Guide

The types of tea

Almost every true tea comes from a single plant, Camellia sinensis. What separates a white from a black is what happens after harvest. Tisanes (herbs, flowers, rooibos, mate) are another world.

From Camellia sinensis

01

White tea

The least intervention

Young buds and leaves that are simply withered and dried, with no rolling and no firing. It is the style closest to the living leaf. Bud styles (Silver Needle) are delicate and honeyed; leaf styles (Bai Mu Dan) gain body and hay-like notes.

Oxidation
5–10%
Water
75–85 °C
Time
3–5 min
Caffeine
15–35 mg
200 ml
2.5 g · 3× resteeps
Flavour
Honey, white flowers, peach, hay
Best time
Afternoon
Origin
Fujian, China

Tip The most forgiving: hard to make bitter. Steep 5 min, then resteep.

Brew this tea Related guide: The Tea Atlas
02

Green tea

Heat that locks in freshness

Right after picking, the leaf is heated to stop oxidation. Chinese greens are pan-fired (toasty notes, as in Long Jing); Japanese greens are steamed (grassy, marine notes, as in Sencha). Boiling water is the most common mistake: it scorches and turns bitter.

Oxidation
0–3%
Water
70–80 °C
Time
2–3 min
Caffeine
20–45 mg
200 ml
2.5 g · 2× resteeps
Flavour
Grass, chestnut, seaweed, vegetal
Best time
Morning to early afternoon
Origin
China and Japan

Tip Boiled it? Wait 3–4 minutes with the lid off before pouring.

Brew this tea Related guide: The Tea Atlas
03

Matcha

The whole leaf, whisked

Leaves shaded for weeks before harvest, stripped of stems and veins, then stone-milled. Because you drink the entire leaf, matcha delivers more caffeine and L-theanine per cup than steeped green tea.

Oxidation
0%
Water
70–80 °C
Time
30 s
Caffeine
40–70 mg
200 ml
2 g
Flavour
Umami, cream, sweet grass
Best time
Morning
Origin
Uji and Nishio, Japan

Tip Sift the powder and whisk in a "W" motion, not circles, until a fine foam forms.

Brew this tea Related guide: Matcha at Home
04

Oolong

The territory in between

Partially oxidised and worked by hand: the leaf is tossed, withered, rolled and roasted in cycles. It ranges from floral, nearly green (Tie Guan Yin) to roasted and mineral (Da Hong Pao). It is the tea that rewards short, repeated steeps the most.

Oxidation
15–70%
Water
85–95 °C
Time
3–5 min
Caffeine
30–50 mg
200 ml
3 g · 5× resteeps
Flavour
Orchid, butter, stone fruit, roast
Best time
Any time of day
Origin
Taiwan and Fujian

Tip Try gongfu style: more leaf, little water, 30-second steeps.

Brew this tea Related guide: The Tea Atlas
05

Black tea

Fully oxidised, full-bodied

The leaf is rolled to break its cells and left to oxidise until dark, the same reaction that browns a cut apple. The result has more body, tannin and malt. In China it is called "red tea" after the colour of the liquor.

Oxidation
90–100%
Water
90–100 °C
Time
3–5 min
Caffeine
40–70 mg
200 ml
2.5 g · 1× resteeps
Flavour
Malt, dark honey, cocoa, dried fruit
Best time
Morning
Origin
India, Sri Lanka, China, Kenya

Tip Past 5 minutes it pulls too much tannin and turns bitter.

Brew this tea Related guide: Signature Infusions
06

Pu-erh & dark teas

Fermented and aged

From Yunnan, China, and pressed into cakes. Sheng (raw) ages slowly over years; shou (ripe) goes through accelerated wet-pile fermentation. It tastes of earth, wood and depth, and handles more resteeps than almost any tea.

Oxidation
80–100%
Water
95–100 °C
Time
2–4 min
Caffeine
30–70 mg
200 ml
4 g · 8× resteeps
Flavour
Forest floor, wood, leather, cocoa
Best time
After meals
Origin
Yunnan, China

Tip Do a 10-second rinse with boiling water and discard it before the first steep.

Brew this tea Related guide: Tea & Table

Tisanes and other plants

07

Yerba mate

The infusion of the South

Not from Camellia sinensis, but it does contain caffeine. It is the base of chimarrão, tereré and toasted mate tea. The water must never boil: above ~80 °C the leaf scorches and turns bitter.

Oxidation
n/a
Water
65–80 °C
Time
3–5 min
Caffeine
30–80 mg
200 ml
5 g · 10× resteeps
Flavour
Herbal, clean bitterness, toasty
Best time
Morning and good company
Origin
Southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay

Tip For chimarrão, water around 70 °C, when the kettle starts to hiss.

Brew this tea Related guide: Yerba Mate
08

Rooibos

Caffeine-free sweetness

A South African shrub, unrelated to tea. Naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins, so it never turns bitter even with long steeps, and it takes milk beautifully.

Oxidation
n/a
Water
95–100 °C
Time
5–8 min
Caffeine
caffeine-free
200 ml
2.5 g · 1× resteeps
Flavour
Vanilla, sweet wood, honey
Best time
Evening
Origin
Cederberg, South Africa

Tip You can simmer it with cinnamon and apple: it gains body without bitterness.

Brew this tea Related guide: Signature Infusions
09

Herbs, flowers & fruits

Tisanes: the world beyond tea

Chamomile, lemongrass, mint, hibiscus, fennel, ginger. Technically tisanes, not teas. Leaves and flowers want a covered infusion (the aromas are volatile); roots, barks and seeds want a decoction: simmered in the water.

Oxidation
n/a
Water
95–100 °C
Time
5–7 min
Caffeine
caffeine-free
200 ml
2 g
Flavour
From floral to citrus to spicy
Best time
Any time, especially evening
Origin
Everywhere, including your garden

Tip Always cover the cup. The escaping steam is the aroma leaving.

Brew this tea Related guide: The Night Ritual

Quick comparison

Average values per 200 ml cup. They vary with the leaf, time and temperature.

OxidationWaterTimeCaffeineFlavourBest time
White tea5–10%75–85 °C3–5 min15–35 mgHoney, white flowers, peach, hayAfternoon
Green tea0–3%70–80 °C2–3 min20–45 mgGrass, chestnut, seaweed, vegetalMorning to early afternoon
Matcha0%70–80 °C30 s40–70 mgUmami, cream, sweet grassMorning
Oolong15–70%85–95 °C3–5 min30–50 mgOrchid, butter, stone fruit, roastAny time of day
Black tea90–100%90–100 °C3–5 min40–70 mgMalt, dark honey, cocoa, dried fruitMorning
Pu-erh & dark teas80–100%95–100 °C2–4 min30–70 mgForest floor, wood, leather, cocoaAfter meals
Yerba maten/a65–80 °C3–5 min30–80 mgHerbal, clean bitterness, toastyMorning and good company
Rooibosn/a95–100 °C5–8 mincaffeine-freeVanilla, sweet wood, honeyEvening
Herbs, flowers & fruitsn/a95–100 °C5–7 mincaffeine-freeFrom floral to citrus to spicyAny time, especially evening

How much caffeine is in each cup?

Drip coffee (reference) 80–120 mg
Yerba mate 30–80 mg
Matcha 40–70 mg
Black tea 40–70 mg
Pu-erh & dark teas 30–70 mg
Oolong 30–50 mg
Green tea 20–45 mg
White tea 15–35 mg
Rooibos caffeine-free
Herbs, flowers & fruits caffeine-free

Botanora

One letter a month about tea

Seasonal recipes, one tea style explained in depth, and a note when each new guide launches.