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In the past people thought that green and black tea is produced from two different plants.
However, it turns out that by using varying processing methods, different kinds of tea can be obtained. From among 3000 kinds of tea, seven basic kinds are differentiated, which are: white, green, Oolong, black, red, flavoured and tea brick.

White tea

Still a relatively unknown tea, from a Chinese province Fujian. Its young buds are plucked before they open, withered and dried. It is a uniquely subtle tea, whose buds have a silver-white shade (sometimes called Silver Tips). White tea has a very light infusion with the colour of straw.

Green tea

Green tea is often called „unfermented”. Freshly plucked leaves are left to dry, after which they are heat processed in order to stop the fermentation process (oxidation), which would spoil the leaves. Many places in China still use traditional, manual methods, especially in production of the best Chinese tea, while some factories have introduces mechanized processes. In traditional processing, fresh green leaves are spread in a thin layer on bamboo trays and left in the sun for an hour or two. Next, leaves are placed in small portions on warm pans and quickly mixed by hand, in order to evaporate moisture out. After a few minutes, softened leaves are rolled into balls and placed in warm pans once again and shaken vigorously, after which they are rolled again and left for drying. After about two hours, leaves gain a matt green colour and do not go through any more changes. In the end, they are sifted in order to be divided into groups of similar sized leaves. Four kinds of green tea are differentiated: leaf, loose cut, powdered and pressed.

Oolong tea

Usually this kind of tea is referred to as „half-fermented”. Oolong is produced in China and Taiwan. Leaves selected for the production of Chinese Oolong are processed directly after being plucked. They wither in the sun, after which they are shaken in bamboo baskets in order to gently bruise leaf edges. Next, they are in turns shaken and laid out for drying, until their surface becomes a bit yellowish, and the bruised edges become slightly rusty (as a result of a reaction with oxygen). This fermentation (oxidation) process is stopped after about two hours with the process of panfrying. Oolong leaves are never broken by being rolled.
Oolong tea from Taiwan is fermented for a longer period, producing a darker and more saturated infusion than the Chinese kind.

Black tea

Method used in the production and the tea itself differ depending on the region, but black tea processing always consists of four basic stages: shrivelling, rolling, fermenting and firing, i.e. drying. Collected leaves are quickly processed, stored for several hours in a windy location, where they lose water and some tannin. As a result of shrivelling, leaves become more elastic. During the rolling of the leaves, ingredients are mixed in. The tighter the leaves are rolled, the stronger the tea is. Next, leaves are laid out on special tables, where hot and very humid air is blown onto them for 2 to 3 hours. Thanks to the process of fermentation, leaves achieve a dark brown colour and the tannin content decreases even more. Leaves prepared in this way are dried in 90°C temperature for about 20 minutes. It is then that the tea becomes black and its water content drops below 5%. Sorting leaves according to quality takes place by sifting.

Pu-Erh

Chinese red tea with a earthy smell, usually pressed into bricks or bars. Pu-Erh (usually flavoured with bergamot or lemon) regulates metabolism, supports liver function, lowers cholesterol and helps maintain energy in nutrition deficiency.



 

Flavoured tea

Green tea, black tea and Oolong are used in the production of flavoured tea. Flavours are mixed with the leaves in the last processing stage, prior to packaging. Fruit flavoured teas are made by adding fruit aromatic essences to the processed tea. In the production of jasmine tea, whole jasmine flowers are added to green or black tea.

Herbal tea

Infusions made from various types of herbs were used in Egypt as early as 2500 B.C. Today, herbs, fruit and various roots are used in the preparation of beverages, extracts and thirst quenching drinks. Parts of fruits and herbs such as: tiny leaves, flowers, small fruit and bits of stems are brewed in boiling water and left to infuse, in order to create an infusion within a few minutes. On the other hand roots, seeds and dry fruit are boiled for few or several minutes, producing an extract.

Fruit tea

When the advantages of the tea bush were being discovered in China, other herbs and fruit were being discovered in Europe and North Africa, and used in making various types of beverages and infusions. In the ancient Greece, herbal medicine schools were forming in the temple of Asclepius (4th – 3rd Century B.C.). Thanks to Asklepiades (2st Century B.C.), Galen (AD 129 – 200), Paracelsus (15th Century) herbal medicine became wide spread, herb gardens were being created. Many herbs and fruit have found use in our everyday lives.