Tea Variety Comparison Table
60 teas and infusions in 7 categories, arranged by processing, caffeine and origin so you can see what type a tea is, when to drink it and its local names.
Data last maintained
Tea Variety Comparison Table
60 teas and infusions in 7 categories, arranged by processing, caffeine and origin so you can see what type a tea is, when to drink it and its local names.
Data last maintained
Tea Pick Guide
60 teas and infusions laid out by processing, caffeine and origin, so you can see which family a tea belongs to, when to drink it and how its names line up.
- Unoxidized
- Lightly oxidized
- Partially oxidized
- Fully oxidized
- Post-fermented
- Not from the tea plant
Processing and origin follow the most common products; blends and flavoured teas vary by maker, so check the ingredients before you buy.
About tea · 1/4
First: what tea is
What we call tea is, at heart, the leaves of one plant, the tea plant. Once picked, the leaves slowly change colour as they meet the air; this is called oxidation, much like a cut apple turning brown. Tea makers control how far the leaves oxidize, and that is what turns them into different teas.
Green tea is barely allowed to oxidize, black tea is oxidized all the way, and oolong sits in between. Some teas are also roasted (slowly dried over heat), and some are left to age so that microbes act on them, which is called post-fermentation.
Herbal teas and barley tea are not tea-plant leaves; we only call them tea by habit. They are not necessarily caffeine-free either: Yerba Mate, for example, is high in caffeine.
Next: how the six tea families are divided, then one name with two meanings, and finally which kind of tea to drink when.
All Styles
All Styles60
Green Tea9
Black Tea10
Oolong Tea8
White & Yellow Tea7
Dark & Aged Tea6
Scented & Spiced Tea7
Herbal & Grain Infusions13
| Tea & other names | Looks & how it's made | Taste & body | How to drink it | Before you buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dragon Well (Longjing)
| Flat, smooth, sword-shaped dry leaves in yellow-green; the liquor is pale yellow-green. A pan-fired green tea from the West Lake area of Hangzhou: the leaves go into the wok within hours of picking and are pressed flat as they fry, which gives the roasted-chestnut note. OriginChina Sold asMostly loose leaf, graded by picking date as pre-Qingming or pre-Guyu, with the grade written on the tin; “Zhejiang Longjing” from outside West Lake is sold under the same name. Form | Sweet chestnut aroma, a soft, brisk liquor with a bean-like finish and almost no astringency; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea on its own or with light snacks; use water that is not too hot (around 80°C), steep two to three minutes, and a plain glass is all you need. Occasions · · | Dragon Well, or Longjing, names a method and a region, not a cultivar: West Lake is the core area, and most tea labelled simply “Longjing” comes from elsewhere in Zhejiang. For a change, Biluochun and gunpowder green tea sit in the same pan-fired Chinese green slot; Japanese greens are steamed and head in a different aromatic direction. |
Sencha
| Dark green, fine needle-shaped dry leaves; the liquor is bright green leaning yellow. Japan's most common green tea: the leaves are steamed right after picking, rolled into needles and dried, so it smells of nori and fresh grass, quite unlike Chinese pan-fired greens. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asLoose leaf, tea bags and bottled tea all carry the name; Shizuoka, Kagoshima and Uji are common origin labels, and fukamushi (deep-steamed) is a longer-steamed version with a cloudier, fuller liquor. Form | Nori savouriness and sweet grass, with a touch of astringency at the end that keeps it fresh; moderate caffeine. | With meals, sushi and Japanese sweets; steep in 70–80°C water for one minute, shorter for the second infusion; cold-brewed in summer it does not turn bitter. Occasions · · | In Japanese, “ryokucha” covers all Japanese green tea, and sencha is the biggest share of it. Bancha is made the same way from later, coarser leaves, while genmaicha and hojicha are sencha or bancha processed further. If you want “Japanese green tea” and do not know where to start, start with sencha. |
Matcha
| A bright green, very fine powder, whisked into a foam with a bamboo whisk and drunk whole. Shade-grown leaves are steamed, dried without rolling into tencha, then ground to powder on a stone mill or equivalent. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asTins or pouches of powder, usually 20–30 g. “Tencha” is the raw leaf before milling, not a grade; “stone-milled” describes the method, and Japan’s definition also allows equivalent equipment; “ceremonial”, “usucha grade” and “culinary” are sellers’ terms, the Japanese labeling standard sets no grades, and some tea houses say outright that they do not use the word. Form | Dense umami, a milky, sweet smoothness, with steamed-vegetable notes and a faintly bitter cocoa finish; fairly high caffeine, because you drink the whole leaf. | A morning pick-me-up, and the base for matcha lattes and desserts; sift two grams of powder, whisk with 70–80°C water, and drink right away. Occasions · | The tea with the most name traps: “green tea powder” or “powdered tea” is whole leaf ground up, and unless the leaf is tencha it is not matcha, instant tea powder even less so; “Uji matcha”, by the Kyoto tea council’s definition, is tea finished by Kyoto processors from leaf grown in Kyoto, Nara, Shiga or Mie, not tea grown in Uji city and not a grade; usucha (whisked thin with more water) and koicha (thick, more powder and less water) are ways of preparing it, not different teas and not ranks. For a cheaper everyday powder, check whether the ingredient is tencha. |
Gyokuro
| Very fine, deep blackish-green needles; the liquor is a deep green. A top-grade sencha shaded for twenty days or more before picking, with an especially heavy umami. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asSmall packs of loose leaf, priced several times higher than sencha; Yame and Uji are common origin labels, and kabusecha is the cheaper version with a shorter shading period. Form | A thick, almost syrupy liquor with nori umami and a buttery sweetness, hardly any astringency; fairly high caffeine. | A gift, or a small cup to sip slowly; very low water temperature (50–60°C), plenty of leaf, a minute and a half, and the first infusion is just a mouthful or two. Occasions · | Not an everyday tea: brewed like sencha (80°C) it turns bitter. Kabusecha is the in-between version with a shorter shading time, with price and umami both sitting between sencha and gyokuro; if you want to try the style without the cost, buy that first. |
Biluochun
| Fine, tender leaves curled into small spirals and covered in white down; the liquor is pale green. A pan-fired green from the Dongting hills by Lake Tai in Jiangsu, where fruit trees are planted among the tea bushes, hence the fruity note. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf; the higher the grade, the finer the buds and the more white down. Most “Biluochun” on the market is an imitation from elsewhere in Jiangsu or Zhejiang, and the Dongting tea is labelled “Dongting”. Form | White peach and apricot-blossom aroma, a sweet bean-like body and a fresh finish; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea with light snacks, or a gift; 75–80°C water, pour the water first and then add the leaves, steep a minute and a half. Occasions · | The white down on the dry leaf makes the liquor look a little cloudy; that is normal, not dirt. For a change, Dragon Well is the pan-fired green in the same slot, trading the fruit for chestnut. |
Bancha
| Larger, coarser green leaves; the liquor is yellow-green. Sencha made from later-season, more mature leaves, and Japan's everyday tea. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asLarge packs of loose leaf and tea bags, inexpensive; styles vary by region, some lightly roasted with a grainy note, and Kyoto's kyobancha, roasted until smoky, is a different thing altogether. Form | Grain, a hint of nori and a soft sweetness, low in tannin; fairly low caffeine. | With meals, with sushi, or brewed by the pot for the whole family; it takes hotter water (85–90°C) for one minute, and does not turn bitter cold-brewed. Occasions · · | The free green tea in Japanese restaurants is usually bancha or hojicha. If you want a Japanese green tea you can drink in the evening, bancha, hojicha and genmaicha are the low-caffeine choices, hojicha the lowest. |
Hojicha
