Whats the difference between the different kinds of teas?
Similar to the way the thousands of different kinds of wines all come from grapes, the thousands of kinds of teas all come from the same plant, often called Camillia Sinensis. The differences in taste, color, shape and smell are a result of different soils, climates, harvesting and cultivation processes. The types of tea are basically broken down into White, Green, Oolong, Red, Scented and Pu’er, the biggest difference between them being the degree of ‘oxidation’ in the process, (oxidation is often incorrectly known as “fermentation”). Oxidation happens when the membranes in tea cells are broken down (by rolling, tumbling or tossing), mixing the cells’ polyphenols and the enzyme polyphenolase, which acts as a catalyst in oxidizing the polyphenols by oxygen. The leaf is bruised and darkens (like a banana), and starts to acquire unique flavors. The trick is to halt the oxidation process the perfect moment when the best flavors have been acquired. Green tea is not oxidized at all, whereas
