Tea 101

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? For years and years, I believed that each different type of tea (black, white, green, oolong, and pu-erh) was made from a different plant. Boy was I wrong!

Actual tea is the dried leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant. The first time I saw a tea bush, I couldn’t reconcile with the idea that the plant in front of me actually led to the tea I’ve consumed for so many years. To make tea, the newer leaves of the tea bush are harvested, withered, rolled, oxidized, and dried. Depending on the variations in this process, the different tea types are created.

For a more detailed description, check out a couple of my earlier posts:

•  What is Tea? (Tea: More Than Just a Really Large Breast Size)
• How is Tea Made? (Making Tea: Almost as Complicated as Making Babies)

For all Tea 101 type posts, you can browse here.

You can also learn about each of the main tea types in their dedicated posts at the following links:

• Black Tea (Once You Go Black, You Never Go Back)
• Green Tea (It’s Not Easy Being Green)
• White Tea (Pretty Fly For a White Tea)
• Oolong Tea (Me Love Oo-Long Time! Five Dollah!)
• Pu-erh Tea (Tea World! Tea World! Pu-erhty Time! Excellent!)

And if there are any topics related to tea you would like me to cover at any point in time, feel free to ask! I’d be happy to cover anything I can to help further your interests!