A HANDBOOK ON TEA MIXOLOGY
types of tea There are 4 types of tea: black, Oolong, green and white. In addition to this you also find what we call infusions.
BLACK TEA To make black tea the tea leaves are first withered, then rolled or tumbled to bruise the leaves in order to release enzymes. Fermentation or oxidation occurs throughout the rolling process, turning the leaves from green to coppery red. Finally the leaves are fired at 90 – 120°C which ends the fermentation. The terroir of tea, or where it is grown, affects its taste and personality creating a wide variety of black teas.
GREEN TEA Although synonymous with Japan because of its popularity with the Japanese, green tea’s origins can be traced back to China. It is made from handpicked leaves which are withered for 8 – 24 hours so that most of the water is evaporated. The leaves are then steamed or pan-fried to prevent oxidation and the leaves rolled up in various ways with differing tightness before undergoing a final drying. Since green tea is unfermented it retains its green appearance.
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