All tea (white, yellow, green, oolong, black & pu’erh) comes from the same plant: the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis bush. While there are 3 main varieties of Camellia Sinensis and a multitude of cultivars, the origin of every tea begins with this plant. The categories of tea are different from each other because of their manufacturing and production methods only. It is how they are manufactured that results in what type of tea it will become. Specific types of tea can be manufactured exclusively within a region of a tea growing country, and many countries around the world have their own style when it comes to growing, manufacturing and perfecting their tea. For example, you’ll only find Silver Needle (a premium white tea) coming from the Fujian province of China or Darjeeling tea grown exclusively in Darjeeling, India. Terroir (combination of geography, weather, season and manufacturing methods) explains why a green tea from China, tastes vastly different from a green tea from Japan. Please note that Yellow tea is sometimes not considered its own category of tea, and is exclusive to China. We’ve included our chart below that outlines the different steps each category of tea undergoes.
L-R: White tea, Green tea, Oolong tea, Black tea, Pu’erh Tea