I’ve had to change my impressions of tea recently. I’d always thought of tea as a warm, cozy drink to cuddle up with, but I read recently that 85% of all tea drunk in the U.S. is iced. I’ve also become aware of the popularity of something called “chai” (a word simply meaning tea), but this chai is available at Starbucks and in the grocery store – and I really wasn’t sure what it was. Finally, I’ve noticed “white” tea for sale - so much for the standard green and black categories. This article will deal with classic tea; the next article will describe variations, e.g. herbal teas and chai.

Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, except for water. All classic tea (i.e. not herbal), comes from the same plant, camellia sinensis. First brewed by the Chinese some 4,000 years ago, this one plant produces a drink that has hundreds of variations. These variations are a result of: 1) how the tea is processed, 2) where the plant is grown, 3) which leaves are used, or 4) how or with what the tea is blended.

Traditionally, tea has been divided into three categories based on processing, i.e. green, oolong, and black. White tea is a new, fourth category. In order of popularity, these categories are:

Black: Black tea is the most full bodied category. To make black tea, once the leaves are picked from the tea plant, they are wilted, bruised by a rolling process, aired, and then dried. Through this oxidation process, the oils in the leaves ferment and develop tannin. Tannin is the same protein that causes your mouth to feel dry and pucker when you drink red wine.

Green: The leaves that make green tea, by contrast, are not wilted, bruised and aired, but rather immediately dried. Because of this minimal processing, tannin and color are not allowed to develop, so green tea is mild and only has a light, greenish hue.

Oolong: Oolong teas are a compromise between black and green teas. Oolong leaves are allowed some oxidation, so there is a mild tannin component to an oolong tea.

White: White tea is made from only the uppermost leaves of the plant, and additionally includes buds. These buds are covered with silvery “hairs,” which look white, giving the tea its name. The leaves and buds are steamed and dried, so there is no oxidation. Fans claim it is the purest tasting tea, without any tannin or even the grassy undertones that many drinkers detect in green tea.

Within these categories, there are numerous teas. Some are named for their geographic origin, others for how they are blended. I’ve listed at the bottom at this article the most popular types. However, there is one term for tea that is very common here in the U.S., thanks to Lipton’s, but not used widely elsewhere and that is “pekoe” or “orange pekoe.” This term refers to the size of the leaf used in the final product – orange pekoe is the smallest, then pekoe.

Regardless of type, prepare all tea in the same manner, whether using loose tea leaves or tea bags. In order to extract all the flavor possible, start with cold water and bring it to a full boil, preferably in a kettle. Microwaving the water can be tricky. The outside of the water, i.e. the part near the cup will come to a boil before the middle, so if you see the water boiling and use it, you do not actually have fully boiling water. Wait at least 20 seconds after you first see the bubbles before you take out the container. This problem does not happen to water heated on a stove.

Use some of the hot water to prewarm the teapot by pouring some in the pot, swirling, and then discarding it. Now add six ounces of water for each cup, and 1 teabag or 1 teaspoon of loose leaves for each cup. Add one extra bag or teaspoon for the pot. Steep 4-6 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. If this isn’t strong enough, next time add more tea. If you steep tea longer than 6 minutes, it can turn bitter.

For iced tea, double the amount of tea. Iced tea can often turn cloudy. If you don’t like cloudy tea, or can’t stand to turn on the stove, do one of two things. Make “sun” tea, i.e. put the bags in cold water, and let the container sit outside, covered, for four hour. Or, add the bags directly to cold water, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

One other note about tea – there is a lot of confusion about the level of caffeine in tea. One pound of black tea has twice as much caffeine as coffee. However, one pound of tea makes 160 cups, whereas one pound of coffee makes 40 cups. Therefore, a cup of black tea has half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Oolong, green, and white teas have less caffeine than black.

Following are a list of popular tea types. Four good sources for purchasing tea on the web are: www.uptontea.com, www.svtea.com, www.specialteas.com , and www.republicoftea.com.

Tea Types:

• Assam: Strong, black tea from India
• Darjeeling: Delicate black tea grown near the Himalayas, the “champagne” of tea
• Ceylon: Strong black tea that undergoes a two temperature drying process, sealing in the oils
• Earl Grey: Strong black tea to which has been added oil of bergamot (a citrus)
• Formosa Oolong: From Taiwan, some drinkers sense a “peachy” flavor
• Irish Breakfast: Blend of black tea, including Ceylon, has a robust flavor
• Lapsang Souchong: Chinese black tea, characterized by a smoky flavor
• Matcha: Bitter, brilliant green tea – the prize tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies
• English Breakfast: Hearty blend of black teas, including Ceylon and Assam
• Constant Comment: Ceylon tea flavored with orange peel
• Gunpowder: Green tea from China
• Keemun: Black tea from China
• Jasmine: Black tea with jasmine buds added