Types of Tea

Tea comes from a bush from the Camellia family. There are two main species of tea bush; Camellia sinensis that originates from China and Camellia assamica that originates from India. There are also hybrids developed to suit different growing conditions. The majority of tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis bush. It is an evergreen bush that in tea fields grows up to waist height.

There are approximately 1,500 different varieties of tea, all offering interesting and varied styles, taste and colour. The character of tea, like wine, is influenced by the elevation of the garden, the soil, wind conditions and temperature and, of course, the quality of the plucking. With so many teas to choose from there is a lifetime of enjoyable exploration ahead.

There are four main types of tea, Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea and White Tea. There are also non traditional teas known as Herbal and Fruit Flavoured Infusions.

Black Tea

All types of tea are ‘plucked' from the tea bush, typically by hand and usually only the first two leaves and a bud are taken. This ensures only the most tender leaves are used to produce the finest tea.

Black tea is darker than other teas as it undergoes a process of oxidation, giving the tea a rich, darker colour and smooth flavour.

Green Tea

Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea. However it goes though a slightly different process to black tea. Depending on the type of green tea, the leaves may or may not be withered. The tea is then either steamed or pan-fired to stop the oxidation process (which means the leaves do not progress to black tea). The leaves are then rolled and fired.

The colour of green tea is retained as the heating process stops any chemical reaction with oxygen (oxidation) preserving its greenness.

White Tea

White teas is a rare, delicate tea that has a fine, light taste. Its rarity is due to the fact that White Tea is only plucked in a few short weeks every year, using only the first bud and top leaf from the new season Bush. The white tea undergoes minimal processing, being just withering and drying, retaining its delicate taste. White tea is named for the fine white downy hairs that covers the first bud.

Fruit & Herbal infusions

Fruit and Herbal teas are not technically, teas. Tea only refers to product made from the Camellia sinensis bush, so we like to call our fruit and herbal range infusions. Herbal infusions are produced from plants, fruits and spices such as Camomile, Peppermint and even Mango. Ingredients for Fruit & Herbal infusions come from all over the world, with most of Tetley's range being blended in England.

Rooibos

Rooibos is not technically a tea! Meaning “Red Bush” in Afrikaans, Rooibos is the name for a naturally mild, sweet tasting herb unique to the Cedarberg region of South Africa. It is naturally 100% caffeine free and it also tastes great!