All Tea Comes from the Same Plant
Did you know all tea comes from the same plant?
Yes, all tea regardless of green tea, black tea, or white tea (whatever the type) originates from the same tea plant: camellia sinensis.
So that means there is no such thing as a “green tea plant” or a “black tea plant”. What distinguishes a green tea from a black tea has to do with how the tea leaf is processed.
What differentiates one tea from the next?
What separates a particular tea from another such as White Peony White Tea or Phoenix Honey Orchid Oolong are three factors: the specific plant cultivar the leaves were grown on, the terroir where the tea plant was grown, and the processing method of the leaves into dried tea.
Within the camellia sinensis family there are two main varietals and hundreds of cultivars. In China, these hundreds of cultivars of the tea plant have been created and groomed to produce many variations of the tea plant suited for different climates or different intended outcomes (larger leaves vs smaller leaves for instance).
Tea isn’t simply any leaf brewed in hot water
But before we get into the amazing diversity and variety of teas grown on different cultivars within the camellia sinesis plant family, I just wanted to make sure it is clear what makes something a tea vs. not a tea.
The key distinguishing standard of what makes a tea vs. an herbal leaf drink is whether or not the leaves came from the camellia sinensis plant.
So that means herbal “teas” like mint, chamomile, chrysanthemum, rooibos, or yerba mate which are not from the tea plant, camellia sinensis, are really not a tea. They may be drunk in a similar manner to the way tea is consumed, but technically they are herbal tisanes.
Now you know what qualifies as a tea vs. not a tea!
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