Tea Production

All tea is made from specific varieties of the Camellia Sinensis plant. The differences in type arise from the different methods of production.

There are six different varieties or types of tea – white, green, yellow, oolong, black and puerh.

“Herbal teas” carry the name of tea but are made from herbs and flowers other than Camellia sinensis, such as camomile or hibiscus. Strictly speaking, these are not tea at all.

The production techniques used for each type of tea give each type its characteristics

Picking

Withering

Heating/Firing

Rolling

Drying

Not all teas go through all of these processes but each can add distinctive tastes to the final product.

White teas undergo the simplest processing, they are simply picked and dried. At the other end of the scale, oolong teas undergo many stages of long and complex production, resulting in teas of incredible depth and flavour.