Tea 101
When you first start “seriously” drinking tea, the lingo and classifications can be confusing. (What DOES “2005 Organic Makaibari Estate Second Flush Vintage Muscatel Darjeeling Black FTGFOP1S” mean, anyway?) This article serves as an introduction to tea types and terminology. Welcome to the world of tea!
Intro to Tea
Tea Classifications
Flush
Tea Types
Other Classifications
Recommended Reading
Intro to Tea
There are over 3,000 types of tea in the world. Amazingly, all 3,000 plus of these teas come from the same plant, camellia sinensis.* Variations in growing region, time of harvest, parts of the plant harvested, plant variety, processing method, and numerous other factors make the key differences between, say, a delicate Silver Needle white and an assertive Second Flush Assam black. Selecting teas you like and developing your palate doesn’t have to be an arduous task. Once you understand what you are buying and/or drinking, your foray into the world will be much easier. Read on to learn more.
*Many people refer to tisanes as “herbal teas.” While there are a lot of wonderful tisanes out there, this is a misnomer. For more information, read “Tisane Basics” and the “Tisane Listing” series.
Tea Classifications
Tea can be classified in several major ways. The most common way of classifying tea is by “type.” (White, green, black, etc.) However, as you learn more about tea, you will notice lots of other classifications. While they may sound complex (2005 Organic Makaibari Estate Second Flush Vintage Muscatel Darjeeling Black FTGFOP1S, for example), these classifications can be easily broken down and understood. Let’s start with flush.
Flush
I know what you’re thinking. “Why didn’t she start with type?’” The easiest aspect of tea to superficially understand is the type (green, black, white, etc.). However, an understanding of tea flushes will deepen your understanding of tea types. For this reason, I am starting with flush. I know it sounds weird, but please just bear with me for a few minutes.
You will often hear an Indian tea referred to as “First Flush,” “Second Flush,” or “Autumn Tea,” or a Japanese tea referred to as “Shincha” or “Bancha.” All of these terms refer to the “flush,” or picking of the tea. Each growing region has its own condition and many cultures have their own nomenclature, but the basic principle is the same.
Generally speaking, this is how tea flushes work:
At the beginning of the growing season, tender new shoots grow from the stalk of the tea bush. These shoots have two leaves and a bud on the end. When these leaves and a bud are picked, they are called the “first flush.” They contain the most catechins (antioxidants), L-theanine (a stimulant), and caffeine of any of the pickings. They also tend to have a very delicate taste, a light infusion color, and a short shelf-life.
Once the tea bush has grown its two leaves and a bud, it begins a short period of dormancy. During this time, it grows, but very little. The growth is trimmed to encourage new growth. (Some plantations will use this growth to make very low-grade tea, which will not list a flush and is typically for bags and/or impoverished local markets.) New leaves grow and are harvested. These leaves are the “second flush.”
Some areas have subsequent harvestable growths, some don’t. The nomenclature of flushes varies from region to region, but the terms “first flush” and “second flush” are very common. Indian and Japanese teas are most frequently named by flush. Below are the names, qualities, and growth time of flushes from India and Japan.
India
First Flush/Spring Harvest—delicate, floral, pale infusion, usually made into black tea, but sometimes white—February/early March to April
Second Flush/Summer Harvest—full-bodied, sometimes with strong Muscat notes—mid-May to mid-June
Third Flush/Monsoon Harvest— plentiful but low in quality, very dark, dull in flavor, sometimes made into green tea—July to August
Fourth Flush/Fall Harvest—less common, very strong flavor, low quality—mid-September to late October
Fifth Flush/Winter Harvest—uncommon, low quality—November to February
Japan
First Flush/Spring Harvest/Shincha/Ichiban-cha—delicate, fresh, a very large harvest—mid-April to early May
Second Flush/Summer Harvest/Niban-cha**—a low quality flush, often left unpicked—mid-June to July
Third Flush/Late Summer Harvest/Sanban-cha**—a mid-grade flush, often used for bags or sold loose as “bancha” for after meals or everyday drinking, less complex in flavor—July to August/September
Fourth Harvest/Fall Harvest/Yoban-cha**—an optional picking, also low grade—late September to early October
**All harvests after the first flush may be collectively referred to as “bancha.”
Tea Types
OK, we’re done with flush. Ready for the easy part? Tea types are often easy to recognize visually and are the most common way of referring to a tea. (“What kind of tea are you drinking?” “Green.”) The major types of tea are: White, Green, Oolong, Black, and Pu-erh.
White tea is the most prized and least processed of all the tealeaves. It comes from the delicate, immature buds and/or leaves of the first flush. After harvesting, it is simply dried. Traditionally, it is left to dry in the sun. Today, some use ovens or fire, but many still follow the custom of sunning. This minimal processing retains the most antioxidants and results in the lowest caffeine level of the leaf (unpowdered) true teas. White tea has a very mild taste that can be somewhat floral. The leaves/buds are very pale/”silvery” in color and produce a pale infusion. A good white tea will have fine white “hairs” covering its surface.
