Beginner’s guide to tea types

Black, green, white, oolong, yellow and pu-erh all come from a single plant, Camellia sinensis. What separates them is not the bush but what happens to the leaf after it is picked — how far it is allowed to oxidise, and how that oxidation is halted. Herbal infusions are the genuine exception: they come from other plants entirely.

The six true teas

Black tea is fully oxidised: withered, rolled, left to darken, then dried. It is bold and often malty or brisk, carries the most caffeine of the classic teas, and originated in China before spreading to India, Sri Lanka and East Africa. Best in the morning, when you want a cup with some weight to it.

Green tea is heated soon after picking — steamed in Japan, pan-fired in China — to stop oxidation before it starts. That preserves the green colour and a fresh, grassy or vegetal character. Caffeine is moderate. It suits calm focus at almost any hour, provided the water is not too hot.

White tea is made from young buds with minimal processing, often little more than withering and drying. The name comes from the silvery down on those unopened buds. It is delicate, subtly sweet, and the lightest in caffeine of the true teas — a good afternoon or evening choice.

Oolong is partially oxidised: the leaves are bruised and allowed to oxidise to varying degrees before heating. That creates an enormous spectrum, from green and floral styles like Tieguanyin to dark, roasted ones like Dong Ding. It is the most versatile family and the one that rewards repeat infusions most obviously.

Pu-erh and dark tea are fermented and often aged, traditionally in Yunnan. Raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) versions taste quite different, but both land earthy, woody and smooth. Many people drink it after meals or as a slow, contemplative cup. Caffeine depends on processing and age.

Yellow tea is the rare one. After a green-tea-style kill-green, the leaves are wrapped and allowed to yellow slightly, and that extra step rounds off the grassiness. It is a small but treasured part of Chinese tea culture, mellow and smooth where a green would be sharp.

What is not technically tea

Herbal infusions — tisanes — are made from flowers, roots, leaves or fruit rather than from the tea plant, which is why they are naturally caffeine-free. Chamomile, lavender, peppermint, ginger, hibiscus and rooibos all sit here, and they are the family to reach for when you want flavour and warmth without anything that affects sleep.

Chai is a style rather than a botanical category: usually black tea simmered with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, often with milk. Because the base varies, so does the caffeine — you will also find green and fully caffeine-free versions of the same spice blend.

Choosing between them

For most people the deciding factor is caffeine and time of day, not flavour. The rough ladder runs herbal at zero, white and roasted greens low, most greens and oolongs in the middle, and breakfast-style blacks and matcha at the top; the honest caffeine ladder lays out where each one actually falls.

The second factor is how you brew it, and it matters more than the label on the tin. A green tea scalded with boiling water tastes bitter no matter how good the leaf was, so it is worth reading the brewing chart before you write off a whole family. When you want to see the range in one place, our full catalogue is sorted by type, flavour and moment.