How Many Types of Tea Are There?

 

Discover the 6 main types of tea classified by production methods. Learn how oxidation and processing shape flavor, benefits, and characteristics in a clear, beginner-friendly guide.

 

“Tea”—a short, simple word with a meaning so broad that beginners can easily feel overwhelmed. Tea can be categorized in many ways. If time is the criterion, we can divide tea into traditional teas shaped by culture through the centuries and modern teas developed with new techniques and flavors to please contemporary tastes. If countries are the basis, we get Chinese tea, Japanese tea, Taiwanese tea, Thai tea, Indian tea, and Western tea. If categorized by serving method, tea can be divided into clear tea vs. milk tea, hot tea, iced tea, and blended tea.

If the raw material is the criterion, tea can be split into true teas (from the Camellia sinensis plant) and herbal teas (from other botanicals). If blending is used, we get single-origin teas, blended teas (from multiple sources), floral teas (tea blended with flowers), and herbal blends (tea mixed with herbs). If authenticity is the focus, there are premium teas and flavored teas. Many more criteria could be added.

However, two of the most important systems are:

1. Classification by cultivar (previously discussed), which relates closely to terroir—the natural environment that affects plant flavor, including soil, climate, geography, and farming practices.
2. Classification by production method, which is the focus of this article.

Tea Production Methods

Tea processing consists of several steps, including plucking, withering, steaming, sun-drying, rolling, oxidation (often called “fermentation”), and roasting. Among these, oxidation and final roasting are the most crucial. Oxidation influences flavor transformation the most, while roasting adds secondary flavor notes—often nutty, smoky, or toasted—and reduces the raw green character of the leaves.

Oxidation occurs naturally as soon as tea leaves are plucked. Enzymes begin breaking down cell structures, changing the chemical composition over time. New compounds form, others diminish, and the flavor evolves accordingly.

Using oxidation as the key classification, tea can be grouped into several types, with the two major ones being green tea and black tea.

Green Tea (Unoxidized Tea)

Green tea is tea that undergoes little to no oxidation. Immediately after plucking, the leaves are heated—by steaming (low heat), pan-firing (high heat), or sometimes gentle sun-drying—to stop enzymatic activity. This preserves the green color of the leaves and retains most of the natural beneficial compounds, especially antioxidants.

In practice, a slight delay between plucking and heating may allow minimal oxidation, but the level remains very low.

Green tea is widely consumed in China and is the dominant category in Japan, where nearly all teas—including matcha—fall under green tea.

Black Tea (Fully Oxidized Tea)

Black tea is the opposite of green tea. The leaves are allowed to fully oxidize before being heated to stop further decomposition. This extensive chemical transformation creates flavors completely different from green tea. The dried leaves appear dark or nearly black—hence the English name “black tea.”

When brewed, however, black tea produces a reddish liquor, which is why Chinese terminology calls it “hong cha” or red tea. This difference often causes confusion. In Thailand, the Western naming convention “black tea” is common, but with the rising influence of Chinese tea culture, the term “red tea” is increasingly heard.

To complicate matters further, “black tea” in Chinese (hei cha) refers not to fully oxidized tea, but to post-fermented aged teas, such as ripe Pu-erh, which brew into a deep, dark-colored liquor.

Black tea is especially valued for its digestive benefits. It is popular in the West and widely produced in India, Sri Lanka, and Africa.

Oolong Tea (Partially Oxidized Tea)

Between green (unoxidized) and black (fully oxidized) teas lies oolong, which is partially oxidized tea. The leaves are allowed to oxidize to a certain degree but not fully. The level of oxidation varies widely, creating numerous sub-types—from lightly oxidized oolong to medium and heavily oxidized styles.

Each level of oxidation produces different aromatic and flavor profiles, resulting in exceptional diversity.

Oolong is renowned for its ability to help the body metabolize fat efficiently. China and Taiwan are the leading producers, and both regions offer extensive varietal and regional classifications—hundreds of them.

White Tea

White tea is primarily produced in Fujian, China. Its classification can be confusing. Some define it by its very light oxidation, often leading to confusion with lightly oxidized oolong. Others define it by the leaf material—typically using only unopened buds covered with fine white down, though some regions use mature leaves as well.

The most accurate criterion, however, is the intent to keep the tea as natural as possible: minimal interference, no deliberate oxidation, and no high heat (even steaming is considered too hot). Leaves are typically withered and dried gently, often in sunlight. This creates a tea that retains even more beneficial compounds than green tea.

Despite its often-aromatic character, white tea has a very mild flavor compared to other teas.

Aged Tea

Aged tea, known as hei cha (black tea) in Chinese, should not be confused with Western “black tea” (which, in Chinese, is “red tea”). Chinese black tea undergoes microbial fermentation during long-term aging, resulting in a brewed liquor that is nearly black.

Although enzyme-driven oxidation is halted early in processing, microorganisms continue transforming the tea during storage under controlled humidity and temperature. Harsh bitterness and astringency fade, while the flavor becomes deep, mellow, and earthy, often with hay-like or soil-like notes.

Aged tea is well-known for supporting healthy blood sugar and lipid levels.

The most famous example is Pu-erh from Yunnan, which has two forms:

• Raw Pu-erh (Sheng) – originally processed like green tea, then gradually transformed over decades.
• Ripe Pu-erh (Shou) – accelerated fermentation creates dark, mature flavors in just a few years.

Other Types of Tea

In addition to the five main oxidation-based categories, there is also yellow tea, which uses a unique processing sequence that differs from the others. Because it is rare and produced in small quantities, it is not widely discussed.

In Chinese tea theory, tea is sometimes grouped into six categories by liquor color:
white, green, yellow, blue-green (oolong), red (black tea in the West), and black (aged tea).

This system, however, contains one inconsistency: oolong brews yellow, not blue-green. Some believe the “blue-green” label exists simply to preserve the classification framework rather than to reflect the actual color of the brewed tea.

 

“Read the article ‘Assam Tea and Chinese Tea: The Two Main Varieties of the World’s Tea’ here.”