From Grandma s Tummy Mint to Lapsang Souchong, there are a confusing number of teas from which to choose. The descriptors green, oolong, black and white refer to the way the leaves have been processed. Green tea is unfermented, black tea is fermented, and oolong is semi-fermented. Green tea leaves are steamed, rolled and fired, and have less caffeine than black tea and a fresh, almost grassy taste. They pack more caffeine than green tea, but less than black.
Black tea is rolled, fully fermented and then fired.
It has the most caffeine, but only about a quarter of that found in a cup of coffee. Tea Treasures 330 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Each round of leaves on a plant in a season is referred to as a flush, and first-flush teas are the best. These blends are made with leaves grown in cooler weather at higher altitudes, giving them more time to mature and develop flavor. Tea B.C. Tea lore has it that China s emperor Shen Nung, who drank only boiled water for health reasons, accidentally discovered tea one day in 2737 B.C. when a few leaves from a tea tree blew into his pot.