Matcha is a style of finely ground Japanese green tea. The tea plants used to create the powder are grown shaded for three to four weeks. During processing, the stems and veins are removed and the leaves are ground using granite stone mills. While loose leaf tea is infused in water and not directly consumed, matcha powder on the other hand is blended into water or milk and therefore directly consumed.

Gyokuro is a style of Japanese green tea. It grows shaded for approx. three to four weeks instead of under the full sun. Gyokuro is often made from specialized cultivars like Asahi, Okumidori, Yamakai, and Saemidori and considered one of the highest grades of Japanese green tea. The name translates to “jade dew” because of the pale green color.

Bancha is a style of Japanese green tea. It is harvested from the second flush of Sencha between summer and autumn. Compared to Sencha, it is a lower quality and simpler tea for everyday drinking.

Dark tea is a microbially fermented type of tea. The fermentation continues several months to many years and the leaves are often pressed in cake or brick shapes. The most famous dark tea is Pu’er from Yunnan, China.

Yellow tea is a rare and expensive type of tea with a low oxidation. The processing is similar to that of a green tea but with an additional step of keeping the leaves in a hot environment. This leads to a more mellow taste and yellowish colored leaves. The tea is mainly produced in China and Korea.

Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized type of tea ranging from approx. 10 to 80% oxidation. Being more oxidized than green tea and less oxidized than black tea it is often describes as an in-between type of tea. Due to the great range of oxidation, oolong teas have a widely varying flavor profile including sweet, fruity, honey, woody, thick, roasted, green and fresh notes. The leaves undergo the most complex production process of all tea types. It includes plucking opened buds, withering under the sun, bruising to start and heating to stop the oxidation, shaping into a strip or half-ball shape, drying and roasting. Originating in China, many oolong styles, especially ones from the Wuyi mountains, hold the Chinese famous tea title.

Tea strainers and infusers are used to separate the leaves from the tea when steeping loose leaf tea. They come in many different options such as tea ball, tea bag, mesh infuser, tea pot with infuser or strainer, tea pot with coiled spout filter and French press.

Classification is the practice of grouping teas by similarities in the production process to understand relations, similarities and differences. Tea can be categorized in many ways, the most prominent way being the six tea types. In the tea world, terms are often used inconsistently and interchangeably which can be confusing. At Steeped we use the following classification terms:

Oxidation describes the process of enzymes in the tea leaves reacting with oxygen. During oxidation, leaves undergo changes in their chemical composition turning them brown and changing the flavor and aroma profile. Oxidation is an essential step in the processing of tea. Depending on the type of tea which is made, oxidation is either fully prevented or intentionally caused and stopped at a certain level. Whereas green, white and yellow teas are unoxidized or lightly oxidized, black teas are highly or fully oxidized. In between are oolong teas, which cover a wide range of oxidation levels from lightly oxidized to highly oxidized. The process of oxidation is intentionally caused by crushing, rolling or tumbling the leaves. Thereby the walls of the cells are damaged, exposing the inside of the leaves with oxygen, resulting in a series of chemical reactions. In order to stop the oxidation at a certain level, leaves have to be heated or dried. Heat denatures the enzymes responsible for oxidation.

Pu'er tea is a style of dark tea that's grown in the Yunnan province of China. It’s named after the city of Pu'er. This tea is mainly categorized as a dark tea (black tea is the direct translation from Chinese) that goes through fermentation during and/or after its processing. Fermentation refers to the microbial activity which is typically happening or purposely initiated after the tea leaves have been sufficiently dried and rolled. Pu'er can be divided into two main categories, shēng, and shóu pu'er. They differ based on the kind of fermentation that takes place in or after their processing. In its final form pu'er is usually pressed in cakes or bricks, which can weigh 100g to 5kg, while 357g is the most common cake weight.

Jasmine tea is a scented green tea style that involves either firing the jasmine blossoms or blending the blossoms into green tea to bind the sweet, floral scent to the leaves. It is a staple in Chinese culture and is one of the most enjoyed green tea styles in the genre. While green tea is the usual base for this tea, black and white tea styles exist as well.

Black tea is a highly oxidized type of tea. It is higher oxidized than Oolong, yellow, white and green tea giving the leaves a dark color and the brew a strong flavor. The tea has its origin in East and Southeast Asia, with both the variety sinensis and assamica being used to make it. The western term black tea refers to the color of the oxidized leaves. Black tea is known as hong cha in Chinese which translates to red tea. It was named red tea because of the color of the liquid. Black tea should not be confused with dark tea which is a post-fermented tea called Hei Cha in Chinese which translates to black tea.

Long Jing tea is a pan-roasted style of green tea. It is mostly produced by hand in the Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. The taste is described as gentle and sweet with notes of baked mung beans and chestnut. The appearance is pistachio-colored, flat in shape and with a toasted fluffy texture. Longjing is a high-quality tea holding the “China Famous Tea” title.

Ceylon tea is a broad range tea that can be sold as a black, white or green tea. This style was sourced from China, but is more commonly associated with Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) as it was developed and is now grown commercially there. It is refreshing and crisp in flavor, and can be infused with dried fruit such as apricot or mango. The black tea is most common, and it is often used in blends such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey. Sri Lankan Ceylon Silver Tips is considered the champagne of black tea and is heavily regulated within the country and beyond in its exports around the world.

Green tea is a very lowly oxidized type of tea, unlike oolong and black teas which go through an oxidation process. Leaves of Camellia sinensis var. Sinensis are better suited for producing green tea than those from Camellia sinensis var. Assamica which are usually used to make black tea. Originating in China, production spread out into other areas of Eastern Asia. There are many styles of green tea that differ substantially in flavor, leaf look, and production process. Green tea is a type of tea with the highest antioxidant properties. There are many research studies on its health effects, but there is little evidence showing any effects on people's health.

Assam tea is a black tea style from the Assam region of India and falls under the variety camellia sinensis assamica. It is known for its malty appearance and bold flavoring. This tea can be consumed on its own, or with milk and sugar. Most common brands use this tea in a blend with ceylon and keemun and/or kenyan teas to produce english breakfast and earl grey.

White tea is one of the most recent tea types out there. It is the *least processed* tea type and has only been lightly oxidized. But just because of that, it does not necessarily mean that it is simple in taste. In fact, the processes it goes through are very meticulous and important for its taste development. Its production center is in China, especially in the *Fujian* province. In the last few years the production areas of white tea are increasing thanks to its gaining popularity.