| Reddish-brown leaves and stems; the liquor is amber-brown and looks like black tea, but it is green tea. Bancha or sencha roasted at high heat, giving it caramel and toasty notes. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asLoose leaf, tea bags and hojicha powder (for lattes) are all common; Kyoto is the traditional origin label. Form | Roasted barley, caramel nuts and a hint of cocoa, with a clean finish; fairly low caffeine, since the leaves are already mature before roasting. | After dinner, before bed, with Japanese food, and as the base of a hojicha latte; steep in boiling water for half a minute to a minute, and it will not turn bitter. Occasions · · | The colour says black tea, but it is not: hojicha is unoxidised, only roasted. If you want a toasty evening tea without herbs, hojicha is the most direct answer; barley tea goes one step further and contains no tea leaf at all. |
Genmaicha
| Green tea leaves mixed with brown rice toasted golden, some grains popped like popcorn; the liquor is pale yellow-green. Sencha or bancha with roasted rice, the rice softening the tea's green edge. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags; the hyeonmi-nokcha tea bags in Korean supermarkets are the same kind of thing. Form | Popcorn-like toasted rice, a light nori umami and sweetness, no astringency; fairly low caffeine, because half of it is rice. | With meals, with sushi, or poured over rice as ochazuke; steep in 85°C water for one to two minutes, and cold-brewed it tastes of grain. Occasions · · | Genmai is brown rice, not black rice. Whether the tea is bancha or sencha affects price and umami, and the tin usually says. For an even lower-caffeine grain flavour, barley tea contains no tea leaf at all. |
Gunpowder Green Tea
| Tightly rolled, glossy dark green pellets that look like gunpowder grains and open up large in the cup; the liquor is a deeper yellow-green. A bulk export green tea from the Pingshui area of Zhejiang. OriginChina Sold asLarge packs of loose leaf, the most common Chinese green tea in North African and Middle Eastern supermarkets; it also fills a lot of green tea bags. Form | Strong, slightly smoky and grassy, with a gripping, astringent mouthfeel; moderate caffeine. | A morning pick-me-up, a match for heavy food, and the base of Moroccan mint tea; steep in 85°C water for two to three minutes, and a quick rinse poured away first takes the edge off the bitterness. Occasions · | The loose “green tea” in Western supermarkets is usually this. For Moroccan mint tea, brew it with fresh mint and plenty of sugar; for a more delicate Chinese green, look to Dragon Well or Biluochun. |
Assam Black Tea
| Dark brown to black leaves, in strips for orthodox rolling or small granules for CTC; the liquor is deep red-brown. Black tea from the Assam plains of northeast India, fully oxidised then dried, with malt as its signature. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asLoose leaf, CTC granules and tea bags are all common; “second flush” on the tin is the summer second picking, considered the strongest and maltiest. The “Assam” in bubble-tea and milk-tea shops is mostly CTC. Form | Thick malt, treacle and raisin sweetness, with pronounced tannin that milk balances nicely; fairly high caffeine. | Breakfast, and the base for milk tea and chai; steep in boiling water for three to four minutes, shorter for CTC granules, which release fast. Occasions · | What Chinese calls “red tea” is black tea in English; it is only a matter of naming by liquor or by leaf. “Assam” is a place name too, not a cultivar. For a lighter Indian black tea, switch to Darjeeling; for a Taiwanese milk-tea base, switch to Sun Moon Lake Ruby. |
Keemun Hao Ya
| Fine, tight, jet-black strips with golden tips; the liquor is bright red. A congou black tea from Qimen in Anhui, slowly withered, fully oxidised and charcoal-dried, and one of China's most famous black teas. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf; “Hao Ya” is the finest, most tender grade name (split into A and B), while ordinary “Keemun” is far more affordable. Form | Winey stone fruit, cocoa and an orchid-like aroma, a pine-honey sweetness on the finish and fine-grained tannin; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea on its own, with snacks, or as a gift; steep in boiling water for three minutes, or use short gongfu infusions in a small pot for more layers. Occasions · | Early English Breakfast recipes often used Keemun as the aromatic component. Chinese black teas are not astringent without milk and are drunk differently from Indian ones; for another Chinese black in the same slot, Dianhong is sweeter and Lapsang Souchong is smoky. |
Dianhong Golden Needle
| Plump buds covered in golden down, the whole dry leaf golden; the liquor is orange-red. Black tea made from Yunnan's large-leaf variety, and the more buds, the more gold. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf; “Golden Needle”, “Golden Bud” and “Golden Snail” are names by shape, all pure-bud grades. Lincang and Fengqing are common origin labels. Form | Treacle, roasted sweet potato and cocoa bean, a silky liquor with almost no astringency; fairly high caffeine, because it is all bud. | A morning pick-me-up, an afternoon tea with snacks, or a gift; steep in boiling water for two to three minutes, or use short gongfu infusions for a stronger aroma. Occasions · · | “Dian” is short for Yunnan, so Dianhong simply means Yunnan black tea. Teas with a lot of golden down show a bright “golden ring” on the liquor, which is normal. Pure-bud black teas carry more caffeine than ordinary leaf teas, so take care in the evening. |
Ceylon Uva
| Blackish-brown fine strips or broken leaf; the liquor is bright orange-red. Black tea from the Uva district in Sri Lanka's eastern highlands, with a wintergreen-like cooling aroma in the monsoon season. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags; “Ceylon tea” is the umbrella name for Sri Lankan black tea, with Uva, Nuwara Eliya and Dimbula as district names and grades written as leaf-size codes such as OP, BOP and FBOP. Form | Citrus peel, wintergreen and malt, brisk with a little astringency; moderate caffeine. | Breakfast, with milk or lemon, or as iced tea; steep in boiling water for three to four minutes, and take the leaves out before adding milk so the liquor stays clear. Occasions · · | Ceylon is the old name for Sri Lanka, so “Ceylon” on a tin means Sri Lanka. The “Ceylon black tea” in bubble-tea shops is mostly low-grown CTC, a long way from the aroma of high-grown Uva. For a black tea that is smooth without milk, look to the Chinese black teas. |
Nilgiri Frost
| Blackish-brown strips; the liquor is golden orange and especially clear. Black tea from the Nilgiri hills of southern India; “frost tea” is the winter picking taken during cold snaps, with the cleanest aroma. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags; ordinary “Nilgiri” mostly goes into blends and iced tea, and only tea labelled “frost” or “winter” is the winter picking. Form | Sugarcane sweetness, orchid and peach-skin aroma, a crisp finish and low tannin; moderate caffeine. | The black tea least likely to cloud as iced tea, and an afternoon tea with snacks; steep at around 90°C for three minutes, and it stays clear cold-brewed too. Occasions · | Many bottled and restaurant iced teas in the West use it because it does not cloud when chilled. Less famous than Darjeeling or Assam, but well priced and forgiving to brew, a practical first Indian black tea. |
Jin Jun Mei
| Small, curved buds in mixed gold and blackish brown; the liquor is clear golden. A premium black tea from Tongmu village in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian, hand-picked pure buds, and a new category that only appeared around 2005. OriginChina Sold asSmall packs of loose leaf at very high prices; most “Jin Jun Mei” on the market is an imitation from elsewhere, as genuine Tongmu output is tiny. Form | Caramel, blackberry, cocoa and sweet potato, with a trace of pine and a fine, smooth liquor; moderate caffeine. | A gift, or a tea to sip slowly; water at around 90°C and short gongfu infusions of twenty to thirty seconds in a small pot, not a long steep in boiling water. Occasions · | It is the unsmoked, pure-bud luxury version of Lapsang Souchong, made in the same village. Cheap Jin Jun Mei is almost never from Tongmu; treat it as an ordinary congou black tea when you buy and you will not be disappointed. |
Darjeeling Black Tea
