10 Tea Trivialities

When your love for tea runs deep, can anything truly be considered trivial?

1. Only the leaves derived from one plant - Camellia sinensis - is properly called tea. By processing leaves from this single plant, we obtain four primary types of tea: black, green, white, and oolong. These variations emerge based on the specific handling methods applied to the leaves after harvest.

2. Herbal "teas" should not be classified as true teas since they are essentially tisanes. Tisanes are infusions crafted from various non-camellia sinensis elements such as leaves, bark, roots, berries, seeds, and spices.

3. During the production of black teas, a crucial step involves allowing the leaves to wither before undergoing thorough oxidation. Subsequently, the leaves are subjected to heat treatment and dried. This process results in fully oxidized leaves that acquire a dark brown or black color and develop a distinctive taste profile 

4. To prevent oxidation, green tea leaves are subjected to either pan firing or steaming, followed by drying. This heating process halts the oxidation process. Afterward, the leaves are shaped by hand or machine through rolling and undergo another round of drying.

5. Among all types of teas, white tea undergoes the least amount of processing and exclusively relies on leaves harvested during the early stages of the season. The leaves are primarily withered and subsequently dried for a duration of three days, with meticulous monitoring of temperature and humidity levels. 

6. Oolong teas undergo a partial oxidation process.

7. The phenomenon of tea leaves unfurling as hot water is poured over them is commonly referred to as "the agony of the leaves."

8. Tasseography is the term used to describe the practice of interpreting tea leaves as a form of divination.