Learn all about green tea and black tea

If you are now on our site reading these lines, it is because you are interested in tea. Welcome to the club !

Yes, but do you know the different variants of tea? Because teas come in all colors! In this article we are going to talk about green tea and black tea, two of the most popular and consumed variants of tea. What is the difference between green tea and black tea ? What are the differences in taste? Zoom in on the subject.

It's all about oxidation

Let's simplify! First of all, you should know that black tea and green tea come from the same plant: the tea plant or Camellia sinensis . What changes is only the method of preparation.

To obtain green tea, the leaves of the plant are roasted immediately after picking to prevent oxidation. They therefore do not oxidize and thus keep a rather light taste.

For black tea on the other hand, the leaves of Camellia sinensis are completely oxidized, which gives a darker color to the dried leaves, and a more pronounced taste.

Now that you have understood this color story, let's see together the specificities of each of the two teas.

A little history

What if we went back in time to discover the history of these two popular teas? Green tea is considered the national drink of China, where it has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. According to legend, Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea in the year 2737 BCE.

Black tea, on the other hand, has a more recent history and according to legend it was created by accident in the 17th century, when a cargo of green tea was left on a ship for several weeks. The leaves began to oxidize and took on a black color. This new variety of tea was quickly adopted by the British, who began producing it in large quantities in their overseas colonies, such as India and Sri Lanka.

Special flavors

In terms of taste, there is a big difference between black tea and green tea. Black tea has a less bitter taste than green tea, but stronger and richer in aromas. The taste of green tea is lighter, having not undergone oxidation.

A different color

Finally, the color of the tea after infusion is not the same for black tea, with a rather brown/dark red color, and green tea having a yellow and clear color.

To conclude

Now that you know the difference between green tea and black tea, which do you prefer?

Discover at Keia Tea our range of green and black teas made from loose organic ingredients and enjoy their delicious aromas. See you soon !