What's in a name? A lot when it is tea. Tea is made only from Camellia Sinensis. Many beverages that people call teas are not the real McCoys but tisanes (flower or herbal infusions). Some examples of tisanes are peppermint, chamomile, rooibos and yerba mate.
Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family. It was indigenous to the mountain regions around China's Yunnan Province, northern Burma and eastern India centuries ago. Lately, plentiful Camellia Sinensis varieties, as a result of natural pollination and human interventions, flourish in many parts of the world. In general, they can be categorized into two major varieties:
- Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis (China) - Leaf is small, more fragrant, and can tolerate cooler climates.
- Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica (India) - Leaf is larger, more robust and less tolerant to cooler temperatures.
Six types of tea are made from Camellia Sinensis and are defined by the manufacture processes. China is the only place that produces all six types of teas: White (e.g.,
Silver Needles), Green (e.g.,
Dragon Well), Yellow (e.g.,
Jun Shan Yin Zhen), Oolong (e.g.,
Iron Goddess), Black (e.g.,
Keemun) and Pu'er (
Nannuo Pu'er). Yellow is very rare and sometimes included as Green. Black tea is called Red and Pu'er is referred to as Black in China.
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| Sample Tea Types |
An overview of tea processes is below:
