Down to the last Tea

Tea drinkers, especially aficionados, have a certain class about them. What makes them even classier is when they know exactly what is in their drink. If you can tell the difference between Green Tea and Matcha, without resorting to jokes, then consider yourself posh and tasteful. In case you can't, here's a rundown on teas of all sorts along with a glossary breaking down tea lingo. Consider this a life-hack for being a hit at spiffy parties!

GREEN TEA
Green tea is heated immediately after being picked. Whether pan-fired, steamed or fired in an oven, the goodness of the leaf is sealed inside. The resulting tea is very delicate. To prevent cooking the leaves and destroying their subtle notes, green tea should be brewed in water that is well below boiling. 

MATCHA
In Japan, Matcha translates to powdered tea. This is a beverage where the tea leaves are consumed, not strained like most other teas. Famous for being the tea celebrated in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, it can be enjoyed with or without ritual. The vibrant green colour in Matcha comes from careful cultivation with the plants covered with mats several weeks prior to harvest, making it difficult for them to receive sunlight. In this struggle, the plant produces more chlorophyll and its leaves become supple. Once harvested, the leaves are dried, de-veined (stems removed) and stone-ground into powder.

CHAI TEA
Masala chai, or "Spiced Tea," has its origins in India. It's made on a stove top, cooking black tea with local spices, milk and sugar. There are many theories as to how this tradition began. Some allude to folk tales from yesteryears of Indian royal courts, while others describe a more realistic picture of making British tea more palatable. Chai has been an integral part of everyday life in India since the 1930's. You can find it at any hour and nearly any setting. The spices used to make chai vary from region to region and from household to household. They are typically a variation of black tea with cardamom, ginger, clove, black pepper, bay leaf, star anise and fennel. Making traditional chai is an all-day process in which whole spices and black tea are simmered with milk.

OOlONG TEA
Oolong tea is generally rolled after picking, allowing its essential oils to slowly oxidise. This reaction to the air darkens the leaf and produces distinctive fragrances. Once the leaf has developed properly, the tea maker must stop the oxidation by heating it rapidly in a process called 'panning.' The leaf is then rolled into its final shape. Producing this handcrafted tea properly is extremely labour intensive. The tea maker must carefully balance many elements in the critical first few hours, including weather conditions, leaf quality, and oxidation time.

BLACK TEA
Black tea, or red tea as it's known in China, is the result of a complete oxidation of the leaf before being fired. First the leaf is spread out and left to wilt naturally, losing its stiffness and much of its weight. Then it's rolled, exposing essential oils to the air and starting the oxidation process. When this is complete, the leaf is heated to stop the process, graded for quality, and packed.

HERBAL INFUSION
Enjoyed for ages, herbal infusions are made from a variety of different plants but not the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Popular for their medicinal and calming qualities, they have unique flavours and are all caffeine-free.

PU-ERH TEA
Pu-erh is a post-fermented tea made from a large leaf varietal grown in Yunnan Province. This tea is often aged, which mellows and refines its flavour and character. It is made either as loose leaf or pressed into a myriad of shapes; round cakes (bingcha), rectangular bricks and birds' nest shape (tuocha) are the most common. Pu-erh can also be pressed into short lengths of bamboo, then dried and stored - a specialty of the Dai people in Xishuangbanna.

Now that you know the names of most kinds of tea, it's time to learn the Tea lingo. Drop these during tea time conversation to score some points on the snob scale!

THE TEA GLOSSARY
Agony of the leaves: The unfurling of tea leaves during steeping. Certain teas provide a spectacular show if steeped in a glass container. 

Antioxidant: A compound which retards oxidation.

Astringency: The drying sensation (or bite) in the mouth caused by certain teas.

Bergamot: A citrus oil derived from the bergamot orange used to flavour black tea to make Earl Grey tea.

Blend:     Method to establish consistency between lots of teas.

Body: Tea taster's term to denote strength and viscosity of a brewed tea.

Brick Tea: It refers to tea leaves that have been steamed and compressed into bricks. Pu-erh is a common brick tea.

Caffeine: An alkaloid which acts as a Central Nervous System stimulant and diuretic.

Chesty:     A term denoting an odour in tea absorbed from the wood of a traditional storage chest.

CTC: Acronym for Cut, Tear, and Curl, a machine process which cuts the withered leaves into uniform particles to facilitate a complete oxidation. Typical of most black tea grown in India and other lowland producing countries, and used in teabags to create a stronger more colourful tea.

Dust: The smallest grade of tea typically associated with lower quality. Dust is prized for its quick extraction and is commonly used in teabags.

Earl Grey: Traditionally, black tea blend flavoured with bergamot oil; named for the 2nd Earl of Grey, Charles Grey (1764-1845)

Fannings: Small particles of tea one grade larger than Dust produced as a by-product of the tea making process.

Fermentation: More properly termed – Oxidation. Describes the process of enzymic oxidation, where elements in the leaf react with air to create a darker brown-red colour and characteristic aroma to the resulting tea.

Flush: Flush refers to the four separate plucking seasons throughout the year, each known for its distinctive flavour.

Formosa Teas: Tea produced in Taiwan, typically oolong teas.

Golden:     Refers to the orange coloured tips present in high quality black tea

Jasmine: Green or Oolong Tea scented with jasmine flowers.

Orange Pekoe:     The larger leaves of the tea plant. It does not refer to flavour characteristics of any tea. 

Orthodox: Traditional method for picking and processing teas in India without using CTC technology. 

Pan fired: Method of heating leaf and arresting enzymic oxidation of tea. 

Pekoe:     [PECK-oh] a term used to describe the largest leaves used to produce whole leaf teas. Also refers to an un-distinctive blend of tea. Pronounced 'pek-o'. 

Plucking: It is the process of harvesting and collecting tea leaves. 

Rolling:     It is the process by which withered leaves are rolled to initiate enzymic oxidation. 

Tippy:     Term denoting tea that contains white or golden tips, indicative of high quality 

– LS Desk
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed