The etymology of the various tea terms mirrors the historical diffusion of tea culture and trade from China to different nations worldwide. The majority of globally used tea-related vocabulary can be classified into three primary groups: "te", "cha", and "chai", which manifest in English as "tea", "cha" or "char", and "chai."
Definition
Tea is a flavorful beverage created by steeping cured or fresh leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in hot or boiling water. It is widely believed to have originated in southwestern China and northern Myanmar. In addition to Camellia sinensis, tea is at times brewed from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. Following plain water, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage worldwide. There exist numerous varieties of tea, each possessing its own unique flavor profiles. Some display a refreshing, slightly bitter, and astringent taste, while others may feature sweet, nutty, floral or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect on humans, largely due to its caffeine content.
The earliest reliable evidence of tea consumption dates back to the third century AD, as documented in a medical manuscript authored by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It gained popularity as a leisurely beverage during the Chinese Tang dynasty before spreading to other East Asian nations. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the Britain popularized tea drinking and initiated extensive tea cultivation in British India.
The term "herbal tea" pertains to beverages that are not derived from Camellia sinensis. They are mixtures of fruit, leaves or other plant parts, such as rosehip, chamomile or rooibos, and may be referred to as tisanes to avoid confusion with tea made from the tea plant.
Tea Manufacture
Tea production encompasses the conversion of leaves from the Camellia sinensis tea plant into dried leaves suitable for tea brewing. The types of tea are differentiated based on the specific production processes they undergo, which involve varying levels of oxidation, halting oxidation, shaping the tea, and then drying it. The inherent flavor of the dried tea leaves is influenced by the tea bush cultivar, the quality of the picked leaves and the specific production processes they undergo. Following production, tea may be combined with other varieties or infused with flavorings to modify the ultimate tea flavor.
Tea production commonly involves two primary methods: CTC and orthodox. In the CTC method, the crush, tear and curl process is employed, where withered green leaves are passed between two rollers rotating in opposite directions, resulting in fine "cut dhool" particles. On the other hand, in orthodox production, withered leaves are rolled on specially designed rollers, which twist and crush the leaves, yielding teas with superior flavor and aroma.
- CTC Manufacture: CTC production typically results in a deep red-brown color when boiled using the Indian method. However, one drawback of the CTC method is its tendency, both inherent and unfortunately through adulteration, to standardize all flavors of black tea. The crushing, tearing, and pelletizing of the tea leaves cause pressures and stresses that break down the cells, releasing large amounts of phytins that normally oxidize to create the mahogany color of black tea. Dry CTC teas, regardless of their origin, have a generic tea-like aroma and a similar pelletized appearance, making it easy to adulterate a more expensive CTC-type tea with cheaper and generally milder lowland teas of the same process. On the contrary, whole and broken leaf teas display a wide range of appearances, making adulteration more challenging.
- Orthodox Manufacture: Orthodox tea production prioritizes preserving the distinct qualities of the leaves, resulting in fermented tea leaves. Each batch of plucked leaves undergoes specific withering, rolling and oxidation processes, determined by skilled tea professionals to bring out the best flavors. The rolling and handling of the leaves require great care as they are fragile and susceptible to adulteration and damage. Orthodox tea provides the most authentic tea experience. Black, green, white, or oolong tea are renowned for their flavor complexity and delicate qualities, making them highly prized in the global tea market.
Tea Categories
All "true" teas come from the camellia sinensis tea plant, which includes black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, Pu’er tea, and purple tea. Each type acquires its distinctive characteristics through different harvesting and processing methods, such as steaming or pan-firing. Generally, tea is classified based on its processing method, resulting in the production of at least five different types.
- Black Tea:Also known as red tea in various East Asian languages, black tea undergoes a higher level of oxidation, resulting in a stronger flavor compared to other types of tea. Originating in China, black tea is widely consumed and harvested in East and Southeast Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.
- Green Tea:Green tea does not undergo the same withering and oxidation process as black tea. There are several varieties of green tea, each differing substantially based on the type of tea plant used, growing conditions, horticultural methods, production processing, and time of harvest.
- Oolong Tea:Oolong tea is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation can range from 8% to 85% depending on the variety and production style. Oolong tea is especially popular in southeastern China and among ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia.
- White Tea:White tea encompasses several styles of tea that generally feature young or minimally processed leaves. There is currently no universally accepted definition of white tea, with some sources referring to it as merely dried with no additional processing, and others as tea made from buds and immature tea leaves that are not rolled or oxidized, resulting in a lighter flavor than most green or traditional black teas.
- Pu'er:Pu'er is a fermented tea variety traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. In the context of traditional Chinese tea production terminology, fermentation refers to microbial fermentation applied after the tea leaves have been dried and rolled. As the tea undergoes controlled microbial fermentation, it also continues to oxidize until the desired flavors are reached. There are two main styles of Pu'er production: raw Pu'er, which undergoes a traditional, longer production process, and ripe Pu'er, which undergoes a modern, accelerated production process.
Tea Grading
Tea leaf grading in the tea industry is focused on the assessment of products based on the quality and condition of the tea leaves themselves. The top grades for Western and South Asian teas are referred to as "orange pekoe", while the lowest are known as "fannings" or "dust". Pekoe tea grades are further divided into various qualities, determined by the number of adjacent young leaves (two, one or none) picked along with the leaf buds. The highest quality pekoe grades consist only of the leaf buds, which are meticulously picked using fingertips to avoid bruising. Specific grades of leaf are better suited to particular types of tea; for instance, most white tea is processed from the buds or shoots of the tea plant.
When crushed to make bagged teas, the tea is described as "broken", such as "broken orange pekoe" ("BOP"). These lower grades include fannings and dust, which are tiny remnants created in the sorting and crushing processes. Orange pekoe is abbreviated as "OP", and the grading scheme also encompasses categories higher than OP, primarily determined by leaf wholeness and size. Broken, fannings and dust orthodox teas have slightly different grades, and CTC teas, consisting of leaves mechanically rendered to uniform fannings, have yet another grading system.
1. Whole Leaf Grades
OP(Orange Pekoe): Main grade, consisting of long wiry leaves without tips.
OPS(Orange Pekoe Superior): Primarily from Indonesia, similar to OP.
FOP(Flowery Orange Pekoe): High quality tea, characterized by long leaves and few tips. It is considered the second grade in Assam, Dooars, and Bangladesh teas. Due to variations in tea picking methods and grading, there is no direct equivalent to most appellation-specific grades in China.
GFOP(Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe): Higher proportion of tip than FOP. Top grade in the Milima and Marinyn regions, but uncommon in Assam and Darjeeling.
TGFOP(Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe): The highest proportion of tip, and the main grade in Nepal , Darjeeling and Assam.
FTGFOP(Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe): Highest quality grade.
FTGFOP1STGFOPSFTGFOP(Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe): Limited to only the highest quality leaves in the FTGFOP classification.
2. Broken Leaf Grades
BT(Broken Tea): Usually a black, open, fleshy leaf that is very bulky. This classification is used in Sumatra, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and some parts of Southern India.
BP(Broken Pekoe): The most common broken pekoe grade; from Indonesia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Assam and Southern India.
BPS(Broken Pekoe Souchong): Term for broken pekoe in the Assam and Darjeeling regions.
FP(Flowery Pekoe): High-quality pekoe. Usually coarser with a fleshier, broken leaf. Produced in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Southern India, as well as in some parts of Kenya.
BOP(Broken Orange Pekoe): Main broken grade. Prevalent in Assam, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Southern India, Java, and China.
FBOP(Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe): Coarser and broken with some tips. From Assam, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Indonesia, China, and Bangladesh. In South America, coarser, black broken.
FBOPF(Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings): The finest broken orange pekoe, with a higher proportion of tips; mainly from Ceylon's "low districts".
GBOP(Golden Broken Orange Pekoe): Second grade tea with uneven leaves and few tips.
GFBOP1(Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1): As above, but with only the highest quality leaves in the GFBOP classification.
TGFBOP1(Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe 1): High-quality leaves with a high proportion of tips; finest broken First Grade Leaves in Darjeeling and some parts of Assam.
3. Fannings Grades
PF(Pekoe Fannings)
OF(Orange Fannings): From northern India and some parts of Africa and South America as well as Nepal.
FOF(Flowery Orange Fannings): Common in Assam, Dooars, Nepal and Bangladesh. Some leaf sizes come close to the smaller broken grades.
GFOF(Golden Flowery Orange Fannings): Finest grade in Darjeeling for tea bag production.
TGFOF(Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Fannings)
BOPF(Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings): Main grade in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Southern India, Kenya, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and China. Black-leaf tea with few added ingredients, uniform particle size, and no tips.
4. Dust Grades
D1(Dust 1): From Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, Africa, South America, Southern India, and Bangladesh.
PD(Pekoe Dust)
PD1(Pekoe Dust 1): Mainly produced in India.
Loose Leaf, Tea Bags and Tea Cakes
Tea bags are typically made from tea dust, small particles of low-grade tea that are cost-effective and readily accessible. In contrast, loose leaf tea is crafted from whole tea leaves, which boast a significantly higher quality and yield a cup with a much more intricate flavor profile. Tea cake is made from compressed tea usually shaped into a flat disc or a square. Tea cakes are convenient for storage and transportation and can also develop different flavors through aging.
Overall, loose leaf tea tends to offer a much more robust flavor than tea bags. Full leaf teas are often complex and nuanced, and even robust, strong teas such as breakfast blends exhibit a fuller depth of flavor. But tea cake offers a stronger taste than loose leaf tea because in the process of storage, the moisture would fade. In comparison, tea bags can appear bland. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying tea brewed from tea bags, if you have a passion for tea, it is likely that you will derive even more satisfaction from loose leaf tea and tea cakes.
Most tea bags are tightly packed, allowing minimal space for the tea to expand and release its flavor as it steeps. On the other hand, loose leaf teas, when properly prepared, have ample room to expand, resulting in a delightful, flavorful cup. Due to their higher quality tea leaves, loose leaf teas typically require a bit more time to brew, but it is a delight to observe the leaves slowly unfurl. Tea cakes are usually compressed. The tighter a tea is compressed, the slower it will age. The more aged tea cakes tend to offer a stronger flavor.
One of the primary advantages of using tea bags instead of loose leaf tea is that they are easier to prepare. When making a cup of tea using a tea bag, all you really need is some hot water and a cup. However, it is relatively simple to prepare loose leaf tea as well. In addition to hot water and a cup, you just need an item to infuse your tea leaves in, such as a tea infuser, teapot or even a paper tea filter. On the contrary, tea cakes are not so convenient to prepare since they need to be cut into small pieces.