There are four main types of tea which are white, green, oolong (wu long), and black.
However the leaves of each kind of tea all come from the same Camellia sinensis tea plant, and it is the processing these leaves go through which will determine their "color".
Below are the more common everyday types of tea you most likely have come across.
This rich tasting tea is usually a blend of Assam and Ceylon black tea varieties. It brews a dark-reddish cup that gives off a medium aroma and has a brisk malty taste with slightly bitter undertones.
English Breakfast
Another common type of tea, English Breakfast is a strong smoky beverage that will definitely wake your taste buds up! Made from Keenum Chinese black tea, this tea is worth the brewing. Perfect for folks who want a breakfast tea with more bite.
Earl Grey Tea
Named after the early 19th century Prime Minister, Charles Grey, this tea is infused with the oil of the bergamot orange. It makes a cup that produces a bitter-citrus yet sweet taste that is enjoyed in both England and America. In fact, Earl Grey is one of the most common types of tea in both countries!
Sencha Green Tea
A famous Japanese variety of green tea. The leaves, although small, steep a full flavored vegetal tasting cup! Now for newcomers this may sound like a turn-off, but for seasoned green tea drinkers it is a real treat. This is one of my favorite green teas!
Dragon Well Green Tea
This is another famous green tea, but is grown in China rather than Japan. I refer to it as the Chinese version of Sencha. The broad flat leaves make a great tasting cup that is less grassy than Sencha and is more medium-bodied that is perfect for folks introducing themselves to green tea.
Silver Needle White Tea
This tea is perhaps the purest and most powerful of ALL types of tea.
The leaves are plucked before they open and have fuzzy silver-like hairs covering them which give them a whitish-silvery appearance.
One of my favorite varieties of white tea, Silver Needle brews a very airy cup that is sweet and subtle. The perfect tea in everyway!
Wu-yi Oolong Tea
I'd figure that I add "Wu-yi" oolong as well since it is becoming quite a popular variety as of late.
Grown in the rocky Wuyi mountains of China, this tea has large leaves that make a fruity, nutty, and rich tasting cup. I think it is a great tea for newcomers who want to try the oolong type of tea.
This tea is also known to help folks loss weight naturally and effectively! Provided they include proper exercise and healthy eating habits!
Adagio.com offers all of the above teas along with some flavored varieties (loose leaf). They also come in small 2 ounce sample tins which save folks buying too much of a tea they might dislike. There are also many helpful customer reviews.
White tea is the most delicate and probably the most powerful of all the types of tea. It brews a very airy aroma and somewhat fruity taste that any hot beverage drinker can enjoy.
This tea also offers more powerful antioxidant properties than its older brothers. I say "older" because this tea is in fact young, that is, the leaves are picked before they fully open and are covered with tiny fuzzy whitish hairs which earns it its name "white tea".
Green tea is another well-known type and also offers great health benefits too. Grown and highly consumed in both China and Japan, this tea branches off into literally hundreds of varieties.
I've only tried the more popular types of tea in the green family, and there are still so many for me to sample! Although green tea may seem a bit grassy in the beginning, it is a tea that one can really enjoy once they get past the first few cups. Don't worry, the palate opens up to it!
Oolong tea which is also called wu long tea, is one of those types of tea that is in between green and black. A sweet, floral, woody brew that consists of larger leaves. This tea has also proven in studies that it can help folks shed pounds, and even decrease the progress of wrinkles and aging of the skin.
Black tea which is the most commonly consumed tea in the world is the most processed of the four types. Mostly brewed by tea bag in America, and traditionally served in the United Kingdom as "afternoon tea", this type of tea is every tea drinker’s daily cup. Enjoyed with milk, sugar, honey, or lemon, it has a rich, earthy, and malty taste. However if one really wants to do it justice...brew it by the whole leaf!
