Camellia sinensis
• This plant is responsible for all tea: black, green, Oolong, etc.
• Grows between 0° and 42° latitude
• Flush: term used for growth of new buds and leaves used for tea, some areas may have
multiple flushes during the growing season
• Over 2,000 varieties of plants
Types of Tea
Based on the processing of the Tea Leaf (fermentation does not refer to an alcoholic
fermentation during the processing of the leaves; it is instead the term used for oxidation of
the leaves where they are exposed to air and humidity under controlled conditions. After this
stage the leaves are dried and prepared for you to get your Zen on1)
• Black: Fermented Leaves- The leaves are fully oxidized. Many flavored or blended teas
are based on Black Tea (Earl Grey, English Breakfast, etc.). Produces fully flavored
teas.
o Important Black Teas (Regions of Production):
§ Assam (Northeastern India)
§ Ceylon (the island of Sri Lanka)
§ Darjeeling (Himalayan foothills of Northern India)
§ Keemun (Anhwei Province in China)
§ Lapsang Souchong (This tea is produced by drying out the tea leaves
over burning pine needles producing a pronounced smoky flavor and
aroma- Fujian Province in China)
§ Nilgiri (Southern India)
§ Yunnan (Yunnan Province in China)
§ Dianhong (Yunnan Province in China)
• Green: Unfermented Leaves- Little oxidation before drying out to retain the freshness
and the flavor of the natural plant, little to no bitterness
•
o Important Green Teas (Regions of Production):
§ Gunpowder (China, Taiwan)
§ Hyson (Zhejiang Province in China)
§ Dragonwell (China)
§ Gen Mai Cha (Japan)
§ Gu Zhang Mao Jian (Fujian Province in China)
§ Gyokuro (Japan)
§ Hojicha (Japan)
§ Matcha (Japan- this is the tea commonly used in Japanese Tea
Ceremonies)
§ Pi Lo Chun (China)
§ Sencha (Japan)
§ Liuan Leaf (also known as Lu'an Melon Seed- Anhui Province in
China)
§ Huangshan Maofeng (meaning "Yellow Mountain Fur Peak"- Anhui
Province in China)
§ Biluochun / Pi Lo Chun (meaning "Green Snail Spring"- Jiangsu
Province in China)
• Oolong (meaning “Black Dragon”): Semi-Fermented Leaves. The leaves are oxidized
more than Green Tea but less than Black. There are many different flavor expressions
from mild to strong.
o Important Oolong Teas (Regions of Production)
§ Fancy Formosa Oolong (Taiwan)
§ Wuyi (Fujian Province in China)
§ Ti Kuan Yin (meaning “Iron Goddess of Mercy”, from China)
§ Shui Xhan (China)
§ Dà Hóng Páo (meaning "Big Red Robe" and one of the most expensive
teas on the planet- Fujian Province in China)
§ Tieguanyin (Fujian Province in China)
• Yellow Tea: Made similar to Green Tea, though the drying process is much longer,
producing a yellow leaf
o Important Teas (Region of Production)
§ Junshan Yinzhen (meaning “Silver Needles of the Gentleman
Mountain”- Hunan Province in China)
§ Huoshan Huangyan (Anhui Province in China)
• White Tea: 100% Leaf Tip made from the new buds of the plant that have a silvery
fuzz on them. Minimal processing.
o Important Tea (Region of Production)
§ Pai Mu Tan / Bai Mudan (also known as White Peony- Fujian
Province in China)
§ Baihao Yinzen (also known as White Hair Silver Needle- Fujian
Province in China)
• Pu-erh Tea (Dark Tea or Red Tea, incorrectly sometimes referred to as Black Tea):
This is a post fermentation Tea and a specialty of the Yunnan Province in China. It
may be green / raw , dark / aged, or a mixture of the two types.
Flavoring / Blended Tea
Most Flavored or Blended Teas are based on Black Tea
• Teas flavored with flowers (e.g., jasmine, rose) are generally made by keeping the
flower in contact with the tea leaves as the leaves oxidize
• Citrus Oils are sometimes blended with the leaves. Earl Grey is the most famous
example (Oil of Bergamot is used)
• Breakfast Teas are blended to produce a powerful Tea that mixes well with milk
(English Breakfast is a classic example)
• Afternoon Tea is blended as a much lighter alternative to Breakfast Tea
Tea Grading and Sorting Terms
• Souchong: Large Leaf
• Pekoe: Medium Leaf
• Orange Pekoe (OP): Full Small Leaf
• Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP): Top grade Full Leaf, usually reserved
for Tea grown in India- particularly Darjeeling and Assam
• Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP): Broken or Smaller Leaf
• Fannings (F): Small Broken Leaves
• Dust (D): Smallest Broken Leaves, sometimes called Sweepeings
• Pekoe Fannings (PF) or Pekoe Dust (PD): Cut torn Crushed (CTC) Pekoe used for
quality tea bags
o Most tea bags are made from Brokens, Fannings, and Dust