| Loose brown strips with green and silver tips, oxidised more lightly than most black teas; the liquor runs from orange-yellow to amber. A high-grown black tea from the Himalayan foothills, called the “champagne of teas”. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asLoose leaf, and the tin always states the flush: first flush, the spring picking, is light and green-tea-like; second flush, the summer picking, has the most muscatel; autumnal is rounder. Estate names are often given too. Form | Lifted floral notes, muscatel sweetness and a citrus finish, with a light body; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea on its own, with scones and sweets, or a gift; steep at 90–95°C for three minutes, and skip the milk to get the full aroma. Occasions · | Far less genuine Darjeeling is produced each year than is sold under the name, so the geographical indication mark and estate name are more reliable than the word “Darjeeling”. For a strong black tea to take milk, switch to Assam; milk buries this one's aroma. |
Lapsang Souchong
| Thick blackish-brown strips that smell of pine smoke even dry; the liquor is deep red. Black tea from Tongmu village in the Wuyi Mountains, fully oxidised then dried over smouldering pine, and the earliest black tea. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf; the export style is heavily smoked, while the original Tongmu “zhengshan” is actually lightly smoked. An unsmoked “wuyan xiaozhong” version is also sold. Form | Campfire smoke, pine resin and dried-longan sweetness over a deep base; moderate caffeine. | With savoury food, smoked meats and cheese, and in cocktails and desserts; steep in boiling water for three to four minutes. Occasions · | Plenty of people never take to the smoke, so smell the dry leaf before buying. For a black tea from the same area without smoke, Jin Jun Mei and unsmoked souchong are the answer; the heavily smoked export versions are mostly not from Tongmu. |
English Breakfast
| Dark brown broken leaf or CTC granules; the liquor is deep red. Not a single tea but a blend: Assam, Ceylon, Kenyan and other black teas mixed into a strong, fast-brewing breakfast tea that takes milk. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asMostly tea bags, with loose leaf available; every brand's recipe differs, “Irish Breakfast” is stronger and “Afternoon” blends are lighter. Form | Full-bodied, malty with an oaky edge, strong tannin that milk balances; fairly high caffeine. | Breakfast with toast or a full English, with milk and sugar; steep in boiling water for three to five minutes. Occasions · | You are buying a brand's recipe, not an origin, so changing brands changes the taste. It is the default “cup of tea” in the English-speaking world; for a single-origin black tea of the same strong kind, Assam is the closest. |
Sun Moon Lake Ruby Black Tea
| Long, plump blackish-brown strips; the liquor is a clear, vivid red. Taiwan Tea No. 18, bred by Taiwan's tea research station from a Burmese large-leaf variety and a native Taiwanese wild tea, grown mainly around Sun Moon Lake in Yuchi, Nantou. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags; the “Ruby” in bubble-tea shops is usually this or the Assam variety from the same area, Taiwan Tea No. 8. Tins often say Yuchi or Sun Moon Lake. Form | A natural mint-and-cinnamon-like cool aroma, brown sugar and ripe fruit sweetness, a thick liquor with no astringency; moderate caffeine. | The base for milk tea and fresh-milk tea, a breakfast tea, an afternoon tea on its own, or a gift for friends abroad; steep in boiling water for three minutes, and it is smooth without milk too. Occasions · · · | “Ruby” is the cultivar name, Taiwan Tea No. 18, while “Sun Moon Lake black tea” names the region; the same area also grows the Assam variety, Taiwan Tea No. 8, and Hong Yun, Taiwan Tea No. 21, and the tin will say which. For an imported black tea of the same strong kind, Assam and Ceylon are in the same row. |
Tieguanyin
| Tightly rolled half-balls in dark green with a sandy-green sheen that open into whole large leaves; the liquor runs from golden to amber. An oolong from Anxi in Fujian: the leaves are tossed to oxidise their edges, rolled into balls and set with roasting. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and small vacuum packs; Anxi now mostly makes the lightly roasted “qingxiang” fresh-aroma style, while the traditional “nongxiang” style is roasted harder. Muzha Tieguanyin from Taiwan is a different, heavily roasted take. Form | Orchid aroma, a buttery sweetness and a stir-fried-greens note, with a lingering sweet aftertaste; moderate caffeine. | With meals to cut through rich food, as a first oolong, or as a gift; short gongfu infusions of twenty to thirty seconds in a small pot with boiling water, and the aroma shifts over several rounds. Occasions · · | Tieguanyin is both a cultivar and a tea name; Anxi (fresh style) and Muzha (heavy roast, with a charcoal note) share the name but taste very different, so check the origin before buying. For other Chinese oolongs in the same slot, Da Hong Pao and Phoenix Dancong both qualify, but they come as strips, not balls. |
Da Hong Pao
| Long, twisted dark brown strips with the glossy sheen of charcoal roasting; the liquor is orange-red. An oolong from the rocky gorge gardens of the Wuyi Mountains, known as yancha or rock tea, oxidised medium to heavy and charcoal-roasted repeatedly. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and single-serve sachets; nearly all Da Hong Pao sold today is a blended “commercial Da Hong Pao”, as the mother trees stopped being picked long ago. Rougui and Shuixian are other cultivar names from the same area. Form | Charcoal-roasted nuts, deep caramel and dried-longan sweetness, with the mineral quality known as “yanyun” or rock rhyme; moderate caffeine. | With oily, strongly flavoured dishes, or as a gift; gongfu brewing in a small pot with boiling water, fifteen seconds for the first infusion and a little longer each time. Occasions · | Heavily roasted tea smooths out if you let it rest for a few weeks after buying. “Rock tea” is the umbrella term for Wuyi oolongs, and Da Hong Pao is just its most famous name; for a roasted oolong without the price, Taiwan's Dong Ding and Muzha Tieguanyin are in the same row. |
Dong Ding
| Tightly rolled half-balls in dark green with brown; the liquor is golden leaning amber. An oolong from the Dong Ding hills around Lugu in Nantou, medium-oxidised with a traditional roast, and the benchmark for Taiwan's roasted oolongs. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf and vacuum packs; Lugu Farmers' Association competition teas carry grades such as Special and First. “Dong Ding” now refers to the style and is not limited to tea from Dong Ding mountain. Form | Roasted caramel, toasted sugarcane and florals, a thick entry and a clear sweet aftertaste; moderate caffeine. | With meals, as a first roasted oolong, or as a gift; water above 90°C, forty-five seconds for the first infusion and longer each time, best brewed gongfu style. Occasions · · | The difference from high-mountain oolong is the roast: high-mountain is fresh and floral, Dong Ding has roasted notes, and both are called “Taiwanese oolong”. For a heavier roast, look to Muzha Tieguanyin and Da Hong Pao; for the fresh style, look to Alishan. |
Alishan High Mountain Oolong
| Tightly rolled bright green half-balls that open into whole leaves with stems attached; the liquor runs from honey-green to pale gold. An oolong from the Alishan range in Chiayi above 1,000 metres, lightly oxidised and unroasted or very lightly roasted. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf and vacuum packs, with the tin naming the sub-area (Shizhuo, Zhangshuhu, Meishan) and the elevation; “high-mountain tea” covers Taiwanese oolong grown above 1,000 metres, and Alishan, Shanlinxi and Lishan are the common names. Form | Gardenia and magnolia-like florals, sugarcane sweetness and a fresh, buttery-lettuce note, with a clear, clean liquor; moderate caffeine. | A gift (Taiwan's most-given tea), a first oolong, or cold brew; gongfu at 90–95°C with a twenty-five-second first infusion, or cold-brew overnight for a sweet cup with no bitterness. Occasions · · | Alishan is a very large area, and “Alishan” alone on a tin does not guarantee a high-mountain plot; look for the elevation and the sub-area name. For a roasted Taiwanese oolong, switch to Dong Ding; for something lighter and closer to green tea, switch to Pouchong. |
Jin Xuan (Milk Oolong)
| Tightly rolled bright green half-balls; the liquor is pale gold. Taiwan Tea No. 12, a cultivar bred by Taiwan's tea research station with a natural buttery aroma, lightly oxidised and not heavily roasted. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf and vacuum packs, often labelled by area (Alishan, Nantou); the “milk oolong” sold abroad with an overpowering aroma is usually a flavoured version. Form | Buttery sweet aroma, toffee and a fresh pea-pod note, with a smooth mouthfeel; moderate caffeine. | A first oolong, an afternoon tea with snacks, or cold brew; steep at 90°C for half a minute to a minute, and the milky note shows more clearly cold-brewed overnight. Occasions · · | Genuine Jin Xuan milkiness is subtle; a milky smell that hits you on opening the tin is almost always added flavouring. Jin Xuan is a cultivar name, and it is still called Jin Xuan when made into green or black tea. For a more floral Taiwanese oolong, switch to Alishan or Si Ji Chun. |
