III. 茶的種類

Tea is basically divided into 3 types: Japanese tea, Oolong tea, and Black tea. These 3 Types of Tea can be made from the same tea trees: not fermented, half-fermented, and fermented, respectively. However, each type of tea has a tree best-suited for its making.

1. Japanese tea (not fermented)

As soon as the tealeaves are picked, they are steamed, killing the oxidizing enzyme, and then dried and crumpled for the finished product. Within the boundary of Japanese tea, different types of tea such as Kukicha, Sencha, Hojicha, Genmaicha, etc. are made by different parts of tealeaves whether they are roasted or not. Since Japanese tea is not fermented it has the best quality of catechin (substance of bitterness) and more vitamins and minerals. The vitamin C content is 30 times as much as Oolong tea. The more fermented the tea is, the less catechin and vitamins are in the tea. Catechin is oxidized, weakening the appealing bitter flavor. Oolong and Black tea are both less nutritious than Japanese tea.

2. Oolong tea (half-fermented)

Tealeaves are withered without heating. Halfway through oxidation the leaves are roasted to stop oxidization and dried to make Oolong tea.

3. Black tea (fermented)

Tealeaves are withered without heating. To accelerate oxidization, tealeaves are repeatedly crumpled to completely activate the oxidizing enzyme and dried to make black tea.