Specialty tea is no joke, it’s becoming more and more of a complex, exciting discipline for people to get into, and people are loving it! It’s exciting, while also being simple, complex, and, most importantly, tasty!
In this article, we’re going to run through the six types of specialty tea that are available on the market, from ones you’ve heard of to ones you may not have. Without further ado, let’s talk tea!
Black Tea
Black tea is the most oxidized of all the different types of tea. The process of oxidation is a simple one, really – it’s the process of oxygen getting to the chemicals within the tea leaves, thereby affecting their properties and flavors.
Black tea is often crushed or rolled in order to make the process of oxidation quicker or more impactful to the final flavor of the tea.
Black tea is very strong. It is pleasantly bitter, with quite an earthy note overall, as well as having quite a strong body. Since this is the most oxidized tea available, it must be brewed at the highest temperature – ideally up to 100˚C. We mention the brew temperature here because it impacts the flavor – a high temperature often leads to a more bitter tea.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is the type of tea with the broadest range of possible oxidation – between eight and eighty-five percent! This variation in oxidation means that the flavors of the tea can vary massively, leading to technically the same tea tasting quite different from brand to brand.
Oolong tea is generally processed with some sort of method of oxidation encouragement, albeit a very gentle one such as bruising the leaves themselves. It’s worth considering, though, that since there is such a range of potential oxidations, there is also a range of ways that the oxidation process can be carried out.
Oolong tea should generally be brewed at around 85˚C, which is to say water that has been allowed to fully boil and then permitted to cool for a few minutes. The taste profile of oolong tea is very variable due to the multiple levels of oxidation. A lightly oxidated tea can taste quite sweet and fruity, while a more oxidated tea would taste quite woodsy and rich. The aroma of lighter tea will contain hints of honey, while darker tea will smell a little more roasted, and complicated.
Green Tea
Green tea is perhaps the second most popular tea on the market, after black tea. The reason for this is that the flavor profile is generally quite like black tea, although notably less bitter and harsh.
After the initial process of light oxidation, that process is halted – the leaves are only allowed to be oxidated very briefly. From that point onwards, there are a number of potential processes that may occur to the tea leaves themselves. The most notable is in the process of making matcha tea, which is shredded into an extremely fine powder, and then brewed by being whipped into hot water, and beaten to a slight froth. Other green tea varieties include sencha, Longjing, and Bilochun.
Chinese and Japanese green teas generally taste a little different from one another, simply because they’re grown in different soil and with different nutrients. This is referred to as the terroir – a flavor profile based on the geographic location of growth and harvest. Chinese green teas should generally be brewed at around 75˚C, with Japanese green teas being brewed at around 65˚C. Brewing tea at this lower temperature greatly reduces the number of bitter compounds in the drink, leading to a tasty and moreish drink that is wonderful when drunk after a meal.
Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is probably the most obscure tea that we can think of, it isn’t really even drunk much in China, where it’s primarily produced.
Yellow tea is quite similar to green tea, but after it has been oxidated, it goes through a yellowing phase which alters the taste, somewhat. The initial oxidation and halting process are virtually the same as green tea. However, it is followed by a process where the leaves are wrapped in cloth that allows a little bit of oxidation to occur a second time around. They are then halted a final time, and the tea is ready for drinking.
The flavor of yellow yea is quite aromatic and mature when compared to green tea. It is generally considered not to be quite as acidic as green tea can be, leading to a smooth, full-bodied cup that’s easy to sip at all morning long.
We’d suggest steeping this tea at around 80˚C, not for very long – only around one to three minutes. The reason for this is that a long-brewing time at this temperature can lead to a more bitter taste overall. For such a prized tea as this, it would be a shame to ruin a cup.
White Tea
White tea is often described as being unoxidized. The idea of calling it ‘white’ tea, seemingly, is because it would be the opposite of black tea, which has maximum oxidation. The truth of the matter, though, is that any exposure to air at any point will result in at least a little bit of oxidation. This means that while white tea is oxidized as little as possible, it is still oxidized a little bit.
It’s made from the young buds of the tea plant before they become leaves. The buds are covered in fine white hairs, which is the true reason the tea is referred to as ‘white’. It tastes very light and fruity, as well as often being described as complex and subtle.
Fermented Tea or Pu’erh Tea
Fermented tea is a tea that is allowed to age over time, much like wine or cheese. Oxidation is sometimes mistaken for the process of fermentation, though this is inaccurate. The most famous fermented tea is Chinese Pu’erh – this is often described as being earthy and woodsy, though never bitter. Typically, the initial harsh taste gives way to a light, floral taste.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed the little journey of different types of tea that we’ve been able to take you on in this article. There are truly no two types of tea the same as one another, and that’s one of the things that we adore about the drink. Whichever of these teas you drink next, happy brewing!