Phoenix Dancong
| Long, straight blackish-brown strips; the liquor runs from golden to orange-yellow. An oolong from the Phoenix Mountains of Chaozhou in Guangdong, sorted by the aroma type of the single mother tree into dozens of names such as Mi Lan Xiang, Ya Shi Xiang and Zhi Lan Xiang. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf, with the tin naming the aroma type (Mi Lan Xiang honey-orchid and Ya Shi Xiang duck-shit are the most common) and the age of the old bushes; prices run from modest to astronomical. Form | Intense floral and fruit aromas with honey sweetness, roasted almond and a long mineral finish; it turns astringent if oversteeped; moderate caffeine. | A gift, or a slow afternoon cup; gongfu in a small pot with boiling water, pouring off the first infusion after just ten to fifteen seconds. Occasions · | “Duck shit aroma” is a genuine aroma-type name, not an insult, and it smells of gardenia. With Dancong the aroma type matters more than the origin, so ask for it before buying. It is the Chinese oolong closest to a “fruit and flower tea”, well suited to anyone who dislikes roasted notes. |
Oriental Beauty
| Loose strips in five colours, white, green, red, brown and yellow, with clear white tips; the liquor is amber to orange-red. A summer tea from Hsinchu and Miaoli that can only be made from leaves bitten by the tea green leafhopper, and the most heavily oxidised of the oolongs. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf; competition teas from Hsinchu and Miaoli counties carry grades, and prices vary widely with the degree of leafhopper bite and the amount of white tip. Form | Honey, ripe peach and muscatel-like sweet aromas, a smooth liquor with almost no astringency; moderate caffeine. | A gift (the tea with the best Taiwanese story), or an afternoon tea with snacks; steep at 85–90°C for two minutes, and it works well in a Western-style pot too. Occasions · | One tea with many names: Oriental Beauty, Bai Hao oolong, pengfeng tea and champagne oolong are all the same thing. It can only be made in areas with summer leafhopper activity, and cheap “Oriental Beauty” usually has too little bite and faint honey notes. It already tastes close to black tea, which makes it a good first step from black tea into oolong. |
Pouchong (Baozhong)
| Long, strip-shaped dark green leaves that are not rolled into balls; the liquor is honey-green. An oolong from Pinglin and Shiding in New Taipei, very lightly oxidised, and the Taiwanese oolong closest to green tea. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf; Pinglin Farmers' Association competition teas carry grades, and the tin often says “Wenshan Pouchong” or “qingcha”, clear tea. Form | Gardenia and lily-like florals, melon sweetness and a fresh finish; fairly low caffeine. | Cold brew, an afternoon tea with snacks, or a small cup in the evening; steep at 90°C for two to three minutes, and a glass lets you watch the leaves unfurl. Occasions · · | “Baozhong” comes from the old habit of wrapping the tea in paper, and is not a cultivar. It comes as strips rather than balls, so a bag of it is bulky and looks “loose”, which is normal. For a ball-rolled oolong with stronger florals, switch to Alishan High Mountain Oolong. |
Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen)
| Plump single buds covered in silvery-white down, like little needles; the liquor is a very pale apricot-yellow. The top grade of white tea from Fuding and Zhenghe in Fujian, only sun-withered and dried at low heat, with almost no rolling or firing. OriginChina Sold asMostly loose leaf, also pressed into cakes; the Fuding Da Bai cultivar is the mainstream, and tins often state a year, since ageing white tea is popular. Form | A light sweetness of honey, hay and cucumber, white florals and a soft liquor; fairly low caffeine. | Cold brew, a small cup in the evening, or a gift; steep at 85°C for four minutes, or cold-brew overnight. Occasions · · | White tea is not white; the name comes from the white down on the buds. A pale liquor does not mean a weak tea, so give it a longer steep. For another bud tea with a toasty side, Junshan Yinzhen, a yellow tea, is in the next row. |
Bai Mudan (White Peony)
| One bud with one or two leaves, loose grey-green leaves with white down; the liquor is apricot-yellow. The second grade of Fuding white tea, with more leaf than Silver Needle and a fuller taste. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and pressed cakes are both common, with cakes usually dated; far more affordable than Silver Needle. Form | Ripe pear and melon sweetness with hay, and a faint almond finish; fairly low caffeine. | An afternoon tea with snacks, cold brew, or a small cup in the evening; steep at 90°C for three minutes, and the fruit shows more clearly brewed gongfu style. Occasions · · | The best-value white tea for everyday drinking: it has Silver Needle's clean sweetness plus the body of leaf. A few years of ageing bring out honey and date notes, which is why tins carry a year. For a cheaper, fuller white tea, look to Shoumei and Gongmei. |
Shoumei
| Coarse, large leaves and stems in brownish green with yellow; the liquor runs from orange-yellow to amber, deepening with age. The coarse-leaf grade of white tea from northern Fujian, withered longer and oxidised more than other white teas. OriginChina Sold asMostly cakes (“aged white tea” is usually Shoumei pressed into cakes), also loose leaf and small tuo nests; the label always states a year. Form | Date, dried apricot and warm hay, with honey sweetness and a faint herbal, root-like note after ageing; fairly low caffeine. | With meals, a small cup in the evening, or simmered; steep in boiling water for five minutes, or simmer over low heat. Occasions · | The vast majority of “aged white tea” on the market is Shoumei cake. Coarse leaf is a grade name, not a sign of poor quality; it is the white tea that takes the most infusions and simmers best. For delicate bud aromas, look to Bai Mudan and Silver Needle. |
Gongmei
| Small leaves with buds, grey-green with brown; the liquor is orange-yellow. White tea made in Jianyang and Fuding in Fujian from the local small-leaf “caicha” bushes, a grade between Bai Mudan and Shoumei. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and cakes; the national standard defines it separately from Shoumei, but the market often mixes the two, and cheap “Gongmei” is usually Shoumei. Form | Stewed apricot, date honey and roasted barley, with a warm woody finish; moderate caffeine. | With meals, or with Cantonese dim sum; steep in boiling water for four minutes, or simmer for ten minutes for a fuller cup. Occasions · | Gongmei and Shoumei differ in cultivar, caicha versus Da Bai, and in how many buds they carry, and they taste very close; if you cannot tell them apart, treat it as “Shoumei with buds”. Tea houses often serve it with dim sum. |
Yueguangbai (Moonlight White)
| Leaves with white down on top and dark brown undersides, each leaf two-toned; the liquor is golden. A white tea made from Yunnan's large-leaf variety, dried indoors at night in the shade rather than in the sun as in Fujian. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and cakes, with Menghai and Jinggu as common origin labels; some sellers file it under pu-erh because it is Yunnan large-leaf tea. Form | Lychee honey, ripe plum and a hint of cocoa, with a touch of Yunnan tea's forest-floor character; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea on its own, or a gift; steep in boiling water for two and a half minutes, and short gongfu infusions bring out the lychee most clearly. Occasions · | Whether it counts as white tea or pu-erh is unsettled and depends on the seller: by process it is white tea, by origin and cultivar it is Yunnan tea. For traditional Fujian white tea, look to Silver Needle and Bai Mudan; for another Yunnan large-leaf tea, look to Sheng Pu-erh. |
Darjeeling White
