The Six Types of Tea: Complete Guide to All Tea Varieties | Teathority

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The six types of tea are: white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and pu-erh. All come from the same plant but differ in how they're processed, particularly in their oxidation levels—from 0% (green) to 100% (black), with pu-erh undergoing additional microbial fermentation.

Think of it like cooking a potato: you can boil, bake, fry, or mash it. Same ingredient, completely different results. Tea works the same way—one leaf, endless possibilities.

Every cup of true tea comes from Camellia sinensis, yet processing transforms those leaves into six dramatically different experiences. From the delicate sweetness of white tea to the earthy depth of pu-erh, discover how oxidation, heat, and time create tea's remarkable diversity.

The Oxidation Spectrum

Tea Oxidation Levels

Green

White

5-15%

Yellow

10-20%

Oolong

15-80%

Black

100%

Pu-erh

Fermented

Understanding Oxidation

All tea begins with the same leaf. What happens next—how oxidation is controlled, encouraged, or prevented—defines each type. Oxidation occurs when enzymes in the tea leaf react with oxygen, creating new flavors, aromas, and colors.

The Science Behind the Magic

When tea leaves are bruised, rolled, or broken, polyphenol oxidase enzymes come into contact with catechins (antioxidants), triggering oxidation. This process transforms:

Fresh Leaf Contains	Oxidation Creates
Catechins (sharp, astringent)	Theaflavins (brisk, bright)
Chlorophyll (green color)	Thearubigins (depth, body)
Amino acids (umami, sweetness)	New aromatic compounds

Tea makers control oxidation through temperature, humidity, and mechanical action. Applying heat—through steaming, pan-firing, or baking—denatures the enzymes and stops oxidation at the desired level. This moment of halting determines the tea type.

In ancient China, tea processing was discovered through accident and refined through centuries of observation. A basket of fresh leaves forgotten in the sun became the first black tea. Leaves wrapped in cloth and left to rest revealed yellow tea's golden secret. Each mistake became a masterpiece, each variation a new tradition.

Today's tea masters work with the same leaves and principles their predecessors used a thousand years ago. The tools have modernized, but the essential alchemy remains unchanged: controlling time, temperature, and oxygen to coax different personalities from the same plant.

White Tea: Minimal Intervention

White tea is tea at its most minimal—young buds and leaves simply withered and dried. No rolling, no firing, no fuss. This gentle approach preserves the leaf's natural sweetness and creates the characteristic silvery-white appearance.

Processing: Just Two Steps

Step	Process	Details
1. Withering	72 hours	Natural or indoor withering reduces moisture to 10-20%. Slow enzymatic changes develop subtle complexity.
2. Drying	110-115°F	Final moisture reduction to 5%. Low heat preserves delicate compounds and silvery appearance.

Notable Varieties

Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) Only unopened buds from Fujian. Sweet, light, honeyed. The champagne of white teas—delicate, expensive, sublime.

Brew: 175°F • 4-6 minutes • 2 tsp per cup

White Peony (Bai Mudan) One bud, two leaves. Fuller body than Silver Needle with fruity, slightly grassy notes. Excellent introduction to white tea.

Brew: 180°F • 4-5 minutes • 1.5 tsp per cup

Character Profile

Flavor: Delicate, sweet, subtle
Aroma: Hay, honey, melon
Color: Pale yellow to light gold
Caffeine: 15-30mg per cup
Best for: Quiet moments, meditation
Pairs with: Light foods, fruit

Green Tea: Preserving Freshness

Green tea captures the essence of the fresh leaf by immediately applying heat to prevent oxidation. This "kill-green" step preserves the leaf's natural green color, fresh flavors, and high levels of catechins (antioxidants).

Processing Methods

Method	Heat Type	Character	Origin
Pan-firing	Dry heat (300°F)	Toasty, nutty	China
Steaming	Moist heat (steam)	Vegetal, oceanic	Japan

Popular Varieties

Chinese Green Teas:

Dragon Well (Longjing): Flat leaves, nutty, sweet
Gunpowder: Rolled pellets, bold, slightly smoky
Mao Feng: Delicate, fruity, floral

Japanese Green Teas:

Sencha: Refreshing, grassy, umami
Gyokuro: Shaded growth, intense umami, sweet
Matcha: Stone-ground powder, creamy, vegetal

Brewing Temperature Matters

Green tea is sensitive to temperature. Too hot (over 185°F) and you'll extract bitter compounds. Aim for 160-180°F depending on the variety.

