Tea, In Three Courses (Course 3)

In Course 1, we talked about the origin of tea, the history of afternoon tea, and a brief discussion of some of the varieties of tea. In Course 2, we examined afternoon tea, a ritual that is a meal and an experience, all in one. Now let’s talk about the tea, the plant, and the various options.

Classic black tea, camellia sinensis, may have had humble beginnings by falling into a cup of hot water, but today the varieties and options can be eye-wateringly confusing. You may, for example, go to afternoon tea and be presented with a menu of available teas of every name and type, each complete with a description of the attributes of the tea. They use words like “smoky,” “robust,” “single source,” “first flush,” “flowery,” “layered,” and then names like Darjeeling, Assam, Pu-er, Yo Luo, or some estate name. What does all that mean?

In the beginning, tea was grown in China. It spread to India, then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and now is grown in many places in the world. In one episode of the original series Downton Abbey, Lady Mary asks a visitor if they would like tea, and when the answer was “Yes, thank you,” she asked, “China or India?” Very simple. Would you prefer tea from China or India? Today it is much more complex that just “China or India.”

There isn’t enough room here to go into all the options today, but some of the more simple ones you may see on the tearoom menu are:

• English Breakfast, which is a strong black tea, will be just a shade lighter than coffee in the cup when brewed properly. It is mostly Assam, so if you don’t see breakfast listed in the tea selections available, take Assam and you’ll be happy. English Breakfast is an example of a “robust” tea.
• Assam is grown in a region of India named Assam, and can be any of several plantations there. Assam is more robust than Darjeeling.
• Darjeeling is a region in India that produces exceptional tea and Darjeeling is generally considered the “champagne” of tea. It is a bit lighter in color and less strong in flavor than Assam or Breakfast. I would describe it as a more “delicate” tea.
• “Single source” means the tea all came from one plantation, named or not. “First Flush” is a reference to the first time of seasonal picking of the leaves, occurring as early as February. Aficionados can prefer First Flush because the leaves are more delicate and tender than those produced in the following flushes. This difference is due to the fact that the plant is just reviving from the winter dormant season and the leaves are smaller than later in the year.
• Various “estate” teas may be grown exclusively on one plantation. Names vary, but some popular ones are Mim Estate in Darjeeling, Nilgiri in Assam, Kenilworth in Sri Lanka, and Tregothnan in Cornwall, England.
• Non-tea teas, sometimes referred to as “herbal” or “tisane.” These can include anything that is NOT camellia sinensis, for example, Rooibos, which is a tea brewed from the leaves of a plant grown in South Africa. Rooibos literally means “red bush” and you sometimes see “red” or “redbush” tea listed. Rooibos is naturally decaffeinated and brews to a red color in the cup rather than the brown of camellia sinensis. Because it isn’t camellia sinenses, technically it’s not “tea” but an “infusion” or “tisane.” Don’t let that put you off, it’s a delightful tea, official or not.
• Green tea and white tea are camellia sinenses, but the process to produce them is different than the traditional black teas.
• Herbals can be flowers, herbs, or just about anything that produces a nice flavor when immersed in hot water. Most are naturally decaffeinated.

From l-to-r, Black tea, Oolong tea, Green tea, White tea, Rooibos. Teas courtesy of TeaForAllReasons.com. Click the image to visit TeaForAllReasons. Image copyright 2023, EnglandForAllReasons.com.

So, what does it mean that tea is prepared differently? What is the difference between black, green, and white tea?

• Black tea is picked, dried, then wilted, and fully oxidized, and sometimes crushed. The oxidation process occurs as soon as the leaf is picked and is triggered by enzymes in the leaf that causes the leaves to turn progressively darker as the chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. The oxidation process is stopped by heating and drying the leaf, breaking down the enzyme.
• Oolong tea is picked, wilted, bruised (not crushed), and partially oxidized.
• Green tea is picked and dried, but not wilted or oxidized. Some green tea is allowed to partially ferment, in which case it may be called “Pu-er.”
• White tea is picked and wilted but totally unoxidized.

So, in a nutshell, all those varieties are actually C. Sinensis, the same plant, just treated differently after picking. And each process creates a slightly different flavor in the brewed tea. In addition, various additives can be blended with the leaves to add flavors. Earl Grey, for example, has bergamot added for the aroma and taste. Other additions can include ginger, cloves, mint, cardamom, vanilla, and spearmint, or various dried fruit, nuts, even coffee beans. The varieties are endless!

Tea also absorbs odors readily, so additional flavors can be added by placing it in proximity to an aromatic ingredient to absorb the aroma. Jasmine tea is made that way.

Now you are ready to read that menu in the tearoom and make an informed choice! Have fun, enjoy the conversation, food, and beverage!

Top image by Fonthip Ward from Pixabay.