| Loose green-brown buds and leaves with silver tips; the liquor is pale gold. White tea made on Darjeeling estates from the same bushes as their black tea, lightly hand-rolled and slowly dried. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asSmall packs of loose leaf labelled with estate and flush; output is very small and prices are high. Form | Muscatel, white peach and wild-herb aromas, with a clean mineral finish; moderate caffeine. | A gift, or cold brew; steep at 85°C for three minutes, or cold-brew for six hours. Occasions · | It is the unoxidised version of Darjeeling black tea, with the same family of aromas but lighter. Indian white tea is not a traditional category but a new product estates make for the premium market; for classic white tea, look to the Fujian slot. |
Junshan Yinzhen (Yellow Tea)
| Golden single buds with fine down that stand upright in the glass as they open; the liquor is a bright apricot-yellow. A yellow tea from Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Hunan: green-tea processing plus an extra “menhuang” step that lets the buds yellow slightly in damp heat. OriginChina Sold asSmall packs of loose leaf, very small output and high prices; much of what is sold as “Junshan Yinzhen” is bud tea from elsewhere, and even plain “yellow tea” is hard to find. Form | Sweet corn and young chestnut aromas, an umami softer than green tea's and no raw green edge; fairly low caffeine. | A gift, or a slow afternoon cup; steep at 75–80°C for two to three minutes, and a glass lets you watch the buds stand up. Occasions · | The rarest of the six tea categories: yellow tea sits between green and white thanks to the menhuang step, and many tea shops simply do not stock it. Like Silver Needle it is all single buds and looks similar, but yellow tea has the yellowing step and a yellower liquor; Huoshan Huangya and Mengding Huangya are other yellow tea names. |
Sheng Pu-erh
| Dark green to deep brown leaves pressed into cakes (357 g is the most common), bricks or nests; the liquor is yellow-green when young and turns redder with every year. Sun-dried Yunnan large-leaf maocha, steamed soft and pressed, left to transform slowly over time. OriginChina Sold asCakes, bricks, nests and loose leaf; the wrapper always states the year and the factory or mountain (Banzhang, Yiwu and Bingdao are common mountain names). Form | Young, it has fresh apricot notes with clear bitterness and astringency that quickly turn to a sweet aftertaste; with age it shifts to honey and camphor wood; moderate caffeine. | With meals, as a gift, or for the collection; gongfu brewing with boiling water, one quick rinse, then ten to fifteen seconds for the first few infusions. Occasions · | “Pu-erh” is both a place and a tea category: sheng has not been through wet-piling, and freshly made it is actually closer to green tea, needing a few years to develop the “pu-erh taste”. Newcomers who want mellow depth right away should look to Shou Pu-erh. Pry cakes apart with a tea pick; do not snap them by force. |
Shou Pu-erh
| Deep brown to black leaves, pressed into cakes, bricks or nests or sold loose; the liquor is deep red, near black, and clear. Yunnan large-leaf tea put through “wodui”, wet-piling for several weeks so microbes ferment it, then pressed, so it is mellow from the day it leaves the factory. OriginChina Sold asCakes, bricks, nests, mini nests (one per brew) and loose leaf; the “pu-erh” in tea houses and supermarkets is almost always shou. Wrappers state the year and factory. Form | Dark cocoa, damp wood and dried-longan sweetness, a thick, smooth liquor with no bitterness or astringency; moderate caffeine. | With oily food and Cantonese dim sum, or as the base for yuenyeung and pu-erh milk tea; rinse once with boiling water, then gongfu from fifteen seconds, or steep a whole pot for a long time. Occasions · | What Chinese calls “hei cha” is dark tea in English, not black tea (that is hong cha). The “pu-erh” in Hong Kong-style tea houses is this. A new shou with a “pile” smell, like a warehouse, loses it after a year or two of rest; for a lively bitter-then-sweet character, switch to Sheng Pu-erh. |
Liu Bao
| Blackish-brown loose leaves, traditionally aged in large bamboo baskets; the liquor is a deep red. A dark tea from Liubao township in Cangwu, Guangxi, wet-piled after fixing and then aged in bamboo baskets, known for its “betel nut” aroma. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf in bamboo baskets, small baskets, cakes and bricks; widely drunk among Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore, and aged Liu Bao often comes back from Southeast Asia. Form | Damp cedar, a betel-nut-like woody-herbal note and camphor sweetness, with a round, easy liquor; fairly low caffeine. | With dim sum and strongly flavoured dishes, or a small cup in the evening; rinse, then steep in boiling water for two minutes, or simmer. Occasions · | Like Shou Pu-erh it is a wet-piled dark tea, but Liu Bao is gentler, with its distinctive betel-nut aroma. The yellow specks of “golden flowers” that grow in old tea baskets are a mould culture counted as a plus, not spoilage; mould of any other colour means the tea has gone bad. |
Fu Zhuan Cha (Fu Brick Tea)
| Rectangular tea bricks that break open to reveal a scattering of yellow specks, the golden flowers; the liquor is orange-red. A dark tea from Anhua in Hunan, coarse mature leaves wet-piled, pressed into bricks and kept warm so the golden-flower culture grows on purpose. OriginChina Sold asWhole bricks (commonly 400 g to one kilogram) or cut pieces; Jingyang in Shaanxi also makes Fu bricks, and it is the everyday tea of the northwestern pastoral regions. Form | Roasted wheat, malt sugar and date, with a faint cool camphor note and a smooth liquor; moderate caffeine. | With meals, or boiled into milk tea the northwestern way; break off seven grams, rinse quickly and brew gongfu style with boiling water, or simmer over low heat for fifteen minutes. Occasions · | Golden flowers are the mark of a Fu brick, and the denser the better; bricks with none or only a sparse scatter were usually piled too dry. The brick is hard, so use a tea knife; it is the dark tea best suited to boiling with milk. |
Liu An Hei Cha
| Blackish-brown leaves pressed into small bamboo baskets lined with bamboo leaves; the liquor is red-brown. A dark tea from the Lu'an and Qimen area of Anhui, late-summer leaves pan-fired, wet-piled, steamed soft and packed into baskets to age. OriginChina Sold asMostly small bamboo baskets (about 500 g) with a numbered paper label on the basket; common in old tea shops in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Form | Red date, dried longan and camphor, a faint old-cedar note and a slightly dry, crisp finish; moderate caffeine. | With meals, or with Cantonese dim sum; steep in boiling water from forty seconds, or simmer. Occasions | Do not confuse it with Lu'an Guapian: Guapian is an Anhui green tea and the basket tea is a dark tea; they only share a place name. The basket and bamboo leaves are part of the flavour, so store the tea in its basket; replace the basket if it goes mouldy. |
Qianliang Cha (Thousand-Tael Tea)
| A huge cylinder bound in woven bamboo, a traditional log weighing about 36 kg, sold in slices; the liquor is orange-red. A dark tea from Anhua in Hunan, coarse leaves steamed soft, rolled into bamboo husks and left outdoors in sun and dew for several weeks to mature. OriginChina Sold asWhole logs are rare; most is cut into thin cake-like slices or made as smaller “Bailiang” and “Shiliang” logs. Anhua's Sanjian, Fu bricks and rolled teas belong to the same family. Form | Brown sugar, dried date and a trace of pine smoke, with a cool camphor finish; moderate caffeine. | With meals, for sharing in a group, or as a gift (a whole log is quite a sight); cut five or six grams, rinse quickly and steep in boiling water for half a minute, or simmer the slices. Occasions · | “Qianliang” is a weight, a thousand taels in the old system or about 36 kg, not a quality grade in the name. The bamboo husk is part of the process, not packaging, so a hint of bamboo on the outer layer of a slice is normal. |
Jasmine Dragon Pearl
| Green tea rolled into small pearls with white tips that open into buds and leaves; the liquor is pale yellow. A scented tea from Fujian: spring green tea is layered with night-blooming jasmine and scented five to seven times, the flowers then sifted out, leaving the aroma in the tea. OriginChina Sold asPearls, loose-leaf “jasmine tea” and tea bags are all sold; Hong Kong-style tea houses call it “heung pin” (xiangpian). Dried flowers visible in the tea are usually decoration, not the source of the aroma. Form | Sweet jasmine petals, melon sweetness and a smooth green tea base, no astringency; fairly low caffeine, depending on the base tea. | An afternoon tea with snacks, cold brew, or a small cup in the evening; steep at 85°C for two minutes, or cold-brew for six hours. Occasions · · | Jasmine tea is green tea at base rather than a herbal infusion, so it does contain caffeine. Cheap versions with lots of visible dried flowers usually had the flowers added afterwards and the aroma fades fast; a good jasmine tea shows almost no flowers. |
