Not just black and green: what are the differences between tea varieties and which one is the healthiest

03.06.2024 21:01

Did you know that tea is a specially dried leaf of the Chinese camellia (Camellia sinensis).

Thus, both black and green tea are obtained from the same bush, the difference lies only in the processing of raw materials. The more intense the drying and fermentation, the more caffeine is contained in the brewed drink, since other substances are destroyed in the oxidation process.

After harvesting, further processing of raw materials includes the following technological processes: withering of tea leaves, twisting, enzymatic oxidation, fixation and drying.

The duration and intensity of each stage allows you to get different types of tea: green, white, yellow, red, black, pu-erh.

For example, to obtain green tea, the leaves are almost not subjected to oxidation and only go through the drying stage.

Tea
Photo: © Belnovosti

But yellow and red teas have the same name – oolong and undergo fermentation, although in an incomplete form.

Yellow varieties are processed less intensively, so they resemble green tea. Red varieties are processed more intensively, which makes them resemble black tea. Pu-erh is especially highly fermented.

The greatest healing and prophylactic effect is provided by unfermented teas – white and green. Then come semi-fermented yellow and blue teas, and the least effect is provided by fermented red and black teas.

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Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Editor of Internet resources