Know Your Tea

By Type

Tea lovers usually have strong preferences between green tea and black tea — but did you know both varieties actually come from the same mother plant, Camellia Sinensis? And it’s not just these two. In fact, there are several different kinds of tea that come from the same mother plant. The difference lies in how they are processed and to what level they are oxidised.

Premium Black Tea

Pure black Assam tea, processed through the CTC (cut-tear-curl) method to give it a bold aroma and maintain a consistent flavour profile. This is the perfect tea for your morning cuppa or for those times when you need a strong pick-me-up.

Premium Green Tea

Pure loose leaf green tea grown in Assam. Known for its many health benefits, this is the ideal tea to sip through the day. Its mellow, light flavours help you unwind, making it the perfect tea just before you turn in for the night.

Oolong tea

This falls somewhere between the black tea and the green tea – the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant are partially oxidised to make oolong tea. The exact level of oxidation differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, so the flavour may vary – it can be fresh and grassy, something closer to green tea, or it can be darker and toastier much like black tea. This tea however, is not made in Assam.

Silver Needle Tea

Pure, delicate white tea of the Silver Needle variety. This is made from the youngest, silvery buds of the tea plant, harvested right at the beginning of the season, and rolled into needle-like shapes. It gives you the gentlest floral aroma and delights your tastebuds with a light, fruity flavour. Since only the youngest buds are used for this, we usually have limited quantities of this tea at a time.

Golden Pearl Tea

Fresh and delicate, this tea is made from the tenderest buds of the tea plant, harvested before sunrise. The unfurled buds thus boast of a delicate, sweetish flavour and aroma. The buds are then rolled into almost round pearls. When steeped, these pearls open up to release their flavour and make a fragrant, amber hued brew.

Pu-erh Tea

This is yet another kind of tea that comes from the Camellia Sinensis. Unlike the other varieties of tea, here, the leaves go through a unique process of fermentation and aging. This gives it a strong, earthy flavour and the brew is said to have multiple health benefits. Pu-erh tea leaves are usually sold in the form of compact cakes or disks. This tea too, is not made in Assam.

Moringa Tea

This is actually a tisane that is made from the leaves of the moringa plant (and not tea leaves). Moringa or ‘drumsticks’ have so many health benefits that they are being hailed as the next superfood. Steeped in water, the tisane has a herbal, earthy flavour.

Blue Butterfly Tea

This is yet another tisane that is made from dried butterfly-pea flowers and offers a host of health benefits. Steeped in hot water, it gives you a blue beverage that soothes the senses.

By Processing Method

While most other teas are sold as loose leaves, black teas can come in two forms. This depends on how the tea is processed.

Orthodox Tea

This refers to loose leaf tea that is typically harvested by hand to preserve the delicate flavours and individual qualities of the leaves. Producing orthodox tea is effort-intensive and time consuming, but you are rewarded with a delicious brew, rich in flavours and aroma.

Crush Tear Curl (CTC) Tea

This kind of tea comes in the form of rolled granules or pellets rather than individual leaves. The leaves are passed through machines that Crush Tear Curl (CTC) the tea to form the pellets. This gives you a stronger, darker brew.

We still have the Premium Black Tea in our Classic Edition gift box. Try it there!