Earl Grey
| Blackish-brown black tea leaves with a clear citrus scent on the dry leaf; the liquor is red-brown. Neither an origin nor a cultivar, but black tea flavoured with bergamot oil, usually on a Ceylon, Indian or Chinese base. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asTea bags and loose leaf, with every brand's recipe different; “Lady Grey” adds citrus peel and cornflower, “French Earl Grey” adds petals, and “Earl Grey Green” uses a green tea base. Form | Bright bergamot peel, malty sweetness and a faint vanilla finish; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea with scones and sweets, or the base for Earl Grey milk tea; steep in boiling water for three minutes, double strength for milk tea. Occasions · | Bergamot is a citrus fruit, not Taiwan's chayote and not the Buddha's hand citron either; the aroma almost always comes from flavouring or essential oil, and the label says whether it is natural. For an unflavoured afternoon tea of the same kind, Darjeeling and Ceylon are the usual base teas. |
Masala Chai
| CTC black tea mixed with whole or crushed cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper; boiled up, it is a milky brown. The everyday tea of street stalls and homes across northern India, with tea, spices, milk and sugar all boiled together. OriginIndia & Sri Lanka Sold asPre-mixed loose tea, tea bags, syrups and instant powders are all called chai; the “chai latte” in cafés is mostly syrup or concentrate with milk. Form | The spice of cardamom and ginger, the warmth of cinnamon and black pepper, mixed with the sweetness of boiled milk; moderate caffeine, softened further by the milk. | Breakfast, warming up on a cold day, or in place of dessert; simmer the tea and spices in water first, then add an equal amount of milk and the sugar, boil for five minutes and strain. Occasions · | The biggest name trap of all: chai is simply the Hindi word for tea, so “chai tea” means “tea tea”; order chai in India and this milky, sweet, spiced cup is what you get. What Taiwan calls “Indian milk tea” is this. |
Rose Congou
| Blackish-brown black tea strips mixed with dried rose petals; the liquor is bright red. A scented black tea from Fuzhou in Fujian: congou black tea is layered with fresh roses to take on their scent, then dried, with the petals sometimes left in. OriginChina Sold asMostly loose leaf; “Congou” is the old Western name for Chinese gongfu black tea, which is why it appears in the English name. Form | Candied rose, honey and a red-grape-skin aroma over a gentle black tea base; moderate caffeine. | An afternoon tea with sweets, or the base for a floral milk tea; steep in boiling water for three minutes. Occasions | Unlike “rose-flavoured black tea” sprayed with essence, the scented version's rose is softer and shorter-lived. Rose petals pick up the smell of clay pots, so porcelain or glass gives the cleanest cup. For another scented tea on a green base, look to jasmine tea. |
Lychee Black Tea
| Blackish-brown black tea leaves with a sweet fruit scent on the dry leaf; the liquor is bright red. A flavoured black tea from Guangdong and Guangxi, traditionally roasted with lychee shells or juice, nowadays mostly with flavouring. OriginChina Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags; the “lychee black tea” in bubble-tea shops is usually syrup added to black tea, not this flavoured leaf. Form | A lychee-syrup-like sweet aroma, caramel and a hint of cedar; moderate caffeine. | For iced tea and fruit milk tea, or an afternoon tea with snacks; steep in boiling water for three minutes, or cold-brew for eight hours. Occasions · · | The sweetness is in the aroma, not sugar; the tea itself is not sweet, and it only tastes like the drinks-shop version once sugar goes in. For natural fruit notes without added flavouring, Darjeeling and Oriental Beauty carry their own grape and honey aromas. |
Osmanthus Oolong
| Bright green ball-rolled oolong mixed with tiny golden osmanthus flowers; the liquor is honey-yellow. Around Nantou in Taiwan, lightly oxidised oolong is tossed with fresh osmanthus to absorb the scent, then most of the flowers are sifted out. OriginTaiwan Sold asLoose leaf and tea bags, with each maker leaving in more or fewer flowers; China also makes osmanthus oolong and osmanthus black tea. Form | Apricot and osmanthus-honey aromas with sugarcane sweetness and a fresh finish; moderate caffeine. | Cold brew, or an afternoon tea with snacks; steep at 90°C for two minutes and avoid boiling water, which turns the osmanthus bitter; six hours of cold brew gives the cleanest aroma. Occasions · | Osmanthus itself has no caffeine, but the base is oolong, so this cup does. For pure osmanthus with no caffeine, buy dried osmanthus and steep it alone. Most “osmanthus tea” in Taiwan in autumn is this. |
Chrysanthemum Pu-erh
| Deep brown shou pu-erh paired with dried white or yellow Hangzhou chrysanthemums, often pressed into single-serve mini nests; the liquor is red-brown with a golden tint. It began in Hong Kong tea houses, pairing Yunnan shou pu-erh with Hangzhou chrysanthemum. OriginChina Sold asLoose mixes, mini nests and tea bags; order “guk pou” (ju pu) in a Hong Kong-style tea house and this is what arrives. Form | Shou pu-erh's brown sugar and damp wood, lifted by the chrysanthemum's fresh floral note, with a thick liquor; moderate caffeine. | With dim sum, or after a big meal; steep in boiling water for two minutes, and it tolerates a long steep. Occasions | Its base is shou pu-erh, a dark tea, so it is filed under scented teas but made by post-fermentation. A quick first rinse clears pollen and dust from the flowers. For pure chrysanthemum with no caffeine, look to Chrysanthemum Flower Tea in the herbal row. |
Chamomile Infusion
| Small dried white flowers with yellow centres, like miniature daisies; the liquor is pale gold. Dried flowers of a daisy-family plant grown in Europe and Egypt, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asTea bags are the most common, with whole dried flowers and floral blends also sold; German and Roman chamomile are two different plants, and tea bags are mostly the German kind. Form | A honeyed-apple sweetness with hay and a soft floral note; no caffeine. | In the evening, or whenever you want a hot drink without caffeine; steep in boiling water for five minutes with a lid on to keep the aroma in. Occasions | In Spanish, manzanilla is both chamomile and a style of sherry, so context matters. Herbal infusions are called herbal tea or tisane in English rather than tea, which is why Western menus often list them separately. |
Rooibos
| Fine, reddish-brown needle-like fragments; the liquor is red-orange. The leaves of a legume shrub from South Africa's Western Cape, chopped, piled to oxidise and sun-dried, which is why it looks like black tea. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asTea bags and loose leaf; “green rooibos” is the unoxidised version, lighter in both colour and taste. Form | Honey, vanilla and apricot-like sweetness with a light woody note, no astringency; no caffeine. | In the evening, as the base for caffeine-free milk tea and lattes, or cold brew; steep in boiling water for five minutes or more, and it does not turn bitter with long steeping. Occasions · · | The French call it thé rouge, red tea, but it is not from the tea plant and has nothing to do with what Chinese calls red tea. It is the closest caffeine-free stand-in for black tea: for an evening milk tea, use it as the base. |
Peppermint Leaf
| Dark green dried leaf fragments; the liquor is pale yellow-green. Dried peppermint leaves grown in Europe and North America, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asTea bags are the most common, with loose leaf also sold; “Moroccan mint tea” is a different thing: green tea with fresh mint and plenty of sugar. Form | A cooling menthol sensation with a sweet herbal finish; no caffeine. | After meals, in the evening, or cold brew; steep in boiling water for four minutes, and it is good iced with lemon. Occasions · · | Order “mint tea” in Europe or North America and you usually get this pure mint leaf (no caffeine); in Morocco and North Africa you get sweet mint tea made with gunpowder green tea (with caffeine). Spearmint is milder than peppermint, and tea bag labels will say which. |
Hibiscus Roselle
