An ancient beverage with a rich history, tea is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. According to legend, Shannon, a Chinese mythological ruler, found it by chance when the leaves fell from a plant near the water where he brewed tea.
Tea has been used for thousands of years thanks to its nutritional benefits, including antioxidant properties that can help boost the immune system. It has become an integral part of cultural rituals and is loved for its taste as well as its medicinal properties. Tea is now a $10 billion industry in the United States and a $38.8 billion industry worldwide.
Although there are many different types of tea, they all come from five main classifications: black, green, white, oolong, and pu-erh. According to the tea news agency Fresh Tea, the variety depends on how the leaves are treated after picking. Let’s take a look at the popular varieties of tea below.
Darjeeling: This is a black tea with a light, nutty flavor and floral aroma. It is lighter than other types of black tea.
Earl Grey: Another black tea, Earl Gray gets its flavor from the addition of bergamot, an orange extract.
Oolong: Popular varieties of oolong include Da Hong Pao, Dong Din, Tieguanin, Baojun, and Jin Xua. Oolong is semi-oxidized, so it is somewhere between green and black tea in terms of strength.
Silver Needle Tea: This is the most expensive white tea in the world. It was a favorite among various Chinese dynasties.
Assam: While many teas originate from China, Assam is a black tea that originates from Assam, India. It has a full flavor and a sharp taste.
English Breakfast Tea: This is a traditional blend of black tea from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It’s relatively high in caffeine, so it’s energizing and energizing.
Masala chai: Hindi word for chai chai. Masala tea recipes vary, but generally, the tea is made from Assam or other black tea mixed with cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, cloves, fennel, ginger, and pepper. Tea is mixed with milk and brewed creamy and spicy.
Matcha: This is a traditional Japanese green tea powder made by grinding green tea leaves. The flavor is stronger than other green tea brews because the powder is mixed with water rather than concentrated.
Bubble Tea: Bubble tea originated in Taiwan. It is mixed with black tea or matcha milk and tapioca balls and served over ice.
Pu-erh: A unique type of fermented black tea traditionally made in China’s Yunnan Province. Pu-erh can be left to age to help mellow out the flavor.
