Types Of Tea
There are all different types of tea for all different uses. Some teas work wonders on various health ailments, while others do a good job of calming the mind or soothing the spirit. Tea is the dried leaves of the plant camellia sinensis. All different types of teas come from this same plant. Tea is a traditional drink in many cultures, and its many health benefits have been touted by experts for years.
There are three major different types of tea. Chinese tea comes from small leaves. This variety of the tea plant grows very well in higher altitudes. Indian tea comes from a plant that has larger leaves and grows well at lower altitude. The largest category of tea is the hybrid category. It’s a mix between the Chinese and Indian types of tea.
There are also four different ways tea is processed, and each of these different methods delivers even more types of tea. Black tea is the most common type of tea. Processing tea leaves to make black tea involves completely oxidizing the leaves. This means that the leaves are allowed to completely dry out, sometimes taking as long as an entire day to complete the drying out process. Black tea leaves are then rolled up and cracked. They are left until the oxidation process is complete and the tea is completely dried out.
The second most common type of tea is green tea. There is no oxidation involved in processing this type of tea. The process starts out similar to the process of making black tea, by laying out the leaves so all the water dries out from them. Then the tea leaves are steamed to prevent the oxidation process from beginning. After they’re steamed, then the leaves are rolled up tightly and dried once again.
The third most common type of tea is Oolong tea. This is the most difficult of all the different types of tea to make. The process of making Oolong tea also starts by drying out the leaves for a day. Then the leaves are tossed into a bin or basket and purposely bruised along the edges, allowing for only a partial oxidation. After the leaves are partially oxidized, then they are steamed to prevent further oxidation and rolled up for a final drying.
The least common type of tea is white tea. The process of making this type of tea begins with the tea buds themselves. The buds are picked before they’re completely open. They are then dried out quickly and not allowed to oxidize at all. White tea is the most expensive type of tea, and experts tout it as being the most healthful also. This is because they believe white tea has three times more antioxidants than green or black tea. Researchers have also discovered that white tea does a great job of collecting all the free radicals that can wreak havoc on the skin, causing wrinkles, sagging skin, and a general appearance of age.