Green Tea vs Black Tea vs Oolong Tea - 3 Different Tea Types Explained

What's the difference between green teas, black teas, and oolongs? In this video we're going to take a deep dive into three basic types of teas and see what makes them different. First let's take a look at black teas. Black teas are fully oxidized meaning that after the leaves have been harvested they are allowed to oxidize naturally. During the oxidation process the tea leaf begins to break down converting the catechins into theophyllabins. This is the main reason for the flavor difference between green teas and black teas. Catechins are a little bit more citrusy and vegetal so as they are converted the tea becomes slightly sweeter. A high quality black tea will take on notes of chocolate, honey, and caramel. So now that we know what black tea is let's take a look at a couple of different kinds. Here we have a tea called Jin Jun Mei made from the youngest buds of the tea plant. As you can see here the tea has these copper colored hairs on it. These fine hairs start out as white which is actually where white tea gets its name but as they are oxidized they turn into more of a golden copper color. This is where black teas like Golden Monkey get their name. Here we have a more common Chinese black tea made from older tea leaves. In China they wouldn't call this tea black tea but instead they would call it Hong Cha or red tea. This is a reference to the ruby red liqueur that these teas produce. There is a level beyond black tea called Hei Cha or dark tea which includes teas like Puerh. Next let's go to the other extreme and talk about unoxidized teas or green teas. In order to stop the oxidation process from taking place a producer can heat the tea leaves immediately after being picked. In China they will heat these tea leaves in a large pan but in Japan they will actually steam the leaves after the harvest. This locks in not only the green color but also the natural vegetable and citrusy flavors of the tea. Japanese green teas can be described as having these sweet and savory flavors almost like steamed vegetables or even seaweed. If the tea leaves are steamed for even an additional 30 seconds they will become Fukumushi or deep steamed tea. These teas have become famous for their powerful flavors and their intense cloudy green color. The longer steaming begins to break down the cell membranes of the tea so that more is able to flow into the cup. These teas also extract faster so they only need about 45 seconds to produce this beautiful green color. Finally let's talk about oolong teas. Oolong teas are partially oxidized so they can almost be thought of as being in between black tea and green tea. Depending on the type of tea that's being produced the leaves of an oolong can be bruised in order to speed up the oxidation process and then they can be heated later to stop the oxidation process. The producer can manipulate different factors in the production process to create a wide array of different flavors. To see how broad of a category oolong is let's take a look at two very different teas. One is a green oolong from Taiwan and the other is a darker oolong from China. The green oolong is less oxidized and takes on some of these more floral and creamy notes like lilac and coconut milk. The darker oolong is not only more oxidized it is also charcoal baked giving it more robust notes of coffee and wet wood. Oolong teas can also take on different shapes depending on how they are rolled. The darker oolong is rolled into a strip shape while the lighter oolong is rolled into a ball shape. When you're brewing these teas in a gaiwan they can expand quite a bit as they brew. If you're using a strip shaped oolong you don't need to worry quite as much but the tightly rolled ball oolongs can really expand. With so many different types of teas out there it's easy to find one that you like. I would encourage you to try all three of these teas and see which one you like most. It's especially nice to keep a few different teas in your stash so that you can switch it up and keep your palate fresh. I hope you have all found this video helpful when it comes to choosing different types of teas to try. Thank you all so much for watching. We'll see you next time.