Yellow Tea: China's Hidden Treasure

Yellow tea is the rarest of the six types, produced only in small quantities in China. After the initial processing similar to green tea, leaves undergo "men huan" (sealing yellow)—wrapped in cloth and allowed to gently oxidize in their own heat and moisture.

The Unique Process

Step 1

Plucking of young buds and leaves

Step 2

Kill-green to stop oxidation

Temperature: 300°F

Step 3

Wrapping in cloth for men huan process

Step 4

Gentle oxidation (20-30 hours)

Temperature: Room temp

Step 5

Final drying

Temperature: 115°F

Notable Yellow Teas

Jun Shan Yin Zhen: From Hunan, delicate and sweet
Huo Shan Huang Ya: Anhui province, fruity and smooth
Meng Ding Huang Ya: Sichuan, nutty and mellow

Oolong Tea: The Art of Balance

Oolong tea occupies the vast middle ground between green and black tea, with oxidation levels ranging from 15% to 80%. This category offers the widest range of flavors, from light and floral to dark and roasted.

Processing Complexity

Oolong requires the most skill to produce, involving:

Withering in sun and shade
Tossing/bruising to initiate oxidation
Partial oxidation (carefully monitored)
Firing to halt oxidation
Rolling to shape leaves
Final drying and sometimes roasting

Flavor Profiles by Oxidation

Floral notes

Fruity

Honey sweetness

Roasted

Mineral

Famous Oolongs

Light Oolongs (15-30% oxidation):

Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess)
High Mountain (Gao Shan)
Dong Ding

Dark Oolongs (60-80% oxidation):

Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe)
Shui Xian (Water Sprite)
Oriental Beauty

Black Tea: Full Oxidation

Black tea undergoes complete oxidation, transforming green leaves into deep copper-brown leaves that produce a rich, amber liquor. This full oxidation creates robust flavors and the highest caffeine content among traditional teas.

The Four Steps

Step	Process	Purpose
Withering	12-18 hours	Reduce moisture to 60-70%
Rolling	Mechanical pressure	Break cell walls, release enzymes
Oxidation	2-4 hours at 80-85°F	Full enzymatic browning
Firing	220-240°F	Stop oxidation, reduce to 3% moisture

Global Black Teas

Indian:

Assam: Malty, bold, perfect with milk
Darjeeling: Light, floral, "champagne of teas"
Nilgiri: Bright, brisk, fragrant

Ceylon (Sri Lanka):

High-grown: Light, citrusy
Mid-grown: Balanced, medium body
Low-grown: Strong, robust

Chinese:

Keemun: Wine-like, smooth, cocoa notes
Lapsang Souchong: Smoked over pine
Yunnan Gold: Sweet, peppery, golden tips

Pu-erh Tea: Aged and Fermented

Pu-erh stands apart as the only tea category that undergoes true fermentation with microbial activity. From Yunnan Province, China, it comes in two types: sheng (raw) that ages naturally, and shou (ripe) that undergoes accelerated fermentation.

Two Paths to Pu-erh

Type	Process	Time	Character
Sheng (Raw)	Natural aging	5-50+ years	Complex, transforms over time
Shou (Ripe)	Wet-pile fermentation	45-60 days	Earthy, smooth, ready to drink

The Aging Process

Pu-erh improves with age like fine wine. Proper storage conditions:

Temperature: 60-85°F
Humidity: 60-70%
Air circulation: Good but not excessive
Away from strong odors

Unique Characteristics

Flavor: Earthy, mushroomy, smooth, sometimes sweet
Color: Deep red-brown to black
Benefits: May aid digestion and cholesterol management
Preparation: Can be steeped many times (10-20 infusions)

Investment Tea

Aged pu-erh can be extremely valuable. Vintage cakes from the 1950s-70s can sell for thousands of dollars. Some collectors treat pu-erh like wine, aging it for decades.

Choosing Your Tea Journey

Each tea type offers a different window into the same plant's potential. Green tea connects you to the fresh vitality of spring. Black tea provides comfort and strength for gray mornings. Oolong invites contemplation with its complexity. White tea whispers subtle secrets. Yellow tea reveals patience's reward. Pu-erh tells stories of time and transformation.

The beauty lies not in finding the "best" tea, but in discovering which tea speaks to you in different moments. Your morning might call for black tea's boldness, your afternoon for green tea's clarity, your evening for white tea's calm.

Explore Each Type

Dive deeper into the world of tea with our detailed guides

Green Tea Guide→Black Tea Guide→Oolong Tea Guide→Browse All Teas→