Your Cup of Tea: The Tea Leaf
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Tea, which is the second most popular beverage in the world, is made by steeping a tea leaf, or more often, a group of processed tea leaves in hot water. People enjoy teas of all types and the process by which they use the tea leaf to make their tasty beverage varies depending upon the region or simply even on the drinker themselves, for that matter.
The story of each tea leaf, though, and its journey to become tea is dependant on the region from which it came, as well as the type of plant from which it was derived and the manner in which the tea leaf itself was processed. Based on these criteria, the tea leaf is manufactured and presented for the public to enjoy.
The Region of Origin
The tea leaf has traditionally been grown and cultivated in various regions of Asia, and many of these areas suit the growth of the tea leaves perfectly due to their rainy and warm summer months, tropical conditions and higher altitudes, which typically suit the growth of the tea leaf best.
Some of the more specific regions which cater to prominent tea leaf growth are: China, Taiwan, Japan, and Nepal, as well as a variety of other areas with similar conditions and climate. However, the tea leaf is also able to and has, especially in recent years, been able to grown mainstream and for that of consumer use in regions around the United States and other non-Asian countries.
Types of Teas
There are four distinctive types of true teas, based not specifically on what type of plant the tea leaf is plucked from, but rather determined through the process by which the leaves are conditioned, and these are: green, black, white, and oolong. However, subtleties in flavor are often determined by the types of plant from which the tea leaf was selected. For instance, based on whether the leaves were plucked from an Assam or Cambodian plant may determine the overall taste of each final batch.
Processing
Once the tea leaf type is chosen, the product is then put through the chosen oxidation processing method which will determine what type of tea it will become. Depending upon what steps the tea leaf is put through and to which degree it will be oxidized, it will then warrant a specific tea classification.
The least amount of oxidation results are found in white tea, and the next level of oxidation bring us green tea. Further oxidation yet will deliver oolong tea, and finally, the classification of tea which results from the most oxidation is black or red tea. While teas other than the four types discussed here are presented to consumers, these four types of teas are really the only four classifications.
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