White, Green, Oolong, Black

How the different kinds of teas are made

All teas start here

It is hard to believe, but all tea comes from essentially the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis, a tropical relative of the Camellia Japonica that might even grow in your garden. The differences between the well-over two thousand types of tea result from variations in the processing of the leaves after they are harvested. There are essentially four different methods of manufacturing tea that give us the four major categories: black, oolong, green and white.

All truly fine teas have in common that only the most aromatic, young, top two leaves and the unopened leaf bud are used. Up to 80,000 hand-plucked shoots are needed to produce one pound of top-grade tea. The production of tea is a labor-intensive process and every step is essential to achieve superior quality.

The following chart shows the different steps of production. Click on the teas within the chart or on the text links below to find out more about the individual teas.

White Tea

During the plucking, great care has to be given to the selection of the leaves. Usually only the youngest leaves, still covered with short white hair or down are used. The production of most varieties of white tea consists of only two steps: Steaming and drying (some white teas are very slightly fermented). The absence of withering, rolling and oxidation leaves the appearance of the leaves essentially unaltered. The white down of the unprocessed leaves is clearly visible and gives the final tea leaves their sliver-white appearance.

When infused, white tea has a pale yellow cup color and a delicate, fresh flavor. The two most popular white teas are the White Peony (also called "Pai Mu Tan" or "Bai Mudan") and the treasured Silver Needle.

Green Tea

The intent during the production of green tea is to preserve the healthy, natural and active substances of the fresh leaves so they may be released into the cup at the time of infusion.

After picking, the green leaves are spread out in the hot air to wither. Once they have become soft and pliable, they are traditionally pan-fried in woks. This prevents the leaves from oxidizing (usually called fermenting) as it occurs during the production of black tea. The subsequent rolling gives the leaves their style: twisted, curly or balled as well as increased durability. Rolling also helps to regulate the release of the natural substances and flavor during the steeping. In the final step, the leaves are dried by firing whereby the natural fragrances and flavors are stabilized; the leaves keep their green color.

The resulting green teas are high in nutrients and minerals; their health benefits are the subject of a great number of medical studies.

Oolong Tea (Semi-fermented)

Almost exclusively produced in China and Formosa (Taiwan), oolong teas fall between the unfermented green teas and the fully fermented black teas. They are processed to be full-bodied teas and are therefore made from larger, more mature leaves.

Immediately upon plucking, the leaves are spread out in direct sunlight to wither. Withering reduces the moisture content and softens the leaves. The leaves are then put into bamboo baskets and shaken briskly to bruise the leaf edges. In the next step, the leaves are spread out in the shade to dry. The process of shaking and spreading of the leaves is repeated numerous times. The bruised leaf edges begin to turn red through the oxidation process (fermentation) while the centers of the leaves remain green.

The amount of fermentation depends on the type of oolong and can vary from approximately 20% for a "green" oolong, to 60 % for a classic Formosa oolong. Once the desired level of fermentation is reached, the process must be stopped immediately. This is done by pan-firing the leaves at high temperatures, which produces a lower moisture content than is found in green tea, and ensures a longer shelf life for oolongs.

Black Tea (Red Tea)

Unlike green or oolong teas, black teas, during the production process, undergo a full oxidation (usually called fermentation) which causes the leaves to turn black and gives them their characteristic flavor.

After picking, the green leaves are spread out on tiers of racks to wither for about 12 to 18 hours. During the long withering process, the leaves lose most of their moisture, becoming soft and pliable so they can be rolled .
During the rolling, the membranes of the leaves are broken, allowing the juices and essential oils that give the tea its aroma to develop. After rolling, the leaves are brought into large, cool, humid rooms where they are spread in layers of about four inches high to oxidize. During the oxidation process, the leaf color darkens, and the initially bitter juices mellow. The characteristic flavors of black tea – ranging from flowery to fruity, nutty and spicy – begin to emerge. The oxidation process must be stopped at the point where the aroma and flavor have fully developed. This is done by firing the leaves in large ovens. The flavorful juices dry on the surface of the leaves and remain relatively stable until exposed to boiling water during infusion.

In the last step, the leaves must be sorted by size. During the production process, many tea leaves are broken or crushed so that the finished tea consists of full leaves, broken leaves and smaller particles (fannings). Since the necessary steeping time increases with the size of the leaf, the tea must be sorted into lots of equal leaf size.

Tea Glossary 

A handy list of some commonly used tea terms.