Tea is a product that has been consumed since humans have been on Earth.
It is a universally loved product which is consumed by millions of people every single day, and it is the most consumed beverage in the entire world.
There are a huge variety of different types of tea, and each of them has a different and unique taste, with differing benefits too. It is well known that tea provides numerous health benefits, and is a good thing to add to your daily health routine to keep you well. Tea comes from tea leaves, which are ground up and placed in boiling water in order for it to seep out into the water, to be consumed.
This is usually done by placing the ground tea leaves into the boiling water directly, or through the use of a tea bag which keeps the leaves in place while allowing it to seep out into the water surrounding it
Different types of tea have their own tastes and benefits, and are often used situationally, if not for the taste.
Here are some different types of tea and their various benefits:
Black Tea
Black tea is derived from the plant species Camellia Sinensis. Its leaves are crushed, rolled, curled or even torn and then oxidized for a while before being dried and then sold. The black tea taste and colour comes from the full oxidization of the leaves, and while the oxidization process actually decreases the flavonoid content of the leaves a bit, it is still packed with beneficial properties. Black tea is the most consumed tea in America, and is usually sold in a blend of different leaves, in order to create a different flavor profile. Furthermore, place where it was grown and what season it was in will also determine the flavor profile. Generally, black tea is produced in Sri Lanka, China, India or Nepal. There are many different types of black tea, each with a different flavor profile.
Different Types of Black Tea:
Ceylon Black Tea – Bold flavor with a side of chocolate and spice
Earl Grey – Black tea with either Bergamot, citrus or both
English Breakfast – Full bodied, tastes somewhat like Ceylon Black Tea
Irish Breakfast – A somewhat red colour and a maltish flavor profile
Kenyan Black Tea – A dark and somewhat astringent profile
Yunnan Black Tea – Hints of chocolate, malt and spice
There are also organic tea available at Tea and I such us Black Forest Bloom.
The Benefits of Black Tea
The benefits of tea, and black tea in general, is still considered to be ongoing, however it is well known to provide numerous health benefits.
Some of these include the supporting of heart health and to provide antioxidants, which help to support the body’s protection against damaging free radicals which are left unchecked.
Green Tea
Green Tea is one of the most well-known teas available, similar to black tea.
Green tea is extracted from the freshly leaves or withered leaves, which have been slightly heated or steamed from the Camellia Sinensis plant. What this does is stop the oxidization process, and in doing so it can account for the flavor profile of the Green Tea. This flavor profile has often been described as being fresh, light and somewhat grassy. Different types of green tea can offer different flavor profiles, which range from being fruity, nutty to somewhat similar to seaweed. These different flavor profiles are usually explained by the location of the leaves and the season, and how it was specifically processed.
Different Types of Green Tea include:
Genmaicha – A Japanese variant, uses puffed rice or sorghum to create a ‘toasted’ flavor profile.
Laoshan – Creamy and smooth, and sometimes with a sweet and buttery flavor profile
Longjing or Dragon Well – A type of Chinese tea which is hand roasted and has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor profile
Matcha tea – A well-known type of Green Tea, it has a savoury and creamy, sometimes bittersweet flavor profile
Benefits of Green Tea
Green Tea is one of the most researched types of tea available, and the research has resulted in overwhelmingly positive outcomes. Some of these benefits include the supporting of heart health, supporting mental alertness and acuity (due to its caffeine content), help supporting the body’s natural protection against oxidative related stress and it can help to support fasting, a popular technique being used by many these days.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is also known as “black dragon, and is a somewhat oxidized tea which is consistently produced as a whole leaf tea. The level of oxidization of the tea can vary greatly, and thus the flavor profile, color and aroma of the tea does too. The more the tea is oxidized, the darker it is, the less it is, the lighter it is.
Different Types of Oolong Tea:
Bai Hao or White Tip – Has a fruity and crisp flavor profile
Da Hong Pao or Red Robe – Has an oxidized and rich flavor profile
Feng Huang Dan Cong – Has a sweeter and more of a floral type of flavor profile
Tie Guan Yin or Iron Goddess – Has a fruity and sweet flavor profile
Benefits of Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is less widely popular as the other previously mentioned teas, however it is very popular in parts of Asia. Regardless, it is packed with many benefits including antioxidant compounds such as theaflavins, ECCG and thearubigins. These compounds are used in order to support the protection within the body against damaging free radicals and oxidative stress. It also supports heart health and brain health.
White Tea
White Tea is made from the young leaves and new buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant, and it has one of the more delicate flavor profiles of all the previously mentioned types of tea. The leaves are steamed or fried in order to halt the oxidization process and then the leaves are dried. This leads to a light and fruity flavor profile.
Different Types of White Tea:
Bai Hao Yin Zhen – A rare tea only made from the buds of the plant, it has a floral smell and a sweet flavor profile
Darjeeling White Tea – Grown in India and less expensive than other forms of White Tea grown in Yunnan
Gong Mei or Tribute Eyebrow – Comes from more mature leaves from the plant and has a rich and earthy flavor profile, compared to other types of White Tea.
Bai Mu Dan or White Pheony – A somewhat stronger flavor profile than Bai Hai Yin Zhen (Silver Needle), as it includes younger leaves in combination with the buds
Benefits of White Tea
Minimally processed, it has plenty of benefits in it.
These include antioxidant properties, support for the body’s response to inflammation, support for dental health and support for brain health.
In summary, there are a variety of different teas available on the market, and they all have their own look, scent, flavor profile and benefits that come with it. This is largely dependent on how it is made, when and where it is made and how it is processed. It is important to research the different types of tea to see which one is right for you, as they are all different and provide a range of different aspects with them each.
