There are 6 main types of tea: White, Green, Yellow, Blue-green (Oolong), Black (Red), and Dark tea (Hei Cha, incl. Pu-erh).
All six types of tea derive from the same plant. What accounts for their many differences is the length of time it takes for the tea leaves to become oxidized and the processing style. For instance, roasting, steaming, pan-firing and aging.
Below, you’ll find an explanation as to how each of these types of tea differs. Furthermore, you can learn about their individual characteristics.
All six types of tea derive from the same plant. Their differences stem from the oxidation degree and the production process.
Below you'll find an explanation of how each type of tea differs. Furthermore, you can learn about their individual characteristics.
The Six Main Types of Tea
White teas
White tea undergoes the least processing among the six different tea types. In addition, the highest grade of white tea consists of the most tender and fresh buds and leaves. Farmers harvest it only during the spring season. The production utilizes the delicate process of withering, curing, and drying. It gives white tea its delicate flavors and a smooth mouthfeel with a subtly fruity or sweet finish.
White teas tend to have less bitterness than other tea types and can be more forgiving of water temperature and infusion times than green teas.
Farmers make the majority of white teas from medium-leaf tea bush varieties that yield silvery-white sprouts and leaves. They are harvested by hand twice a year: in spring (for the higher grades) and in autumn. The withering process of white tea results in an abundance of silvery-white hairs on the dried tea leaves and buds. Authentic white teas such as White Peony are multi-colored like autumn leaves and have a silver-white fuzz that resembles the skin of a ripened peach. Silver Needle, the premier style of white tea, consists of only silvery-white needle-like sprouts without attached leaves.
More delicate white teas brew best at water temperatures around 185ºF (85ºC). It is best to use boiling water for thicker, more mature leaves.
Green teas
Tea enthusiasts love Green Tea for its fresh flavor and health benefits. Farmers predominantly produce them throughout China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia during the spring growing season (March through May).
Tea artisans use various methods of firing freshly harvested leaves to prevent oxidation and preserve the fresh green qualities of the leaf.
Green teas undergo the least oxidation of all the teas. We categorize them by the firing method and craftsmanship technique as follows:
- steamed
- pan-fired
- oven-baked
- half-roasted
- half-baked
- hot-air roasted
- sun-dried
When tasting an assortment of green teas, regional nuance, harvest season, leaf style of leaf, and plucking standard become apparent.
Most green teas brew best at water temperatures around 175-185ºF (80-85ºC). However, some Japanese green teas, such as Gyokuro, require a much lower temperature – 150ºF (65ºC).
Yellow tea
Yellow tea is a partially oxidized tea. Its processing technology is similar to green tea. The main difference is the presence of one extra step - "stuffing the yellow" (Men Huang – 闷黄). It is crucial for shaping the aroma and taste qualities of Huang Cha. Men Huang promotes the transformation of the tea leaves' inner substances and defines the overall quality of the entire tea batch.
Workers start picking fresh tea leaves in March to produce Yellow tea. They then roast them over medium fire to halt oxidation. During the next step (Men Huang), they either wrap the leaves in cloth (or paper) or pile them in bamboo baskets, which causes the leaves to change color from green to yellow. Finally, they dry the tea. They can also press it into cakes or bricks for regional specialty teas, such as the Meng Ding tea brick.
Oolong teas
Oolong teas are semi-oxidized teas. The classic styles come from specific regions and cultivars, but today oolong is also produced in other tea-growing countries using similar processing methods. Today, the main production regions are Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan.
Farmers produce Oolong teas from larger, more mature leaves. During processing, farmers shake the leaves, leaving their edges to "bruise". That brings about a brown or red color, while the middle of the leaves stays green. The final amount of oxidation depends on the desired type of tea. The skill of the tea maker is of utmost importance. It can result in lightly oxidized oolong teas. For example, pale, delicate-tasting green teas. Or ones that are almost fully oxidized, like dark and bold-flavored black teas.
Oolong tea production requires some of the most skillful and sophisticated tea makings. Oolong tea artisans are much like boutique winemakers.
Most producers sell oolong teas under simple trade names (e.g., Tie Guanyin, Shui Xian, Dong Ding, Dancong). However, experts categorize and understand oolong by its region, age, bush variety, and season of harvest, just like wine.
Most oolong teas brew best at water temperatures of around 195-212ºF (90-100ºC).
Black teas (Red teas)
We say “Black Tea” in the West, or "Hong Cha" ("Red Tea") in Asia.
This tea is popular for afternoon tea thanks to its mellow, sweet flavor.
Unlike green tea processing, which attempts to preserve the green color of fresh tea leaves, black tea processing encourages the tea leaves to change from green to coppery red. We call this change oxidation.
Black (or red) tea has dark leaves and produces a deep-colored liquid.
Most black teas brew best at water temperatures around 195-205ºF (90-95ºC).
Pu-erh teas and Hei Cha
Hei Cha (also known as "dark tea") is a unique variety of fermented tea common in China. Its production process combines fermentation and oxidation, resulting in a type of tea that the rest of the world is only now beginning to appreciate. Hei Cha dominated the tea trade along the kingdom's border areas. It supplied much-needed warmth during the winter and made up for the lack of vitamins and nutrients. It also helped break down the grease from the meat and dairy-rich diet of the mountainous herders. That made Hei Cha a health staple among the local minorities.
One of Hei cha's most representative teas is indeed Pu-erh. Originating in Yunnan Province of southwestern China, pu-erh tea has an ancient history of more than 2,000 years.
There are two different types of Pu-erh: Sheng Pu-erh (the raw or green type) and Shu Pu-erh (the ripened or black type). Farmers produce both Sheng (raw) and Shu (ripe) Pu-erh from sun-dried maocha made from Camellia sinensis var. assamica. Sheng Pu-erh is pressed and then darkens and smooths out slowly through natural aging. Shu Pu-erh undergoes an additional wet-piling (Wo Dui – 渥堆) fermentation step, which yields a dark, mellow liquor even when young; later aging further refines the taste.
Like Champagne or other regionally specific foods and beverages, Pu-erh is a geographically indicated product. Under China’s national standard, only tea made from sun-dried large-leaf tea grown and processed within a defined area of Yunnan can be sold as Pu-erh. Similar large-leaf teas are grown in neighboring countries such as Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, but those fall outside the protected Pu-erh designation.
Pu-erh remains an integral part of the food culture throughout Southeast Asia. Traditional Chinese Medicine has used it for centuries to promote digestion and aid the breakdown of heavy foods.
Most pu-erh teas brew best at water temperatures around 212ºF (100ºC).