White tea is the least handled of all the types of tea and is the first picked tea of the spring. Usually white teas are comprised of the first, downy buds of the camellia sinensis plant and perhaps the first few leaves.

Green tea is made from the non-oxidized leaves of the camellia sinensis tea plant. Green tea is thought to taste the most similar to plucking a leaf fresh from the tea tree and is high in antioxidants like EGCG.

Oolong is the rosé of the tea world - neither green nor black but somewhere in between. Brewed from partially oxidized camellia sinensis leaves, these teas are beloved for their well-balanced tannins and wide variety of flavor profiles.

Brewed from fully oxidized camellia sinensis leaves, black tea is the newest form of tea and arguably the most popular in the west. The name black tea stems from the color of the dry tea leaves, but if you travel in China, you will find that they call this type of tea Hong Cha, or red tea, for the color of the brewed tea liquor.

Aged teas - sometimes called dark teas - are post-fermented teas that are aged either over decades (sheng pu erh) or in a pile fermentation process (shou pu erh). These teas tend to have a fun and funky aroma and flavor and are valued for their benefit to digestion, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

Matcha is a ground green tea popularized in Japan. Matcha is valued for its health properties, including high caffeine levels and L-theanine content, leading to enhanced focus for those who consume it. While matcha was traditionally made only with water, it is common now to serve matcha as a latte with milk and add it to smoothies and baked goods.

Scented teas are teas with fruits, florals, spices or other flavors (scents) added. Popular scented teas include Earl Grey, chai, and jasmine. All of these types of teas will contain caffeine of varying levels because they are made with the camellia sinensis leaf.

As you may be beginning to suspect, herbal tea isn't really tea at all because it does NOT contain the camellia sinensis leaf. Herbals (sometimes called tisanes or infusions) are brews made from herbs, leaves, berries, fruits, flowers, and other consumable plant life that can be brewed separately or together as a delicious and warming beverage.