Types of Tea

White tea is gaining popularity in the Western world very rapidly. Renowned for its mild, sweet flavor and enormous health benefits, white tea appeals to a whole new crop of tea drinkers. White tea has a mild flavor that attracts those who might find black teas too bold and green teas too grassy.

Black tea has helped to revolutionize the beverage market. Over the years, the exotic drink had become the world’s most popular tea. In fact, 80 percent of the tea consumed in the U.S. is actually of the black tea variety. Perhaps black tea is so popular because of its boldness — it is darker and stronger than green tea is.

If you've never experienced White Licorice tea, you're in for a real treat. White licorice tea is a blend of the finest loose white tea and star anise to provide the licorice flavor. For many years, white tea was consumed almost exclusively in Asia, but today it has gained popularity in many other countries.

Many tea drinkers are unfamiliar with Imperial Formosa oolong teas. Oolong teas, in general, are not as well known in the Western world as other teas, but they are certainly worth investigating. Oolong teas are those that are fermented for a shorter period of time than black teas. This shorter fermentation period creates a tea that is a bit blacker than green tea, but a bit greener than black tea. This "middle ground" that is oolong tea produces an extremely fragrant cup of tea, with slightly more complex flavors than other teas.

Jasmine tea is the most popular flavored tea in the world. Chinese tea gardeners have been producing this delicacy for at least 700 years. Though jasmine tea is already considered a blend, it is often used as the base for additional blends because of the popularity of the jasmine tea base. Jasmine tea is mild and slightly sweet, making it perfect for combining with other flavors, like vanilla.

Some of the world's most popular and most widely consumed teas are flavored teas. Adding flavors to tea is centuries old and is a wonderful way to add a new dimension to a favorite variety of tea. With the many combinations of tea varieties and flavorings, nearly any taste is possible. Flavored teas have become as much a part of the world's tea drinking traditions as the teas that are used to create them.