Types of Tea
All tea comes from the "Camellia sinensis" plant, however, where the tea is grown, the climate, soil conditions, altitude, etc, and how the tea is processed, determines the flavor characteristics of the tea. Based on the method of production teas can be divided into three categories - black, oolong, and green.
Black tea is withered, fully oxidized (fermented) and dried. Black teas are available from various estates, countries and regions, with added flavorings and also as specialty blends.
Black Tea
The two main types of manufacture for black teas are Orthodox (rolled whole leaf) and CTC-Cut Torn and Curled (appears like little ball bearings). The Orthodox method produces the traditional looking tea leaf - long and wiry whole leaf types. This is achieved as follows - the withered leaf is fed into what appears to be a very large mixing bowl with a large paddle that mashes the tea. During the process the tea is torn apart to a certain degree and also crushed. To achieve 'clean' tea, several series of stalk exrtactors are used. Orthodox teas tend to be lighter and less full bodied as compared to CTC manufactured teas.
The CTC manufacturing process turns the tea into what appears to be small balls of tea. The withered tea leaf passes between two large rollers that are revolving opposite to one another. On each roller are a multitude of sharp blades set at an angle that mesh with the opposing roller. As the tea passes through this series of blades the tea is cut and torn apart and is compressed or curled into little balls.
CTC is a popular variety of manufacturing since producers realize higher yields form acreages under tea cultivation. Also CTC teas are more suitable to tea bagging since they flow more easily to gravity fed bagging machines. CTC teas tend to be more full bodied and robust and are well suited to 'gutsy' blends.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is withered, partially oxidized (fermented), and dried.
Oolong tea is generally wilted in direct sunlight (solar withering). The leaves are then shaken in tubular bamboo basketes to to bruise the lef edges, making the edges oxidize faster than the centre of the leaf. The leaves are shaken and spread out to air-dry several times until the leaf veins become apparent and the surface yellows.The edges become reddish from oxidization ehile the centre remains green. Fermentation is stopped halfway through by firing.
Green Tea
Green tea is an unfermented tea. After withering (if withered at all) it is immediately steamed or heated via firing or pan frying to prevent oxidization, and then rolled and dried.
Green tea may or may not go through a withering process. The leaves are immediately panfired, steamed or baked to prevent oxidization, thus no chemical change. The tea leaves are then rolled and dried.
White Tea
A special type of green tea is White Tea. Like green teas this tea is unfermented. White teas go through the least amount of processing of all the teas. White teas are withered and then immediately dried by steaming.
Rooibos
Rooibos is only grown in a small area in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Generally, the leaves are oxidized, or often inaccurately referred to as fermented, to produce the distinctive reddish-brown color, but unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced.