“I want to like green tea, but everytime I make it, it’s tastes so bitter.” “I love the green tea at Chinese restaurants, but I can't make it the same way at home." “Green tea tastes terrible, but I drink it because it’s healthy.” Sounds familiar? I hear things like this all the time. And whenever I do, I just want to rescue anyone in the world who is suffering through horrible, bitter green tea (that tastes more like overcooked spinach than tea). Green tea doesn't have to be this way! And yet, many people who've never had a cup of good green tea before just assume that green tea is always that way. At least, that's what I thought when I was just starting to get into tea, too. Years ago, I used to drink mostly Earl Grey and herbal teas, until I picked up some green tea leaves from Chinatown one day. Up until that point I had never seen green tea leaves before, just green tea bags. Of course, I brewed my green tea up the only way I knew how to. Like black tea, …
Tea 101
A Quick Guide to the 5 Tea Types
Need a quick, simple reference for the main types of tea? In this Quick Guide to the 5 Tea Types, get to know the 5 most common types of tea with illustrations, flavor notes, and helpful bits of information. Just remember that this is generalized info about each tea. Look out for future posts that dive deeper into each type. White tea Young, tender buds or leaves are plucked and dried. The most simple and pure crafting style. Soft, sweet, grainy, herbaceous, spicy There is a common misconception that white tea has the least caffeine of all tea types. This is not true. Caffeine levels vary wildly from tea to tea. Another misconception is that white tea must be drunk fresh. Actually, white tea can be aged, and is sometimes even pressed into bricks for aging in China. Finally, contrary to popular believe, white tea can handle boiling water, if it is good quality. Green tea Young, tender leaves are pan-fired or steamed, to preserve their …
