What Is Green Tea?

Green tea is derived from the tea plant known as Camellia sinensis. This evergreen plant is native to India and China where it has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. In modern times, the tea plant is cultivated all across the world from Japan and China to South America and Europe.

Production

All true teas including green tea, white tea, black tea and oolong tea are created form the leaves of the same plant. The difference between these teas arises during the production process. Green tea is not oxidized in any way during production. The leaves are simply harvested from the tea plant and heated to prevent withering and oxidation. Leaves are typically pan-fired or steamed and retain a green hue that is most similar to the tea plant itself.

What Is Black Tea?

Just like green tea, black tea is made using the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Black teas mainly come from three tea-producing countries: China, India and Sri Lanka. In China, black teas are cultivated in the Anhui and Yunnan provinces. Most Chinese black teas feature whimsical names such as Fairy Branch, which do not indicate which region it was grown in. In India, black tea is produced in the Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri regions. Indian black teas are often named after their growing region, making them easy to identify. Ceylon black tea comes from Sri Lanka, which was formerly known as Ceylon.

Production

The main difference between green and black tea arises through the production process. While green tea is not oxidized, black tea undergoes the most complete oxidation process of the true teas. Black tea leaves are harvested and then withered to reduce moisture content.

The leaves are then rolled to create miniscule breaks in the leaves that allow enzymes to interact with oxygen. Black tea leaves are rolled either by hand or using a machine, depending on the producer and type of tea. Rolled leaves are then spread out on large trays where oxygen turns the leaves black and the final step in the production process begins. The black tea leaves are fired in ovens to stop the oxidation process and are then packed for sale.