Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Wikipedia: TeaLast Updated: Aug. 8, 2017
↑About Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
![Growing tea shoots, showing new leaves and buds, with blurry forested background](/images/u/5a7defa438e5fc393651e7f4c89f26d9-600.jpg)
What is tea?
Tea (Chinese 茶) is a beverage made from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The words for tea in many languages come from the root cha or chai. RateTea classifies teas in this category that are made exclusively from the tea plant; such teas are often called pure teas, unflavored teas, or, less commonly, straight teas, in contrast to flavored teas, which contain tea together with other ingredients.Tea is usually classified based on how it is processed, which loosely corresponds to its level of oxidation--a process that darkens the tea and changes the color. Fully oxidized tea is called black tea, and unoxidized tea is called green tea (white tea is also mostly unoxidized). Oolong tea is a partially-oxidized tea that is often also roasted. Another class of tea, Pu-erh, is usually considered as a category of its own. Oxidation is sometimes called "fermentation", and black tea is described as "fermented", but this is misleading as there is no proper fermentation process happening as with vinegar or alcoholic drinks.
![Woman picking tea in a tea field on a gentle slope](/images/u/e2525cd218e959a528bfd1f81f3bd4b0-600.jpg)
When the word "tea" is used by itself it usually refers to the tea plant. However, the word "tea" is also used together with other terms to describe other drinks made from steeping other plants in water. Teas that do not come from the Camellia sinsensis plant are usually referred to as "herbal teas", "herb teas", or "tisanes".
Traditionally, in most parts of the world, nearly all tea consumed and produced was black tea. Outside of Southeast Asia, the term tea is often assumed to mean black tea. However, the tea industry is changing rapidly, and green, white, and oolong teas are becoming more popular both among tea drinkers in black-tea-loving countries, and tea growers in areas that historically only produced black tea are also beginning to produce more of these other styles of tea.
↑Recent Pure Tea Reviews — RSS ![rss icon](/images/icons/32-rss.png)
![Picture of Organic Assam Black Tea](/images/t/f7362b7567b75a5d32e47ade09cb51c5.jpg)
Trader Joe's teas seem to fall into two bins:
1. Very good, which at their typically low prices for bagged tea, makes it quite a strong value, even if not nearly the best of its type, and
2. Mediocre to poor, as one expects from most store brands.
Fortunately their organic Assam offering lies squarely in the fir...
![Picture of Fusion Green & White Tea](/images/t/b13e635221a90c230da6bda9b696be40.jpg)
I enjoyed this tea! I brewed it at 175°F and let it steep several minutes with the mug covered. It did not, thankfully, turn bitter. The second cup’s flavor wasn’t as strong but still had a flavor I could taste. Loose leaf tea is still better, but for a quick bag of tea this is nice.
Read Full ReviewThurbo Estate Second Flush FTGFOP1 Darjeeling from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Darjeeling Second Flush – Region: Darjeeling, IndiaJul. 18th, 2024
This is a very mild, bland tea. Lemon and sugar overwhelms it, but it is decent on its own or with a splash of milk - then it is pleasant and bready, with some mild tannins coming in to the mouthfeel. Priced too high given the quality, imo.
Read Full Review![Picture of Original (Black Tea)](/images/t/10dc853ba881e03683f4c91700601476.jpg)
Seldom have I sampled a tea with such a gap between aroma (or lack thereof) and taste. It's a vast chasm, really. The Grand Canyon might be a good analog with another several million years of erosion, widening and deepening.
This was a motel pickup somewhere out on the Great Plains. I don't recall where. I had a...
![Picture of Darjeeling Black Tea](/images/t/209981666da19d0161e265f4312753b9.jpg)
Darjeeling Black Tea from Rituals
Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, IndiaJun. 23rd, 2024
Here's another new Rituals tea for me (and this website), also first sampled at the Days Inn in Hays, KS. As usual, and even though Hays water isn't bad, I also hauled a bag home to try on my well water for fair comparison with other ratings.
Upon ripping open the foil-lined package, the smell that greeted my nos...
Read More Reviews of Pure Tea (3264) ...
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2 | ![]() | 182 | 5 |
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Review 110 teas to get on this list!
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↑Most-Rated Pure Tea
![No image of this tea](/images/t/453d12d4c8dcf21a249a236440891430.jpg)
PG Tips Pyramid bags
Brand: | PG Tips |
Style: | Black Tea |
Region: | Blend |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
![No image of this tea](/images/t/f9c487036f69636057ef026eb59ce5ad.jpg)
Irish Breakfast
Brand: | Twinings |
Style: | Irish Breakfast |
Region: | ????? |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
![No image of this tea](/images/t/c0c3f71f0815d3e5d74ca1a1f0a91a32.jpg)
English Breakfast
Brand: | Twinings |
Style: | English Breakfast |
Region: | ????? |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Teabag |
![No image of this tea](/images/t/4711f6d9f601f3fbc9855cea642f2ea3.jpg)
Assam
Brand: | Two Leaves and a Bud |
Style: | Assam |
Region: | Assam, India |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Sachet |
↑Top-Rated Pure Tea
![No image of this tea](/images/t/5dd80088f7fbd6319e5b4ad3f4695945.jpg)
Bao Zhong Oolong Tea
Brand: | Rishi Tea |
Style: | Pouchong Tea |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
![Picture of Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe](/images/tea/7311.jpg)
Wuyi Mountain Big Red Robe
Brand: | Verdant Tea |
Style: | Da Hong Pao |
Region: | Wuyi, Fujian, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
![No image of this tea](/images/t/e9877a922ed744c70b8eda838374bee0.jpg)
Honey Black Tea
Brand: | Health & Tea |
Style: | Black Tea |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
![Picture of Wild Snow Sprout Tea](/images/tea/6447.jpg)
Wild Snow Sprout Tea
Brand: | Wild Tea Qi |
Style: | Green Tea |
Region: | Yunnan, China |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |
![No image of this tea](/images/t/fa0452b99f870f377a26d9e382c0b4c7.jpg)
Formosa Amber Oolong Select
Brand: | Upton Tea Imports |
Style: | Amber Oolong |
Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
Leaf: | Loose |