The 5 types of tea, their origin and their properties

Tea is that delicious drink that we can drink at any time of the day, hot or cold, alone at home or to accompany a good chat with friends; which also offers us different flavors, aromas and presentations, since there are several types of tea and blends of them to never tire of taking it.

The most popular are black tea or green tea, but there are many varieties of tea with multiple benefits and properties. So we show you the 5 main types of tea that exist, essential to understand the large number of mixtures that you can prepare when having tea.

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What is tea

Tea is a traditional drink with a lot of history on its way, very desired by Asian cultures or by the English at the time (hence there is even a kind of tea called English tea). Today, it is more present than ever in our lives. In fact, tea is the second most popular beverage after water.

It is a drink that is made from the leaves of the tea tree, more specifically, the Camellia sinensis plant, a shrub native to Southeast Asia.

The leaves, regardless of the type of tea they are, are characterized by their contribution of stimulants such as caffeine and theine, and antioxidants such as catechin and isoflavones. These leaves are simply infused and the tea is ready to drink after a few minutes.

The origin of tea as a drink

As we tell you, the tea plant is native to East and South Asia. Those who have studied the origins and trajectory of tea consider that it began to be taken in the second millennium BC. C. in China by the Shang dynasty, but its consumption was limited to the medicinal use of the plant. Some time later it began to be taken as a stimulating drink and later it became part of the lifestyle of the people.

Many years later, tea reached the European territory, more specifically in the 16th century, thanks to the trade routes of the time between Portugal and China. At this time it became especially popular in the United Kingdom, which caused them to start cultivating the plant and produce the tea in one of its colonies, India, to stop depending on the supply Chinese.

Today both China and the UK are the main producers of the different types of tea.

How tea is produced

The different types of pass you by a similar production process consisting of 5 phases. It begins with the collection of the tea leaves that are removed from the plant so that they wilt, which is the second phase. When they are wilted, the leaves are shaped by rolling them up and when they are ready, they are left in the air to rust. Finally we let the leaves dry and that's it.

Now, how we intervene in this process and the times that we give to each phase the different varieties of tea arise and depending on each plant different types of tea arise, of course. The taste and aroma of the tea may vary between intense and bitter flavors, strong colors, fruity, perfumed flavors, soft colors and more subtle flavors.

The 5 types of tea and their properties

The globalization process has allowed different types of tea to reach us from all over the world in its variety of aromas, colors and flavors, and all of them are part of our lifestyle. To such an extent that new brands and different blends are emerging every time that can confuse us a bit when choosing which tea we want to drink.

The most fundamental thing is to know the 5 types of tea from which mixtures can be made, so that you can decide on the one you like the most, either for its flavor, aroma or properties. Remember that in general, the types of tea vary in their oxidation process.

1. Black tea

Black tea is the classic tea of ​​the English and it is characterized because it has a much longer oxidation process than that of other types of tea, hence its intense color, aroma and flavor. You can take it just with water or you can add milk and sugar, as in the English tradition. If you let it steep for 3 minutes, your cup of black tea will give you 40 mg of caffeine on average.

There are many varieties of this tea, such as the popular English Breakfast Y Earl gray in all its nuances, as fruit mixes come in handy. In any case, this was the most popular tea until a few years agoAfter the Chinese trade opening and the most current green tea boom, we know more about the other types of tea on a daily basis.

2. Green Tea

Unlike black tea, this type of tea is achieved with minimal oxidation of the leaves and that is why its level of caffeine is lower and its color, aroma and flavor much milder. Green tea remains the most popular tea in East Asia, in countries like China, Japan and in Tibet. Of course, they consume different varieties that curiously are achieved from the way in which they roll the leaves after they slightly wither.

Green tea has become popular in the West for its properties to help you lose weight, as it is said to have a diuretic effect, because it helps reduce fat deposits in the liver and is also known as one of the best natural antioxidants.

When you prepare this type of tea in any of its varieties, try to heat the water but not boil, so you will better preserve its flavor and properties.

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3. Red tea or Pu-erh

Another type of tea that is obtained from the plant Camellia sinensis and that it has a long production process, as it undergoes a fermentation process that can last between a few months and even decades. As in wine, red tea improves according to the fermentation time and that is why it can be a bit more expensive on some occasions.

Pu-erh has a deep red color, so some confuse it with black tea, but keep in mind that black tea is not allowed to ferment and this is a fundamental difference. Its flavor is very particular and different from other types of tea and contains little caffeine.

4. White tea

White tea is a very mild type of tea, with a very subtle but delicious aroma and flavor. Some call it the tea of ​​youth for its antioxidant content and because it is a young tea. This means that to produce it, the youngest tea leaves are taken, specifically the most tender buds of the first tea leaves, and it is dried very quickly to avoid fermentation.

Its color is quite light and you may even see small hairs in the infusion, which are the fluff from the yolk. Being made from young leaves, white tea is another type of tea that can be a bit more expensive than the others.

5. Blue or Oolong tea

Oolong, which translates to black dragon, is a tea that has an oxidation process that sits right in the middle between intense black tea and subtle white tea. Its flavor and aroma have very sweet floral and fruity touches. and soft and somewhat marine when mixed with seaweed.

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