Green tea can be produced from any flush; however, it is typically produced from the third flush in India and, in areas of China that produce a lot of white tea, from the second flush on. Unlike white tea, the leaves may be twisted, rolled, or otherwise shaped during processing. They are also either roasted (most common in China) or steamed (most common in Japan) to dry them and stop them from oxidizing. There is a wide range of flavors and appearances with green tea. Many people think that green tea is “the best for them” because they read about a study that said (insert claim here). This is, in part, because green tea had the most health claims made about it before Western medicine started investigating tea. Scientists set out to test the folk medicine that thousands of years of Chinese and Japanese tea drinking had accumulated, but rarely did they attempt to compare the different types of tea. Don’t worry, though—green tea is still good for you. Plus, it tastes great.
Oolong has more processing than green tea. It is semi-oxidized. That is to say that a chemical reaction is allowed to occur before the tea is dried and the chemical reaction is halted. This reaction is encouraged by bruising of the tealeaves and multiple firings over a period of time. Oolongs range from very close to green (about 10% oxidized) to very near black (about 90% oxidized). They are capable of holding very complex, layered tastes and are excellent on their own.
Black tea is fully oxidized. The chemical reaction in it is not halted, but allowed to end on its own. After the oxidation is complete, the tea is fired to dry it and to prevent it from going bad. Black teas often have the most caffeine of true teas. Their flavor tends to be strong and earthy. Some black teas are smoked. Many black teas are flavored or served with milk and/or sugar. The color of the leaves is very dark brown to black and the color of the brew is a red-brown color. (In China and Japan, they refer to “black” tea as “red” tea for this reason. Rooibos drinkers may get very confused by this!) In the world of tea, black tea is a relative newcomer.
Pu-erh is cultured (with bacteria, like wine and cheese are cultured) after it has been fully oxidized. The process is shrouded in secrecy and often misunderstood. It is often formed into a brick, disc, or nest shape so a small piece must be sliced off to prepare a serving. The shaped pu-erhs can be aged like a fine wine (under the right conditions) to produce an incredibly complex tea. The taste is strong, earthy, and even a bit musky. It is served on its own and is considered to be a tea connoisseur’s tea. In China, where it is from, it is referred to as “Black tea” because its leaves and infusion are both very dark. Currently, the price of pu-erh (or pu’er) is going up due to an earthquake in the Yunnan region, where it is produced.
Other Classifications
Full Leaf and Broken Leaf
CTC and Orthodox
Bagged and Loose
Estates and Growing Regions
Vintage and Blend
Years
Shade-Grown
Organic and Organically-Grown
Free Trade
Tea grades are a common way of classifying tea, but you won’t hear many people market their tea by its grade unless it is high. “Full/whole leaf” tea is the highest, followed by “broken leaf,” then “dust” (small bits of broken tealeaves) and (last) “fannings” (tealeaves that have been broken into an undesirable, powdery state). Each of these grades has sub classifications based on the leaf size, batch uniformity, and presence or absence of “tips” (buds).
“CTC” and “Orthodox" are picking methods. They will sometimes be mentioned when discussing whole leaf teas. Orthodox picking is picking by hand. CTC stands for “cut, tear, curl,” and it is an automated method of tea picking. Only Orthodox production can produce full leaf teas.
People often split tea into categories of "bagged” and “loose.” For a long period of time, loose tea was infused with a method other than a bag and broken tealeaves, dust, and fannings were used for bagged tea. Because of this history, many people incorrectly use “loose” and “full leaf” tea as synonyms. There are many full leaf teas that are sold in bags. “Full leaf” and “whole leaf” are correct terms for this distinction.
Estates and growing regions are often mentioned in tea names. These may seem complicated at first, but they will come with time. A good way to learn about them is to find a tea you like and explore its region’s tastes. Once you are well versed in that region, move on to another. This is also a good way to develop a good palate.
Vintage and blend are terms that relate to where the tea is grown. If a tea has “vintage” in the name, it is all from the same estate and growing season. If it is a blend, it may contain leaves from different estates/regions. “Blend” is also used to describe a tea with non-tea elements (flowers, fruit, herbs, etc.). Blends tend to be (but are not always) made from lower grade/quality tea than vintage teas.
Sometimes the year is included in a tea’s name. In the case of white, green, Oolong, and black teas, this ensures a fresh tea. In the case of pu-erh, it lets you know how long it has been aged. (Older pu-erhs may be very valuable, but be careful; they are sometimes forgeries.)
Shade-grown is a term you’ll often hear with Japanese teas. It means that prior to harvest, the tealeaves are partially shaded from sunlight by mesh screens. The leaves are accustomed to full light and compensate for the change by producing more chlorophyll (to absorb more energy from the sunlight). When they do this, they get richer in color and flavor and higher in caffeine.
Organic means free of artificial pesticides and fertilizers. “Certified organic” means the farm has undergone a certification process. These processes are usually rigorous and expensive. “Organically grown” does not mean the farm is certified. “Biodynamic” is a step beyond organic. It means that the farm works with the environment around it to be sustainable and to have a minimal (negative) environmental impact. The first biodynamic tea estate in the world was Makaibari Estate in Darjeeling.
Free trade means that the workers were paid at least a set amount for their labor. It is only used in developing countries, so you will not see it applied to Japanese teas. There is some controversy over fair trade certification because the set wage per hour does not include fringe benefits or take into account individual countries’ economies, and because certification can be too expensive for small tea producers who treat their workers better than larger, certified estates.
Recommended Reading
How to Brew Tea
Water for Tea
Caffeine and Tea
Buying Tea By Weight
Infusion Methods
Storing Your Tea
Determining Tea Quality