Variety of Teas
For many years there have been three types of tea: Green, Oolong and Black. In addition to these types of tea, white tea is a newer variety emerging in the tea world. These varieties are the result of the tea leaves being processed in any one of a few different ways (unfermented, partially fermented, or completely fermented).
Green tea is made by steaming green tea leaves to stop oxidation, rolling the leaves to express flavor and then heating them to dry.
Black tea is made by drying the green leaves in a process known as “withering” so the leaves become oxidized (also known as fermented), rolling them, and then applying hot air to stop the oxidation process.
Oolong or red teas take after the black teas in that they are prepared the same way, but with a shorter drying period so the leaves are not as oxidized, or fermented.
Herbal Tea
Chai
Chai teas are available in most coffee houses as a concentrate, but few people may know what it is. Sweet and spicy, chai originates out of the Himalayas. It is a blend of black teas with spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. It may be brewed as a loose-leaf tea to be enjoyed on the spot, or pre-brewed into a concentrate. Chai may be enjoyed alone, but often is served with milk and sweetener.
Grading Teas
There are many variables in tea, which affect the classification or grade. In both green and oolong teas, the grading of the tea reflects the quality. However, the grading in black teas only refers to the size or state of the leaf.
Green tea is graded on the age and style of leaf, such as how it was rolled. As a general rule, the better teas are made from the early leaf buds that have been tightly rolled.
Oolong teas are graded on quality alone. Unlike green or black teas, the process or leaf does not make a difference. Rather, a tea master will determine how good it tastes and rate it accordingly: Choice, Finest to Choice, Finest, Fine to Finest, Fine Up, Fine, On Fine, Superior to Fine, Superior Up, Fully Superior, Superior, On Superior, Good to Superior, Good Up, Fully Good, Good, On Good, and Standard.
White tea grades consist of:
Bai Hao Yinzhen, the highest grade. It is fleshy, bright colored and covered with tiny white hairs withy a uniform shape and no stems or leaves.
Bai Mu Dan (White Peony), the second grade: This tea is made of the bud and two leaves which should be covered with a fine, silvery-white down.
Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow), the third grade from Fujian Province in China: the production uses leaves from the Xiao Bai or "small white" tea trees.
Shou Mei (Noble, Long Life Eybrow)the fourth grade: is a fruity flurry white tea that is a mix of tips and upper leaf
Black teas are graded by size, but again, the grading does not indicate the quality of the tea. It simply refers to whether or not the leaf is whole. A complete description of black tea grades follows.
Orange Pekoe (OP):
A fancy grade of Black full-leaf tea showing no tip, but nice thin leaves rolled lengthwise.
Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP):
The absolute top grade Black tea, usually assigned only to full-leaf Indian teas from Darjeeling and Assam. Slightly lesser leaves receive fewer letters (GFOP, FOP).
Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP):
Broken or smaller Black leaf tea; a step below the full leaf. BOP can also be characterized as “tippy,” “golden,” “flowery” or any other combination of those terms.
Fannings (F):
Very small, broken leaves about the size of a pinhead. Fannings may be produced by either the orthodox or the CTC method.
Dust (D):
Literally the bottom of the chest or barrel. The smallest broken leaf left over in the manufacturing and sifting process.
Pekoe Fannings (PF) and Pekoe Dust (PD):
Both terms describe the teas produced using the CTC method specifically for better-quality tea bags. These teas are grainy or even chunky, infuse and color quickly, and tend to be quite aromatic.