Tea is the most widely consumed non-water beverage globally, and it’s also fairly popular here in the US. In the most straightforward terms, it’s an infusion of leaves from tea plants, and in the case of herbal teas, it’s an infusion of flowers, herbs, spices, and fruits. However, in most parts of the world, a cup of tea is much more than just a brew; it symbolizes healing, rejuvenation, history, culture, and good cheer.

But as most tea drinkers would tell you, not every cup of tea is the same. When it comes to tea, there is an endless variety, from green tea and black tea to herbal fruit teas. In short, teas come in several textures and flavors, making them the perfect morning beverage for everyone. But besides having an exquisite taste, different tea types also come with their own unique benefits.

Here are the ones you need to know about.

Black Tea

You’ve probably heard the name Camellia sinensis; it’s the tea bush where most teas come, including black tea. However, since most popular tea types can be traced back to this same plant, the obvious question is, how are they different?

Well, the difference primarily lies in the way the leaves are processed. In the case of black tea, the tea leaves are left to age and oxidize for up to two to four weeks before they are processed. As a result, black tea becomes very dark in color and is much stronger than other tea types because it’s more caffeinated.

In general, black tea is one of the most common types used worldwide because it offers a wide range of benefits. It’s packed with antioxidants called catechins and can take care of most heart disease-related risk factors when taken regularly. Moreover, black tea can help you relax and improve your focus.

Green Tea

Green has become much more popular in the last few years for health and wellness-related reasons and is now one of the most commonly consumed teas globally. It comes from the same tea bush, Camellia sinensis, but to make green tea, the leaves are only left to age for two days. This makes green tea much lighter in taste as compared to black tea or other stronger types.

There are also different green teas available in different parts of the world, including tencha, sencha, and genmaicha. But while they may differ slightly in taste, they all have incredible health benefits.

Green tea is known to fight cancer and can help with weight loss, but it’s also incredibly helpful for the heart, cholesterol levels, and a healthier metabolism. In general, green tea has more antioxidants than other teas because it’s unfermented and not extensively processed.

White Tea

As you can probably tell by now, white tea also comes from the same tea bush, but it isn’t aged at all. White tea is picked and processed right away and is therefore packed with way more antioxidants than other types. Moreover, white tea is made from leaves that are only partially mature and are harvested earlier. As a result, white tea tastes light and sort of sweet, and it usually doesn’t have much caffeine.

Naturally, as health and wellness trends are on the rise, white tea is gaining a lot of popularity, but it’s typically expensive and slightly rare. This is also because white tea has a wide range of health benefits that have driven up its demand. Besides containing plenty of antioxidants, white tea may also help fight cancer cells while boosting immunity.

Herbal Tea

Herbal teas do not come from the same tea bush that black, white, and green teas come from. In fact, herbal teas are best described as fusion teas created from a combination of different dried herbs, spices, berries, fruits, and other nutritional elements. Most herbal teas are created to help with a specific health issue; for instance, there are herbal teas for insomnia and there are also some for arthritis.

There are also herbal fruit teastypically consumed for their interesting flavors or as bases for other beverages.

Besides these, some other popular tea types include oolong, rooibos, and decaf teas. You can find most of these at popular tea stores like Red Bud Tea Company. They have a large variety of premium tea blends online, including authentic Indian spiced tea and organic mint green tea.

You can explore the vast variety of tea blends they offer and choose the ones you like best.

Give them a call if you’ve got questions.