All true tea comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis. What makes a tea green, oolong or black is mostly how far it's allowed to oxidise after picking, and what's done to it after that.
Greens are heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, so they stay fresh and vegetal. Whites are simply withered and dried. Oolongs are partly oxidised and often roasted. Blacks are fully oxidised. Dark teas and shou pu-erh are fermented; sheng pu-erh ages slowly in the cake instead.
Herbal infusions such as rooibos, chamomile or mint aren't tea in this sense, but they steep the same way and Steepbook tracks them just as well.
Words in this article
- Oxidation
- Leaf browning after picking, like a cut apple. It's what separates green (barely any) from oolong (some) and black (full).
More in Learn
- Leaf, heat and time
- Water temperature by tea
- Gongfu steeping
- Rinsing the leaf
- Water matters
- Freshness and storage
- Dialing in a new tea
- Tea glossary
Steepbook is a free app that remembers the steep that worked for each tea, teaware and brew style. Have a look if that sounds useful.