Processing and Varieties of Tea
Tea has more naturally occurring caffeine than does coffee. However, the brewing process typically dilutes tea more than coffee, resulting in one quarter to one third less caffeine per cup.
The processing of all teas begins with the Camellia sinensis plant.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Camellia
Species: sinensis
Only the top two leaves and the unopened leaf bud form the plant are used. There are four principal methods for processing the plant, and they result in the major types of tea that are the most widely consumed.
These are white, green (or unfermented,) oolong (semi-fermented), and black (fermented) tea.
White tea is derived by the simplest of the four processing methods and in some classification schemes is grouped with green tea.
Only the youngest leavers are picked for white tea, and these leaves still contain short white “hair”.
The leaves are simply steamed and dried and their appearance is relatively unaltered.
Brewing then produces a pale yellow cup of tea with a fresh flavor.
Processing and Varieties of Tea
Tea has more naturally occurring caffeine than does coffee. However, the brewing process typically dilutes tea more than coffee, resulting in one quarter to one third less caffeine per cup.
The processing of all teas begins with the Camellia sinensis plant.
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Camellia
Species: sinensis
Only the top two leaves and the unopened leaf bud form the plant are used. There are four principal methods for processing the plant, and they result in the major types of tea that are the most widely consumed.
These are white, green (or unfermented,) oolong (semi-fermented), and black (fermented) tea.
White tea is derived by the simplest of the four processing methods and in some classification schemes is grouped with green tea.
Only the youngest leavers are picked for white tea, and these leaves still contain short white “hair”.
The leaves are simply steamed and dried and their appearance is relatively unaltered.
Brewing then produces a pale yellow cup of tea with a fresh flavor.
Processing and Varieties of Tea
