Tea Types - SOLIS Tea Maker Prestige Mode D'emploi

■

TEA TYPES

There are four main types of teas from the tea plant camellia sinensis. The picking
and processing methods determine the type of tea finally produced.
1. Black Tea
Black tea is the most common type of tea worldwide. It is made by fermenting
the harvested leaves for a couple of hours before heating or drying. This oxida-
tion darkens the leaves and increases the amount of caffeine. Of all the teas,
black tea has the strongest colour and flavour.
2. White Tea
White tea is the rarest and the most exclusive tea. White tea consists of the
whitish buds of the tea plant which are steamed then left to dry naturally. This
tea is low in caffeine and has a slightly sweet flavour.
3. Green Tea
Green tea makes up approximately ten percent of the world's tea. The leaves are
picked, rolled and dried before they can go brown. Green tea has a distinctive
aroma and has a slight astringent taste.
4. Oolong Tea
Oolong Tea is semi fermented, which means leaves are processed immediately
after picking. They only have a short period of oxidation which turns the leaves
from green to red/brown. Its leaves have a floral, fruity quality and hence have
a delicate fruity taste. It is recommended not to drink oolong tea with milk, sugar
or lemon.
5. Herbal infusions or Tisanes
Herbal infused teas are not produced from the tea plant, but from flowers, leaves,
roots or seeds. Common herbal beverages are chamomile, peppermint, fennel,
rose hip, and lemon verbena. Herbal infusions that do not contain tea will gen-
erally not become bitter with extended brews. These can often be brewed with
boiling water 3 times without jeopardising the taste.
6. Blends
Tea producers make blends by combining different types of teas, often in order
to achieve flavour consistency from one season to the next. Common black tea
blends include English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, and Russian Caravan.
TIP: Brewed tea leaves make an ideal garden fertilizer and help condition the
soil.
98