| Deep red, split dried calyces (not petals); the liquor is a vivid wine red. Native to Sudan and West Africa, and grown in Mexico, Southeast Asia and Taitung in Taiwan, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried calyces and tea bags, and often part of fruit tea blends; Taiwan also makes honey-preserved roselle and roselle candied fruit. Form | Cranberry-like tartness, pomegranate-like body and a fresh floral note; no caffeine. | Cold brew and iced drinks (best in summer), or in the evening; steep in boiling water for five minutes, and add sugar or honey if it is too tart. Occasions · | One plant with many names: agua de Jamaica in Mexico, bissap in West Africa, karkade in Egypt, luoshen in Taiwan. It is not the ornamental hibiscus of the same name; what you brew is the calyx of the edible species. |
Lemongrass Infusion
| Pale yellow-green dried stalk segments; the liquor is pale yellow. Lemongrass grown in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan, the stalks cut and dried, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried segments and tea bags, often blended with ginger or mint; fresh lemongrass cut into segments steeps just as well. Form | A clear lemon-peel aroma, a faint ginger-like warmth and sweet grass; no caffeine. | Cold brew, after meals, or with Thai and Southeast Asian food; steep in boiling water for six minutes and strain out the fibres. Occasions · · | Xiangmao and ningmengcao are two Chinese names for the same plant; lemon balm and lemon verbena are different plants with a similar scent, not this one. |
Ginger Root Decoction
| Fresh ginger sliced and simmered in water, or dried ginger slices or powder steeped; the liquor is pale yellow to gold. Found across Asia, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asDried ginger slices, ginger tea bags, brown-sugar ginger tea blocks and instant powders; Korean saenggangcha is often ginger preserved in honey or sugar. Form | The heat and warmth of ginger, a brown-sugar-like sweetness with long simmering, and a lasting aroma; no caffeine. | On cold days, in the evening, with milk or brown sugar; simmer ten grams of fresh ginger for ten minutes, or steep dried slices for five minutes. Occasions · | Taiwan's “jiangmu cha” is old ginger boiled with brown sugar and is sweet; India's adrak chai is black tea with ginger and does contain caffeine. For pure ginger with no caffeine, check the ingredients for “tea”. |
Chrysanthemum Flower Tea
| Whole dried small white or yellow chrysanthemums that open up in the water; the liquor is pale yellow. Edible chrysanthemums grown in Hangzhou, Tongxiang and Anhui, containing no tea leaf. OriginChina Sold asWhole dried flowers (Hang Bai Ju, Tai Ju and Huangshan Gong Ju are common names), tea bags and canned chrysanthemum tea; paired with pu-erh in Hong Kong-style tea houses it becomes ju pu. Form | A honeyed floral aroma, a cool herbal sweetness and a faint pollen note; no caffeine. | With oily dishes and dim sum, cold brew, or in the evening; rinse the flowers with a quick first pour, then steep at 90°C for three minutes, often with goji berries or rock sugar. Occasions · · | Tai Ju is the unopened bud and Hang Bai Ju the opened flower; the flavour is the same chrysanthemum, with Tai Ju stronger. The only difference from Chrysanthemum Pu-erh is whether shou pu-erh, which is tea and carries caffeine, is added. |
Butterfly Pea Blossom
| Dried deep blue petals that brew a sapphire-blue liquor, turning purple with lemon. The flower of a legume from Southeast and South Asia, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried flowers and tea bags, and many of the layered “gradient” drinks in drinks shops use it; in Malaysia and Thailand it colours glutinous rice and sweets. Form | Very little flavour, a faint note of fresh bean and sweet grass; no caffeine. | Cold brew for colour-changing drinks and cocktails, or as a dye; steep in boiling water for five minutes, then add lemon or lime and watch it change. Occasions | The colour is the point and there is almost no taste; for flavour you need a blend (lemongrass, mint, lemon). Called blue tea in English, but it is not from the tea plant. The colour shifts with acidity, and sparkling water changes it too. |
Yerba Mate
| Chopped green dried leaves mixed with fine stems and powder; the liquor is yellow-green. The leaves of a holly-family plant from Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil, dried and aged before drinking; no tea leaf, but it does contain caffeine. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLarge loose bags (one kilogram), tea bags and bottled; traditionally shared from a gourd through a metal straw, the bombilla, called chimarrão in Brazil and tereré when served cold in Paraguay. Form | Hay and toasted grass with a light smokiness, bitter at first then sweet, and it takes many infusions; fairly high caffeine, close to coffee. | A morning and working-hours pick-me-up, or Paraguayan-style iced; repeated infusions with 75–80°C water, never boiling, which turns it bitter. Occasions · | Herbal does not mean caffeine-free, and yerba mate is the clearest example, so avoid it in the evening. It sits among the herbal and grain infusions only because it is not from the tea plant. In Chinese it is spelled two ways, 馬黛茶 and 瑪黛茶, for the same thing. |
Lavender Bud Tea
| Small dried purple flower spikes; the liquor is pale yellow with a grey tint. Grown around the Mediterranean, most famously in Provence in France, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried flowers (a very small amount goes a long way) and tea bags, but more often it goes into blends and Earl Grey variants; make sure it is food grade, and do not brew ornamental or fragrance lavender. Form | A soft floral aroma, a light honeyed-herb note and a trace of camphor; no caffeine. | In the evening, or steeped together with chamomile or lemon balm; steep at 90°C for four minutes, and a small pinch is enough. Occasions | Use too much and it tastes of soap; it is the easiest herbal infusion to ruin. Buy lavender labelled “culinary” or food grade; lavender sold for fragrance is not a food. |
Rosehip Infusion
| Orange-red dried wild rose fruits, halved and deseeded; the liquor is orange-red. Wild rosehips harvested in Chile, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried fruit and tea bags, often blended with hibiscus into “red fruit tea”; Hagebuttentee in German supermarkets is an everyday tea bag. Form | Cranberry and redcurrant-like tartness with a light honey sweetness; no caffeine. | Cold brew and iced drinks, or in the evening; steep in boiling water for seven minutes, longer than for flower infusions. Occasions · | It is not the rose flower but the rose's fruit, so there is no floral aroma and it is tart. It often appears alongside hibiscus in fruit teas, and since both are tart and red, not being able to tell them apart is perfectly normal. |
Lemon Balm Infusion
| Crinkled green dried leaves that look like mint; the liquor is pale yellow-green. A mint-family plant from southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the leaves picked before flowering and dried, containing no tea leaf. OriginElsewhere & blends Sold asLoose dried leaves and tea bags, often blended with chamomile or mint; fresh leaves steep with more aroma. Form | A soft lemon aroma over a light mint base, with a sweet herbal finish; no caffeine. | In the evening, or together with chamomile; steep at 90°C for five to ten minutes with a lid on. Occasions | Its botanical name is Melissa, and European tea bags often just say Melissa or Mélisse. Like lemongrass and lemon verbena it smells of lemon, but it is a different plant; it is the one whose leaves look most like mint. |
Barley Tea
| Roasted barley grains, dark brown; boiled or steeped, they give an amber-brown liquor. The everyday tea in every Japanese and Korean household fridge, containing no tea leaf. OriginJapan & Korea Sold asLarge tea bags (one per litre), loose roasted grains, bottled and canned; the rows of mugicha in Japanese convenience stores and the free water served in Korean restaurants are usually this. Form | Roasted grain and a light caramel note, clean on the palate, neither sweet nor astringent; no caffeine. | Cold brew for iced drinks (a whole jug in the fridge in summer), with meals, in the evening, and for children too; steep a tea bag in cold water for an hour or two, or boil for five minutes and let it cool. Occasions · · | It is a grain, not the tea plant and not a herb, which is why it sits under “herbal and grain infusions”. The “water” in Korean restaurants is often warm barley tea, while Japanese mugicha is almost always drunk iced. For a grain aroma with caffeine, look to Genmaicha and Hojicha. |
Photo credits
Photos come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under their own licenses (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA), resized and converted to WebP. A tea gets no photo when none can be confirmed as that tea.
