The different types of teas and infusions
Discover our tea selection
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEAS AND INFUSIONS: GREEN TEA, BLACK TEA, ROOIBOS...
For our greatest pleasure, there are a multitude of types of teas and infusions, whose geographical and vegetal origins, manufacturing methods and aromas are available to satisfy the most demanding palates. Green, black, blue and white, chamomile, verbena or rooibos teas: plunge into the world of different types of teas and infusions.
In all seasons and on all occasions, the pleasure of savouring a cup of tea or an infusion never loses its intensity. Smoky, fruity, bitter, woody, sweet, assertive or infinitely subtle flavours, it is from this richness between the different kinds of teas and infusions that their success throughout the world is derived. Much more than a simple drink, each plant and each manufacturing process makes the final elixir a unique experience.
If you need to be a tea expert to make it, you don't need to know anything about tea to enjoy it. However, in the midst of all these types of teas, it is sometimes difficult to make a choice. From green tea to rooibos, Oolong tea and herbal teas: if you are wondering which tea to choose, read on.
CHOOSE YOUR TEA: GREEN TEA, WHITE TEA, BLUE TEA, VERBENA INFUSION...
GREEN TEA
Let's start our discovery of the different types of tea with the one that is on everyone's lips and in every cup: green tea. Originally from China, where it is nowadays consumed in large quantities, green tea owes its popularity to its delicate taste, but also to its many virtues: a slimming ally, a nectar for good moods, an anti-diabetes and cardiovascular disease...
The reason why this drink offers so many benefits is because it is produced in a very special way. The natural oxidation of the leaves is interrupted after picking, allowing the tea to retain its catechins, the molecules responsible for its antioxidant properties.
Green tea goes wonderfully well with the fruity notes of lemon or strawberry, with the exotic intoxicating flavour of jasmine or with the sweet charm of rose and lychee.
BLACK TEA
Although black tea comes from the same plant as green tea, it is very different. Indeed, black tea is obtained by the complete oxidation of tea leaves. It is the most popular tea in the West, a success that is due in particular to its long shelf life and its many tasty combinations with other plants and fruits.
The precise method of making black tea varies according to its use, but it can be summed up as follows: the tea leaves are rolled and broken and then stored in a hot, damp room until they are completely oxidised, which gives the tea its famous black colour.
It comes in a wide range of flavours depending on its origin: Darjeeling, Ceylon, Earl Grey, Chai... and blends well with the fruity flavours of apple or strawberry, as well as the floral flavours of rose or hibiscus.
BLUE TEA (OOLONG)
Blue tea or Oolong tea is a type of semi-oxidised tea that is very popular in China and Taiwan. It is halfway between green tea and black tea in terms of oxidation, but its manufacturing process is longer. The leaves are plucked and then withered in the sun before being brewed in a hot and humid room. It is at this stage of production that partial oxidation takes place.
However, this is interrupted by a manoeuvre that is typical of blue tea, which gives it its subtle hazelnut aroma: roasting. Finally, the leaves are rolled and dried. These unique nutty notes form an exquisite alliance with chocolate.
WHITE TEA
Popular with connoisseurs, white tea seduces by its finesse and fascinates by its rarity. Traditionally produced in the Chinese province of Fujian, Paï Mu Tan white tea undergoes only a minute transformation between picking and consumption. Its leaves are not rolled but simply dried in the sun.
Thus, the leaves and buds used in the manufacture of this type of tea undergo a slower and more natural oxidation than other types of tea. It is a lively and pure spring tea whose aromas and appearance vary with the harvest, the weather and its packaging.
ROOIBOS
Rooibos is often related to tea, yet it is not derived from tea leaves, but from a shrub endemic to South Africa from which it takes its name. The infusion of rooibos leaves produces a drink with reddish-brown reflections, which sometimes leads to the misnomer "red tea", which is now forbidden because of the confusion it creates with the nickname given to black tea by the Chinese.
Rooibos is appreciated for its flavours and therapeutic virtues, particularly in South Africa, its country of origin, where it is commonly drunk with condensed milk and sugar. It does not contain caffeine, making it an ideal beverage for tea lovers who are sensitive to the effects of this substance.
Combined with other plants and fruits such as lavender, mint, camomile, pineapple, orange blossom or strawberry, it is found in delicious and beneficial infusions.
INFUSIONS
An infusion is any drink other than tea made by immersing a vegetable preparation in hot water. There is a huge variety of them, and new ones are being introduced every day. Plants, flowers, fruits, spices, nature abounds in resources, each one more virtuous than the next. Among this infinite choice and possible combinations, some flagship infusions are always the star:
Lime blossom mint, which shines with its comforting aromas and its calming and digestive virtues, camomile, slightly bitter with a soothing action, or verbena, with its tart notes and its famous digestive benefits.
Did this tea guide make your mouth water? Discover our selection of finely scented teas and infusions, designed by the experts of the House of Fauchon.
