As it is barely processed, white tea can be seen as one of the most delicate tea varieties. The name goes back to the harvest that takes place before the tea plants’ leaves are fully opened, when the buds are still covered by fine white hairs. The buds and unfurled leaves are handpicked and need to be quickly and thoroughly dried to avoid oxidation.
To preserve their all-natural flavour, green tea leaves are heated or steamed just after they have been harvested. This prevents too much oxidation and produces in a gentle and nourishing beverage.
While oxidation is avoided in the manufacturing process of white and green tea, it is crucial to achieve the main characteristics of black tea. Its unique colour and flavour is achieved by a high level of oxidation.
Herbal teas are considered very popular but as they are not made of leaves of the tea plant, they actually are no “real teas”. Despite that, they stand for a great variety of flavours as they can be made from dried fruits, flowers, spices or herbs.
Oolong tea is one of the youngest types of tea. It can be sorted somewhere between green and black tea as the tea leaves undergo partial oxidation. The processing of Oolong tea is one of the most time consuming and labor intensive.
Pu-erh tea undergoes microbal fermentation after the leaves are dried. The tea is particularly special as it can age for decades or longer and its taste an flavour keep developing.