- Dragon Well (Longjing) · Gary Stevens · CC BY 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Sencha · Difference engine · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Matcha · Evanhoever · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Gyokuro · Washing Machine · CC0 · Source on Commons
- Biluochun · Qirille · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Bancha · Rama · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr · Source on Commons
- Hojicha · FCartegnie · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Genmaicha · Teabuzzed · Public domain · Source on Commons
- Gunpowder Green Tea · Zantastik · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Assam Black Tea · Oraola · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Keemun Hao Ya · Whiteness · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Dianhong Golden Needle · Sjschen · CC BY 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Nilgiri Frost · Badagnani (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Jin Jun Mei · Difference engine · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Darjeeling Black Tea · Mike1024 · Public domain · Source on Commons
- Lapsang Souchong · David Monniaux · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- English Breakfast · ashishlohorung · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Tieguanyin · David Spáčil · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Da Hong Pao · PanShiBo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Dong Ding · Waliy sherpa · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Jin Xuan (Milk Oolong) · Difference engine · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Phoenix Dancong · Mx. Granger · CC0 · Source on Commons
- Pouchong (Baozhong) · Richard Corner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen) · User Iateasquirrel on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Bai Mudan (White Peony) · Badagnani (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Shoumei · Fritzober · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Darjeeling White · yoppy · CC BY 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Sheng Pu-erh · Qirille · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Liu Bao · Cosmin Dordea · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Fu Zhuan Cha (Fu Brick Tea) · Kasuga · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Jasmine Dragon Pearl · Fumikas Sagisavas · CC0 · Source on Commons
- Earl Grey · Sebastian Stabinger · CC BY 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Masala Chai · Ganesh Mohan T · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Chamomile Infusion · Greg · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Rooibos · Żółwiciel · CC BY 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Peppermint Leaf · Hannes Grobe/Hannes Grobe (talk) · CC BY 3.0 · Source on Commons
- Hibiscus Roselle · MRG90 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Lemongrass Infusion · Andrea Nguyen · CC BY 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Ginger Root Decoction · congerdesign · CC0 · Source on Commons
- Chrysanthemum Flower Tea · by gliuoo · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Butterfly Pea Blossom · Lawrence Twistleton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Yerba Mate · Lexspion · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source on Commons
- Rosehip Infusion · Maja Petric majapetric · CC0 · Source on Commons
- Lemon Balm Infusion · rrunaway · CC BY 2.0 · Source on Commons
- Barley Tea · WolfgangMichel · CC0 · Source on Commons
About Tea Type Comparison Table
Six tea families, processing ladder, caffeine and origin
This table compares green tea, black tea, oolong, white and yellow tea, dark tea, scented tea and herbal and grain infusions by processing, caffeine and origin tradition; each row covers looks and how it's made, taste and body, how to drink it and what to check before you buy. The Tea Pick Guide above arranges the 60 teas as a processing ladder, a caffeine ladder and a processing-by-origin map, where teas in the same cell taste closest.
Search, filter and narrow down from the guide
Search matches tea names, other names, local names, occasions and keywords. The control bar filters by form (loose leaf, rolled balls, cakes and bricks, powder, dried herbs and grains, bags and blends) and by occasion (morning pick-me-up, with sweets, low-caffeine evening, cold brew and iced, with food, milk tea base, gifts and guests, first oolong). Tap a processing tier, caffeine level or map cell in the guide and the table narrows down to that group of teas.
A reference, not personal advice or a brewing manual
Caffeine here comes in four levels only, high, medium, low and none, with no figures; brewing notes give a water temperature range and a rough time, not a certified method. Process names, grades and herbal ingredients vary by origin, brand and region. If you are pregnant, have allergies or are on any regular treatment, check the packaging and ask a professional.
FAQ
Common questions and answers about this topic.
What types of tea are included in this table?
This table compares 60 teas and infusions in 7 categories: green tea, black tea, oolong, white and yellow tea, dark and aged tea, scented and spiced tea, and herbal and grain infusions. The guide above lets you browse by processing, caffeine or the origin map, and the table can be filtered by category and occasion.
Why are herbal infusions listed separately from tea?
This table groups drinks not made from the tea plant under Herbal & Grain Infusions, kept apart from green, oolong and black tea: Chamomile Infusion, Rooibos and Hibiscus Roselle are herbal, Barley Tea is a grain. They form their own "Not from the tea plant" tier on the processing ladder, and caffeine has to be checked row by row.
How do green, oolong, and black tea differ in oxidation?
The difference is how much the leaves oxidize after picking. In this table, Dragon Well (Longjing) goes into the pan within hours of picking so the leaves never oxidize; Tieguanyin is tossed so the leaf edges oxidize, then rolled into balls and roasted; Assam Black Tea is left to oxidize fully before drying, which is why its liquor is red. Each row explains this in plain words under "Looks & how it's made".
Are all herbal infusions caffeine-free?
No. This table marks Chamomile Infusion as caffeine-free, while Yerba Mate is fairly high: it is not from the tea plant, yet its caffeine is close to coffee's. Check the caffeine ladder and the packaging rather than assuming from the category.
Do green and black tea use the same water temperature and steeping time?
Not quite. In this table, Dragon Well (Longjing) is brewed with water around 80°C for two to three minutes; Assam Black Tea takes boiling water for three to four minutes, and can go stronger for milk tea. Each row's "How to drink it" gives a water temperature range and a rough time; adjust to your tea seller's guidance and your own taste.
Data Sources
This tool's data is compiled from the authoritative sources below.
- FAO - Tea(opens in a new tab)
- ISO 20715:2023 - Tea classification of tea types(opens in a new tab)
- ISO 3720:2011 - Black tea definition and basic requirements(opens in a new tab)
- Codex - Tea commodity detail(opens in a new tab)
- Taiwan Tea and Beverage Research Station (TRES) - Tea cultivars and Taiwan tea types(opens in a new tab)
- Japan Tea Central Association - Green tea labeling standards(opens in a new tab)
- Kyoto Prefecture Tea Industry Council - Uji tea Q&A(opens in a new tab)
- Korea MFDS - Food Code (tea and infusion definitions)(opens in a new tab)
Data last maintained