What is the difference between green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong and puer?
All these types of tea, as well as white tea and puer (pu-er, pu-erh) tea, all come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. The difference lies in when they are picked and how they are prepared. Very basically, green tea is generally picked in spring, and uses the best new tips and buds of the plant. White tea is similar, but black tea uses more mature leaves from further down the plant. Unlike green tea, black tea (as well as puer) is fermented (which means oxidised – exposed to the air at a critical time in production), which produces a dark, robust tea. Puer is then aged, usually after being pressed into a cake or brick. Oolong is made with larger leaves, partially fermented to produce a distinctive aroma and taste.
