Black, green, white, red tea... It's not easy to find your way among all these varieties of plants that we appreciate so much.brew ! Discover the different types of tea : a quick overview to help you drink more clearly!
Black tea, the most popular
It is the most consumed in the world, and particularly in the West. Its dark color results from its process ofoxidation, longer than for green teas or white. This is what also gives it this particular and more pronounced aroma. All teas However, they do come from the same plant, the tea plant (or camellia sinensis). There are very many varieties of black tea.
Here are some examples:
• The tea from the Assam region, located in the northeast of India, not far from Bhutan. It is characterized by its powerful taste.
• The Ceylon black tea comes from Sri Lanka, since it is the old name of this small island. Its flavor is strong.
• The Darjeeling comes from the eponymous city and its region – West Bengal, India. Cultivated on the slopes of the Himalayas, it offers fresh and vegetal aromatic notes.
• The Yunnan black tea comes to us from southwest China. It is cultivated at 2,500 meters above sea level. Its bitterness is subtle and its notes offer discreet accents of damp earth.
Green tea, the most Asian
For its part, the green tea undergoes fewer transformations than the black tea, since it is only partially oxidized. The tea is quickly heated to 100°C, which destroys the enzymes responsible for oxidation. The leaves are then rolled into the shape of sticks, balls or twists. And for conservation, they are finally dried. The green tea can come in many forms and come from various regions.
• The genmaicha is a Japanese green tea decorated with toasted and puffed rice grains with hints of hazelnut. Nicknamed Popcorn Tea, this green tea is emblematic of Japan.
The history of Genmaicha green tea
According to legend, a samurai had the head of his servant, Genmai, cut off, angry that the latter had spilled rice in his mouth. tea. But after tasting this beverage, realizing its unique and delicious flavor, he named it “Genmai-cha”, in honor of his servant (“cha” meaning “ tea » in Japanese).
• The gunpowder is a green tea from China, from Zhejiang province. It is easily recognizable by its leaves: rolled into balls, they look like gunpowder. Quickly exported to the Maghreb, it is found in the preparation of Moroccan green tea.
• The sencha is the most drunk tea in Japan. It is also considered the drink of hospitality! Its leaves are long and flat. Its infusion, for its part, is clear and very refreshing.
• The matcha is a green tea reduced to powder, of which we taste the substance itself: it is the only tea of which the entire leaf is absorbed by water. It is used more and more in cooking, particularly to flavor pastries.
White tea, rare and delicate
The characteristics of white tea leaves are closest to those of freshly picked leaves (it only undergoes two stages of transformation: it is withered in the open air and dried). Unlike the green tea, so it is not rolled. The white tea is also characterized by long shoots sometimes covered with light down. So that it releases all its delicacy, this precious tea must follow a strict preparation method. Each white tea has its particularities, but in general, it requires a brew 5 to 10 minutes. Mineral spring water must be brought to between 30 and 75°C. No more. The white tea thus preserves its good vitamins and its unique taste. Did you know? The most fervent drink it in a gaiwan (or zhōng), a Chinese porcelain cup with a lid.
Yellow tea, aka imperial tea
The yellow tea grows on Juan Shan Island in Dong Ting Lake. It also grows on Mount Meng in Sichuan province. Produced in small quantities, it is valuable on the market. Its rarity is such that the Chinese associated it with yellow, the color of the emperor. How the imperial tea is he prepared? The buds and the first leaf are harvested. Roasting is then carried out in a wok, stewing under straw. The harvest then goes through a phase of fermentation for about twenty hours. Then they are rolled and dried in the oven. Let's move on to the preparation. The yellow tea should be infused for 4 to 5 minutes in a water at 70-80°C. It can then be poured into a cup, or into a gaiwan (exactly, as for the white tea !). Then it’s time to enjoy this tea rich in antioxidants and low in tannin. A real treat for the palate and stomach!
Mate, the “boost” drink
The mate (or yerba mate) is a South American plant of the holly family. Also called “ Jesuit Tea », this stimulating drink (it contains a substance similar to theine) is traditionally consumed in a gourd using a bombilla (a kind of straw). The yerba mate is characterized by a vegetable flavor slightly bitter. The green leaves also go through several stages of preparation before being consumed: they are exposed to high heat to deactivate their enzymes, then are dried and lightly roasted. Then they are reserved for maturation (a minimum of one year in Paraguay and Argentina) then crushed.
Rooibos or “red tea”
This is a fine needle bush from the acacia family, native to South Africa. Nicknamed “red tea”, its sweet and round flavor has nothing in common with that of tea. The rooibosdoes not containno theine, which allows it to be enjoyed throughout the day. After the harvest, the rooibos is chopped, moistened, compressed, oxidized, dried and then bagged so you can brew it. Quite a program!
Pink tea, with hibiscus flowers
The hibiscus flowers can also be infused, once dried. Hibiscus sabdariffa, otherwise known as “Abyssinian rose tea”, is a shrub native to West Africa. Appreciated throughout the world, it also grows in countries such as Egypt and Mexico, where it is called “flor de Jamaica”. In a pretty pink color, devoid of theine, this is thefavorite infusion of the whole family. To consume at any time of the day.
Black tea, green tea, white tea, yellow tea, red tea, pink tea or mate…You just have to choose. Either way, it will be a good choice!