Camellia sinensis, is THE tea plant. All black, green, white and oolong tea comes from this one plant. It is a warm evergreen plant that is processed in many different ways, this changes the level of oxidation the plant receives. Those processes cause a natural chemical reaction that creates the different types of tea, their distinct taste and their caffeine levels.
Rooibos aka red bush tea is indigenous to Southern Africa, known for it’s vitamin C content and and a caffeine free tea option.
Mate is a plant from South America. Typically roasted before steeped. It contains several vitamins including A,E,B-complex and C. The plant also contains sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Green Tea is more common of the tea leaves is processed many different ways pending on the type of tea. Sun drying and pan frying are more traditional methods. Tumbling, oven drying and steaming are more modern techniques
Black tea is the most processed tea leaf. The process consists of: Fresh tea leaves → withering → rolled. Crushed or torn → oxidation → dried → sorted
Oolong tea is a tea leaf that is withered in the sun and oxidized, which gives the leaf a fermented taste. Some are rolled into long curly leaves, while others are curling and twisting into small beads.
White tea generally refers to young, minimally processed tea leaves. The process for this tea consists of: Fresh tea leaf → withering → drying (air drying, solar drying or mechanical drying) → white tea
