Question

Name the main varieties of tea and explain their main characteristics.

Answer 1

Different types of tea:

• White tea: It is rarest of all tea types. Delicate in flavour as well as colour, the tea has a subtle, slightly sweet flavour and a mellow creamy or nutty quality. White tea consists of the whitish buds of the tea plant. It is unfermented tea.
  
• Green tea: production process is similar to that of white tea. Starts with withering, followed by pan-frying or steaming to prevent fermentation. Scientific studies have shown that both green and black teas prevent cavities and gum disease, and increase the body’s antioxidant activity.
  
• Oolong tea: Most expensive and is a semi-fermented tea.
  
• Black tea: It is red brown in colour. It is completely fermented and this imparts its characteristic dark colour and also triples caffeine content.
  
• Pu-erh tea: It is fermented twice. That’s the reason why it gets soil flavour. It is usually taken for medicinal purposes. It is best known digestive aid.
  
• Flavoured tea contains additional flavours, from flowers and oils to herbs and spices.
  
• Blends are obtained by mixing of different types of tea often to achieve flavour consistency from one season to the next.