At first glance, the selection of different teas on sale in a gourmet teashop or at one of the large internet tea dealers looks overwhelming. There seem to be hundreds of different teas on the market. In fact, as Flick Adams explains in Dead as a Scone. All true teas come from a single plant. Its Latin name is Camellia sinensis. The tea plant is a tropical evergreen, with glossy dark-green leaves. There are three major botanical varieties — and lots of minor variations — of Camellia sinensis found in different parts of the world.
Teas, of course, will also taste different depending on soil, climate, the amount of sunlight-all the usual growing factors. Simply put, the taste of a cup of tea, its “brightness,” aroma, strength, and color will vary depending on its variety, the location it’s grown, the time of year it is picked and processed, the specific farming techniques used to grow the crop, how the leaves are harvested, and how the leaves are turned into finished tea. That’s why Camellia sinensis grown in Darjeeling tastes noticeably different than Camellia sinensis grown in Sri Lanka.
Processing plays a critical role in producing different kinds of tea. As Flick explains, “tea is manufactured in a simple five-step process:
- The topmost leaves and buds on the tea plant are picked by hand.
- The leaves are left to wither for up to 24 hours.
- The withered leaves are squeezed between metal rollers to blend the naturally occurring chemicals inside.
- The rolled leaves are allowed to oxidize in the open air for several hours.
- The oxidized leaves are heated to stop further oxidation and remove any remaining moisture.
Voila! Tea the way it’s been made for thousands of years.”
This approach to manufacturing tea-called the orthodox process-is often modified with the help of a “C-T-C” (crush-tear-curl) machine that replaces the rolling step. The tea leaves are literally crushed, torn, and curled into small leaf granules that brew into stronger flavored and colored tea. C-T-C processing reduces cost and has traditionally been used to manufacture lower quality teas, leaving the orthodox process for higher quality loose teas. However, many tea drinkers prefer faster-brewing, stronger-tasting C-T-C teas. Consequently, many fine teas are now C-T-C processed.
How the fourth step-oxidation-is performed determines whether black tea, green tea, or something in-between is produced:
- Black (Red) tea is made by fully oxidizing tea leaves. The action of enzymes inside the leaves darkens the color and gives the eventual brewed tea its familiar “tea taste.”
- Green tea is made by steaming the tea leaves before they are rolled. The heat destroys the enzymes, so that the leaves remain green throughout the rest of the process. Consequently, green tea has a leafier, more vegetal and herblike taste, than black tea.
- Oolong and Pouchong teas are partially oxidized-say for a third to half the time of a black tea-which results in a flavor that is often described as a combination of peaches and chestnuts.
About three-quarters of tea leaves harvested around the world are made into black tea. Most of the remaining leaves become green tea. Only two or three percent are processed to make Oolong and Pouchong tea.
Lapsang Souchong is smoke-flavored tea. The leaves are withered over pine fires, oxidized until they are almost completely black, then over burning pine. The pine smoke creates adds a distinctive smoky aroma and flavor that remains when the leaves are brewed.
The most unusual tea-manufacturing process produces Pu’erh tea. Green tea leaves are left slightly moist and stacked in a pile so that they can undergo the same kind of bacterial reaction that occurs in a compost heap. Finally the “fermented” tea leaves are aged-sometimes more than fifty years. The result is an “earthy” mold-like flavor that is definitely an acquired taste.
After the processed tea is dry, it’s sorted into different “grades” by passing the dried tea over a series of vibrating screens of different mesh sizes. Note that the grade is a measure of size, not quality. The four major grades of processed tea — in descending order of “particle” size — are leaf, broken leaf (often shortened to brokens), fannings, and dust. The smaller particle sizes brew more quickly than leaf teas and tend to produce stronger brews-because they have more exposed surface area than leaf and brokens grades. Most high-quality loose tea is graded leaf or broken leaf. Teabags typically contain fannings and dust.
Some black and green teas are further processed after drying to add flavoring derived from fruit, spice, or flowers. For example, adding oil of bergamot (an inedible citrus fruit) to black tea with creates Earl Gray tea. Flower flavored teas — e.g Jasmine and Rose teas — are typically flavored during the oxidation step to create a deeper flavor.
What about peppermint “tea,” chamomile “tea,” and the other beverages made from herbs and flowers. Flick Adams will have the last word: “It drives me bonkers when herbal infusions are called ‘tea.’ I wish we followed the French and called them tisanes.” She sighed. “I know it’s a losing battle.”