How to Choose and Brew Tea: Types, Labels, Water Temperature, Time

Good tea depends on two things: knowing what is in the pack and brewing it at the right heat for the right time. These 15 terms cover the main tea types, the origin names and logos on the label, and brewing advice from the UK Tea & Infusions Association and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture.

What is in the pack

All true tea comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis. Processing makes the difference.

🍵 Tea: Dried leaves and buds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. White, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark tea all come from this one plant.
Black tea: Fully oxidised leaf with a red-brown liquor. A 100 g serving of brewed black tea holds about 20 mg of caffeine, according to USDA.
Green tea: Leaf heated right after plucking, by steam or in a pan, so it does not oxidise. Brewed green tea holds about 12 mg of caffeine per 100 g.
Oolong tea (Oolong): Partly oxidised tea, mainly from Fujian and Taiwan: oxidation runs from about 10 % to nearly 80 %, according to UKTIA.
Herbal and other infusions (Herbal infusion): Rooibos, chamomile, mint or hibiscus are not made from the tea plant. Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and an EU protected designation of origin.

Names and logos on the label

🍵 Darjeeling tea (Darjeeling): Tea from 87 registered gardens of the Darjeeling district in India, at 600–2,250 m. The name is an EU protected geographical indication.
Ceylon tea (Ceylon and the Lion logo): Tea from Sri Lanka. The Lion logo may appear only on tea packed in Sri Lanka; a packer abroad may not use it, even for 100 % Sri Lankan tea.
Earl Grey tea (Earl Grey): A black tea flavoured with bergamot oil. Check the ingredients to see what flavouring was used.
English Breakfast tea (English Breakfast): A blend of black teas, traditionally Assam and Ceylon, made strong enough to go with a full English breakfast.

Brewing black tea

Advice of the UK Tea & Infusions Association. The pack may give its own instructions.

Water: Use freshly drawn water. Black tea likes 90–98 °C, green tea around 80 °C.
How much tea: One tea bag or one rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup.
Brewing time and milk: Assam, Darjeeling and Earl Grey 3–4 minutes, Ceylon Uva 3, oolong 3–5. Darjeeling is drunk without milk. In a mug, take the bag out first and add milk last.

Brewing Japanese green tea

Advice of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture. Soft water with less than 100 mg/l hardness is best.

Sencha: 2–3 g of leaf per 100 ml, water at 70 °C for top grades or 90 °C for middle grades, 1 minute 30 seconds. Brew a second cup slightly hotter for about 45 seconds.
Gyokuro: Shaded tea brewed cool to keep its umami and hold back bitterness: 50–60 °C for 2 minutes 30 seconds, in very small cups.
Bancha, hojicha, genmaicha: Valued for their roasted or rice aroma, so they take boiling water and only about 30 seconds.

Sources

Themes

🥛Types of milkFrom cow to reindeer: composition, benefits, value 🧀Cheeses of the worldParmesan, feta, bryndza, sulguni and more 🥣Fermented milk productsKefir, yogurt, kumis, matsoni, skyr 🌍Dairy traditionsRegions, peoples and their dairy products 🐄Dairy animalsWhich animals are milked and how their milk differs 🚚The journey of milkFrom pasture to shop — step by step ❤️Milk and healthCalcium, lactose, allergy, benefits and risks 👷JobsWho works with milk 🗺️Map of traditionsWorld regions, peoples and their products on a map ⚖️ComparisonsKefir or yogurt, sour cream or cream, and more 🍳RecipesCottage cheese, yogurt, ghee, paneer, butter — at home 📜History of milkFrom domestication to Tetra Pak 🫒OlivesVarieties, oil, table olives, regions and traditions 🥃SpiritsWhisky, brandy, rum, liqueurs: how they are made, what the label says, which traditions 🌼Monofloral honeyAcacia, lime, chestnut, lavender 🏷️Protected honey namesMiel de Provence, Kraški med and other PDO and PGI 🐝Bee productsBeeswax, propolis, pollen, bee bread, royal jelly 🪵Apiary and beekeepingHives, frames, extractor, the beekeeper’s year 🌸Honey plantsWhich plants give bees their nectar ⚖️Honey labels and qualityCountry of origin, moisture, adulteration