Do different teas come from different plants?
Tea, by definition, is a leaf that comes from the Camellia sinensis bush. It is then graded depending on the way it is processed, says James A. Kinsinger, Ph.D., corporate director of regulatory compliance of The Hain Celestial Group Inc. Only white tea comes from a different part of the plant than the others (the leaves at the branch tip, the tip of the bud and the leaves just below the bud), while green, black and oolong are made from the upper leaves. To achieve a variety of tastes, manufacturers carefully control whether, and for how long, the tea leaves are exposed to air, a process called fermentation. When fermentation is completely arrested, the tea stays “green” or yellowish brown. When fermentation time is long, the leaves darken and become “black” tea. Somewhere in between these two extremes, “oolong” tea is created. The more intense the fermentation or oxidation, the more intense and robust the flavor. Are herbal teas really teas? Hot-water infusions made from herbs are als
