Varieties

All true teas, derived from the leaves of camellia sinesis, can be divided into one of four major varieties: black, oolong, green and white. The length of time the teas are allowed to oxidize or "ferment" during processing determines the variety of the tea. Black teas are fully oxidized; oolong teas are semi-oxidized; while green and white teas are not oxidized at all.

Teas can also be sorted according to their grade, which is determined by the length of the tealeaf and not its flavor. Whole leaf grades include: Orange Pekoe (OP), Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP), Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (GFOP), Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP), Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP). Less than whole leaf grades include Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP), Golden Broken Orange Pekoe (GBOP), Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe (TGBOP), Fannings and Dust.

Plants other than camellia sinesis, can be used to make delicious and refreshing drinks, but are not technically tea. These tisanes or herbal teas are as varied as the imagination, but perennial favorites include rooibus and chamomile.