before being processed and dried. This method allowed the tea to keep its flavor on long voyages through trading routes in the 17th century. Because of its longevity, various cultures all over the world enjoy black tea in different ways.

Because of the heartiness of the tea, when sugar is added to black tea, the flavor gets enhanced. This method of preparing tea is prominent throughout the Western sphere in places like the United Kingdom or the American South. This widespread popularity of black tea is why many people picture a cup of reddish-colored liquid at the mere mention of tea. (Fun fact! The Chinese name for black tea is actually 紅茶, or “red tea”, which is named after the color of the tea after brewing.)


Fermented Tea, Herbal Tea, Grain Tea, etc.
Directions may vary.

Although I have covered the four most common types of tea, several other teas are household staples throughout the world.

When I talk about fermented tea, I don’t mean tea fermented after brewing, such as kombucha. Instead, tea leaves are fermented directly after processing, which allows for a more complex flavor to emerge. One such tea is Pu Erh tea which became popular because it could last tens of years without going bad (“What Is Pu-Erh Tea?”).

Herbal teas and grain teas are actually only “tea” colloquially. Because tea is a drink brewed from the tea tree, other brewed plants are technically called “infusions” rather than “teas”. But, this difference in semantics is not too important.

Herbal teas are usually a mixture of different herbs, flowers, and spices (“Herbal Teas”). Reminiscent of the days when tea was more medicinal, herbal teas are often used as household remedies for various conditions.

Grain tea is popular in Korea and Japan and uses roasted grained such as barley or rice. These types of tea are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They are usually drunk cold, making them refreshing beverages for the summer.

Tea isn’t just limited to these types though! The world of tea has more to offer than I can write about.

So What’s In It for Me?

Tea is full of polyphenols, a compound that helps your body with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties! Tea drinking even leads to lower risks for diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer (“Health Benefits”). So not only does tea taste good, but it also protects your body.

But if you are one of the few people who say that they do not like tea, you haven’t found the right type of tea for you. There are so many types of tea available, each with its own unique flavor. Don’t like hot drinks? Tea can taste even better iced. Prefer something sweet? Try honey citrus tea. Have a phobia of leaves? Maybe matcha powder works. Be open to trying new flavors and I guarantee that there is a tea made just for you.

Works Cited

Covey, Amy. “Types of Oolong Tea: Rolled vs. Twisted.” Red Blossom Tea Company, Red Blossom Tea, 5 Feb. 2019, redblossomtea.com/blogs/red-blossom-blog/types-of-oolong-tea-rolled-vs-twisted.

“Herbal Teas.” Harney & Sons Fine Teas, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, harney.com/pages/herbal-infusions.

“Health Benefits Linked to Drinking Tea.” Harvard Health, 1 Sept. 2014, health.harvard.edu/press_releases/health-benefits-linked-to-drinking-tea.

“The History of Tea.” History of Tea - Learn about Tea History, Coffee Tea Warehouse, coffeeteawarehouse.com/tea-history.html.

Sonnad, Nikhil. “Tea If by Sea, Cha If by Land: Why the World Only Has Two Words for Tea.” Quartz, Quartz, 11 Jan. 2018, qz.com/1176962/map-how-the-word-tea-spread-over-land-and-sea-to-conquer-the-world.

“Tea 101.” Teatulia, Teatulia, teatulia.com/tea-101.htm.

Wack, Margaret. “Tea Brewing Temperature Guide.” ArtfulTea, ArtfulTea, 29 May 2021, artfultea.com/tea-wisdom-1/tea-brewing-temperature-guide.

“What Is Pu-Erh Tea?” Art of Tea, artoftea.com/blogs/tea-101/what-is-pu-erh-tea.