Tea Types
Green Tea: How Processing Creates the Difference
The gap between Chinese and Japanese green tea comes down to how the leaf was heated in the first hour after picking.
19 January 2026
9 min read
The categories
Tea Types
All tea comes from one plant. What distinguishes the categories is what was done to the leaf after picking, and understanding that makes the whole field navigable.
Tea Types
Oolong: A Spectrum Rather Than a Category
Oolong spans from almost green to almost black. Two teas with the same name can be entirely different drinks.
16 February 2026
9 min read
Tea Types
Puerh: Raw, Ripe, and Why the Distinction Matters
Two teas share a name and are made by entirely different processes. Buying one expecting the other is a common disappointment.
10 March 2026
9 min read
Tea Types
Black Tea: What Region and Grade Actually Tell You
The grade letters on a packet describe leaf size and appearance, not quality. Almost everyone misreads them.
8 April 2026
8 min read
Tea Types
White Tea: Minimal Processing, Surprising Range
The least processed category, and considerably more varied than its reputation for delicacy suggests.
12 May 2026
8 min read
Explained by process
Each guide starts from what was done to the leaf, because that is what actually determines the character. Regional labels and grade letters are covered where they help and dismissed where they mislead.
Honest about grades
The alphabet on Indian black tea packets describes leaf size rather than quality, and Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with oranges. We say so, because a great deal of the industry is comfortable letting people believe otherwise.