Spill the Tea. A Tea & Blend Cheat-Sheet for the Ill & Bothered

Spill the Tea

Tea & Blend Cheat-Sheet for the Ill & Bothered

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Most Teas come from the Camilla Sinses Plant.

Many people get confused, and it's no wonder,

because there are simply so many different names for Tea. 

Those names, are largely based on regions in which it grows and is not a way to differentiate between Green and Black and White. As an example, some Indian Tea includes Masala, Nilgiri, Darjeeling, Kangra, Assam, etc. All of these are Black Teas, but come from different regions in India, where the same tea leaves take on differing flavors built around climate and soil nutrients. A parallel example would be Earl Grey Tea from England, which is Black Tea with added oil of orange bergamot. This oil can be added into the oxidation, drying or fermentation stage. While other Teas like Chai, are simply brewed with additional spices to complete the flavor. 

See how the world of tea just got a little bit smaller and less overwhelming?

Processing Tea:

All tea comes from the same Plant. Camilla Sinesis. 

There are SEVEN main Tea making processing steps. Plucking, Withering, Tossing/Rolling/Crushing, Oxidizing (after the leaves have been bruised or torn the oxygen turns the leaves dark.), Heating, Drying, and last but not least, Sorting. 

Black Tea has the longest oxidation step, making the leaves black. 

Green Teas are heated shortly after the plucking, allowing it to keep its antioxidants.

Oolong Tea is the most complex because it involves repeating the rolling and oxidation steps over and over again. 

White Tea comes from the young unopened leaf buds, they are withered, but very little oxidation occurs. 

During the 7 Step Process:

Yellow Tea & Pu Erh Teas are types of fermented tea. 

Yellow is fermented before being dried, while Pu Erh teas are fermented after the heating step.  Fermentation can last for days or years depending on the flavor the cultivator wants to instill.

Purple Tea is an uprising trend. Cultivated in Kenya. Leaves are picked and withered, but then steamed locking in the purple color. 

Rooibos Tea is one of the only naturally occurring Tea, that is caffeine free. However it doesn't come from the Camilla Sinesis plant like the other Teas listed above. Instead it comes from the Aspalahus Linearis plant. Primarily from Africa and can sometimes be referred to simply as “red tea”, or “bush tea”.

After the Process:

Matcha Tea is a type of Green tea, but it's dried leaves (only the leaves, no sticks or stems) have been stone-ground into a fine green powder.

Mixed into the Brew:

Bubble Tea

(a.k.a. Boba Tea) can be made with any color tea, but it's defined by its tapioca pearls inside the tea. It's usually made with sweeteners and a form of dairy and pearls. Can be served as a cold or hot beverage. It's best to hot brew the leaves first, let cool, and add in your chilled components. 

Thai Tea

is made with Indian based Ceylon or Assam black teas, with added warm spices like anise, cardamom, cinnamon, or clove. It's very similar to Boba tea, but it's made with Indian Black Teas and is missing the pearls. Can be served as a cold or hot beverage. It's best to hot brew the leaves first, let cool, and add in your chilled components.

Chai Tea

is made with Indian based Masala Black Tea. Its similar to thai or boba teas, because its also made with warming spices and dried fruit, milk and sweeteners. components. Can be served as a cold or hot beverage. It's best to hot brew the leaves first, let cool, and add in your chilled components.

All of these options usually come in decaffeinated and caffeinated options. To make tea decaffeinated, the leaves are treated with a solvent or carbon dioxide. However, there isn't a process to completely eliminate caffeine. So there will always be traces, but it will definitely help take the stimulant edge off, when caffeine makes you a jitter-bug. To truly reap the no-stimulant feel benefits you would need to drink Rooibos “Red” Tea. 

I hope all of this only deepens your love for tea. Because there's a long perilous journey for tea to become the perfect sip, however you customize to enjoy.

Herbal:

Preemptively, some stark contrasts need to be made. Firstly, just because it's called a tea; a tea leaf, does not it make.

They really should be called “Hot Brewed Beverage.” because for it to be truly considered a Tea, it must come from the Camilla Sinesis plant, and have gone through the 7 Step Process as gone over above. 

Secondly, an Herbal Tea must be just that. A singular; herb, spice, vegetable or fruit. Herbal Blend Teas are hot brewed drinks that contain several different dried herbs, spices, veggies or fruits. The ingredient can come in its whole parts, just leaves or flowers. Those can come broken up, ground up or pulverized into a powder. 

That being said, the broad Herbal Tea and Blends term contains; singular or multiple dried spices, herbs, flowers, vegetables or fruit.

An interesting note, if you are looking for a completely stimulant free experience. Herbal Blend Teas, might be the way to go for you. Because it's not a Tea, therefore unless your selected ingredient(s) have naturally occurring caffeine or nicotine. Any energy boosting feelings are caused because this plant, was born this way. (Let the Lady Gaga song run through your ADHD brain for a bit while you read the rest.)

Herbal Tea won't have any of the Greens, Whites and Blacks of the actual Tea plant, but there are so many things you can drink as hot brewed or cold brewed drinks for your health. While coffee has taken its place in the western countries, it isn't as customizable as herbal teas. I almost feel guilty, like I'm going behind my best friend, coffee's, back to tell you all the beautiful things about Tea. But there's really no limit to the fascinating world of Teas and Blends. Which can be prepared at home with your bulk containers of an apothecary, mixing and matching from your stash, or buying a variety of boxes from the store.

Medicinal Drinks: By Ailment or Taste

Basic Guide: The Choices are Personal

Conclusion:

I hope all of this only deepens your love for tea. Because there's a long perilous journey for tea to become the perfect sip, however you customize to enjoy. The Tea has to be grown in particular soil and climate. Picked at the perfect time, oxidized to the perfect scale, heat treated in some way at the perfect time, oils or spices added into the mix at the perfect stage of the process. Decaffeinated or fermented at a particular stage, dried and delivered. Then can be used to mix and match or treat it further with additional flavors, hot brewed, then may be treated again with spices or sweeteners or dairy & nut products before it's delivered into a favored receptacle ready for your lips. 

No matter who you are, which tea you pick, why your drinking it, added flavors or who your with, TEA is truly for everyone and is deeply personal.

I will be doing either a separate or an additional post covering the health benefits of each type of tea soon!

None of this is medical advice, and should not be taken as such. Please see a Physician  for any of your healthcare concerns as any supplement may interact with Prescription Medications.