Licorice & Sloe Company

Demystifying Tea – Differentiating Types

By Bil Silliker | December 7, 2005

“White… green… black… oolong… don’t you have anything like my ordinary tea?”

I‘ve been asked questions like this more than once and after the laser-beam rays fire out of my eyes and vaporize the poor customers who ask this, I explain that their ordinary tea is very much like the special teas that we carry at the shop. Then I’ll suggest a tea for them based on the type of tea they drink at home.

What I’ve come to realize is that most of these questions are knee jerk reactions to the overwhelming list and the various types of tea that confound a first time customer. After explaining the difference between white, green, oolong and black, what’s usually left is a much smaller and less overwhelming list of teas.

So what is the difference between white, green, oolong and black? The simple answer is oxidation, which is just a fancy word meaning to combine with oxygen. To oxidize a leaf you simply break its outer cell structure (crumbling it between your fingers works nicely). To stop it or prevent it from oxidizing you heat it.

White and green teas are considered non-oxidized. They are heated before oxidation can begin. They’re closer to the natural state of the tea plant and tend to taste more vegetal. They’re high in antioxidants (if you care about that sort of thing) and they have low to medium caffeine content.

Black teas are considered fully oxidized and tend to have a bolder sweet taste, sometimes bordering on a honey, molasses or caramel flavor. While not as high in antioxidants they say black tea is good for those watching their cholesterol. The caffeine content in black tea is much higher.

Oolong teas are considered semi-oxidized. They are allowed to oxidize for some percentage of time, usually more than 10% and less than 90%. The taste of oolong teas will vary greatly based on the percentage of oxidation. Usually they’re nutty or fruity and will have a lovely floral aroma. The caffeine content is lower than black tea but typically higher than green tea.

In the end you shouldn’t let the full list overwhelm you, there are plenty of teas to try and several of them are very close to what you’ve been drinking all along. If you want to come in and sound like an expert, ask for the Saint James Broken Orange Pekoe and give me a wink… we’ll keep it between us that this is your first visit and that you would have otherwise been overwhelmed.