All true tea comes from a single plant species: Camellia sinensis. The enormous diversity of tea flavors, aromas, and colors arises from differences in how the leaves are processed after harvesting. Understanding these six major categories is the foundation of any tea journey, and it is the knowledge that Czech tearoom staff share with their guests every day.
Green Tea
Green tea is the most minimally processed tea category. After picking, the leaves are quickly heated (pan-fired in Chinese tradition, steamed in Japanese tradition) to prevent oxidation, preserving their fresh, vegetal character.
Popular Varieties
- Longjing (Dragon Well): China's most famous green tea, with a sweet chestnut flavor and flat, pan-fired leaves. A favorite in Czech cajovny.
- Sencha: Japan's everyday green tea, with a bright, grassy taste and fine needle-shaped leaves.
- Bi Luo Chun: A delicate Chinese green tea with a fruity aroma and tightly rolled leaves.
- Gunpowder: Tightly rolled into small pellets, this robust Chinese green tea is popular for its bold flavor.
Brewing tip: Use water at 70-80 degrees Celsius. Steep for 1-3 minutes. Green tea is sensitive to over-steeping and too-hot water, which can make it bitter.
Black Tea
Black tea (called "red tea" in China for the color of its infusion) undergoes full oxidation, giving it a robust, malty, and sometimes fruity flavor. It is the most consumed tea type globally and forms the basis of British tea culture.
Popular Varieties
- Darjeeling: Known as the "Champagne of teas," this Indian tea has a muscatel flavor and is prized in Czech specialty shops.
- Assam: A malty, full-bodied Indian tea often used as a base for breakfast blends.
- Keemun: A Chinese black tea with a smooth, slightly smoky character loved by European tea drinkers.
- Dian Hong (Yunnan Gold): A rich Chinese black tea with honey-sweet notes and golden tips.
Brewing tip: Use water at 90-100 degrees Celsius. Steep for 3-5 minutes. Black tea is the most forgiving category for beginners.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea occupies the vast middle ground between green and black tea, with oxidation levels ranging from about 15% to 85%. This enormous range produces an astonishing variety of flavors, from light and floral to deep and roasted.
Popular Varieties
- Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess): A lightly oxidized Fujian oolong with orchid-like fragrance. One of the most ordered teas in Czech tearooms.
- Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe): A heavily roasted Wuyi rock oolong with a rich, mineral character.
- Ali Shan: A Taiwanese high-mountain oolong with creamy, buttery notes.
- Dong Ding: A medium-roasted Taiwanese oolong balancing floral and toasted flavors.
Brewing tip: Use water at 85-95 degrees Celsius. Oolong excels with gongfu brewing: short steeps (15-45 seconds) from a small gaiwan or Yixing teapot, with many re-infusions.
White Tea
White tea is the least processed of all tea types. The leaves are simply withered and dried, producing a subtle, delicate brew with sweet, honeyed notes. The name comes from the fine white hairs on the young tea buds used in production.
Popular Varieties
- Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle): Made entirely from unopened buds, this is the most prized white tea with a sweet, melon-like flavor.
- Bai Mu Dan (White Peony): Uses buds and young leaves, offering a slightly fuller body than Silver Needle while remaining delicate.
- Shou Mei: A more robust white tea made from mature leaves, with a deeper, slightly nutty flavor.
Brewing tip: Use water at 75-85 degrees Celsius. Steep for 3-5 minutes. White tea rewards patience and can be re-steeped multiple times, with each infusion revealing new layers.
Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh is a unique category of aged and fermented tea from Yunnan province in China. It is the tea that has perhaps found the most passionate following in Czech cajovny, where aged pu-erh cakes are sometimes displayed like fine wines.
Two Types of Pu-erh
- Sheng (Raw): Naturally aged tea that develops complexity over years and decades. Young sheng is astringent and vegetal; well-aged sheng becomes smooth, sweet, and complex.
- Shou (Ripe): Developed in the 1970s using accelerated fermentation to mimic the taste of aged sheng. Dark, earthy, and smooth from the start.
Brewing tip: Use boiling water (100 degrees Celsius). Rinse the leaves with a quick first infusion that you discard. Then brew with short steeps of 10-30 seconds, gradually increasing time. Quality pu-erh can yield 10-15 or more infusions.
Yellow Tea
Yellow tea is the rarest and least-known of the six tea categories. It undergoes a unique "smothering" step after initial heating, where the leaves are wrapped in cloth and allowed to gently yellow. This produces a smooth, mellow brew without the grassy notes of green tea.
Notable Varieties
- Jun Shan Yin Zhen: From Hunan province, this is considered the finest yellow tea. Its needle-shaped buds produce a sweet, honey-like infusion.
- Meng Ding Huang Ya: A Sichuan yellow tea with a smooth, chestnut-like flavor.
Brewing tip: Use water at 75-80 degrees Celsius. Steep for 2-3 minutes. Yellow tea is rare and sometimes expensive, but its gentle character makes it a memorable experience for any tea lover.
Which Tea Should You Try First?
If you are new to the world of quality tea, start with a Chinese green tea like Longjing or a lightly oxidized oolong like Tie Guan Yin. These teas offer approachable flavors that showcase the potential of loose-leaf tea without overwhelming the palate.
For visitors to Czech tearooms, asking the staff for a recommendation is always a good strategy. Many cajovny offer "tea flights" or tasting sessions where you can sample several varieties in a single sitting, guided by an experienced tea server.