A Friendly Introduction to All Things Tea!

Salutations VIT’s (Very Important Tea-People), 

And welcome to this friendly introduction to all things tea where we’ll break down the daunting and diverse concept of ‘Tea’ into manageable sip-sized pieces - and in the process hopefully inspire you to try something new!

In the UK, we tend to be most comfortable with a classic black tea, such as English Breakfast, or Scottish Breakfast - and there’s nothing wrong with that, they’re nationwide favourites for a reason. However, there is a whole world of tea left to discover, and we’re here to help you breach your comfort zones and venture out to find your favourite. 

Tea is immensely complex… so, we’re going to take things right back to the basics…

There are 7 main categories of tea: 

• Green Tea

• Black Tea

• Oolong Tea

• White Tea

• Pu’er Tea

• Yellow Tea

• Purple Tea

“But what about fruit tea and herbal tea?” You may ask… Well, dearest VIT, tea of the herbal and fruit variety is technically an infusion as there are no tea leaves in the actual blends. 

Anyway - green, black, white, purple, yellow and oolong tea are all products of the same plant: Camellia sinensis. These are known as ‘True teas’ and their plant is native to a subtropical band in east Asia that stretches across east India, north Laos, Vietnam, and into south-west China. The type of tea and its flavours and properties all depend on the strain of Camellia sinensis, when its leaves are harvested and how the leaves are treated before, during, and after the drying process. 

As fascinating as this tea talk is, we’re going to stick to talking exclusively about the types of tea we stock and blend here at The West Highland Tea Studio as we want to be able to give you our honest and most accurate recommendations based on our tea - because it’s what we know (and love) best. 

Green Tea 

The ‘original tea’. Green Tea is said to date back to 2737 BC and while it is enjoyed worldwide, it is the tea of choice throughout China and Japan. Green Tea’s unique taste and vibrant colour is due to the fact that the leaves are not oxidised during harvest or production.

Did you know that our wee tea studio offers eight different flavours of green tea?

The typical notes of Green Tea tend to be earthy/grassy, clean, vegetal, and quite often bittersweet. However, our Green Tea selection demonstrates the full potential of the tea’s taste. From fragrant and floral jasmine to smoky and nutty infusions, we have a Green Tea that is sure to satisfy any palate.

This magical tea tastes phenomenal and can be hugely healthy too!

Black Tea

The tea we all know and love. Black Tea is vastly diverse and has a distinctive look and flavour too! Once the tea leaves are picked, wilted, and lightly crushed, they go through a process of oxidisation which gives them the distinctive brown/black colour. Black Teas can be flavoured (like Earl Grey) or unflavoured (like Assam or Darjeeling). 

Did you know that Black Tea and Pu’er Tea are often assumed to be the same tea but are actually completely different? This is because they have a similar appearance and liquor. However, Black Tea acquires its colour from the oxidisation whereas Pu’er Tea darkens due to the process of microbial fermentation. 

From classic Breakfast Teas to our Specially Blended range, all of our Black Teas are bursting with flavour and waiting to be tried! We find that Black Tea can be a wonderful base and we owe some of our best creations to it, such as our Honey Bee Tea and our very own West Highland Earl Grey. Although we only stock a fraction of the world’s Black Teas, our wee yet diverse selection of smoky, sweet, citrus, or  wholesome teas are a perfect peek into the vast world of tea. 

Oolong Tea

A fantastic flavour-fusion of Black and Green Tea. Oolong Tea has an extensive and complex production process that includes stages of withering, firing, and the tedious hand-rolling of the leaves. However, the taste of this tea is absolutely worth the work. 

Did you know that the literal translation of Oolong is “Black Dragon”?

Typically boasting buttery notes and a lighter taste, this tea is an easy-drinker. Although it sits somewhere between a black tea and a green tea in characteristics, Oolong has the familiar comforts of a white tea whilst holding its own smooth and unique flavour palate. A truly brilliant tea-time staple. 

White Tea

Delicate yet wholesome, this ‘true tea’ is a fabulous addition to the tea tray. White tea leaves are picked really early (before the leaves open) and aren’t oxidised - which allows them to hold a unique taste. 

Did you know that White Tea is naturally rich in antioxidants? 

White Tea is soothing in taste, and this is especially true for our Pai Mu Tan. Additionally, our Mango White Tea offers a pinch of the tropics while our Pomegranate White Tea combines the delicate infusions of pomegranate, cranberry, and rose petals to boast a gentle yet fruity flavour. 

Unfortunately, we don’t stock any Yellow, Purple, or Pu’er Teas at the moment - but if you do come across them, they’re definitely worth a try! However…we do stock plenty of Herbal, Fruit, and Specially Blended Teas!

Herbal Tea

Hugely diverse and delicious, Herbal Teas have been enjoyed for centuries due to the wide range of botanicals and their phenomenal flavours. Free from caffiene, herbal teas are perfect for soothing, healing, and settling. 

Did you know that Herbal Teas are one of the earliest forms of medicine that we have? 

As mentioned above, these botanical teas are technically ‘infusions’ rather than ‘tea’ as they lack the actual tea leaf from the Camellia sinensis shrub. From Chamomile to Rooibos, there’s a herbal tea for everyone. 

Fruit Tea

Vibrant, sweet, and flavourful, it doesn’t get better than Fruit Tea. Rachael, our founder, first discovered Fruit Teas while travelling in China and our love and appreciation for the terrific teas has only grown and flourished. Similar to the Herbal tea, Fruit Tea is also technically an infusion…however, this slight technicality doesn’t get in the way of the taste! 

Did you know that a splash of lemon pairs well with almost any Fruit Tea? 

We stock classic fruit infusions such as Strawberry and Kiwi, Elderflower and Lemon, and Red Berry. However, we do have some original fruit-filled blends on our shelves…

Special Blends 

You’ll never taste another like them! Our Special Blend Teas are all original creations and are carefully hand blended in our Tea Studio. We have a large and diverse variety of Black, Green, Fruit, and Herbal Teas for you to try. Through our Special Blends, we hope to push the boundaries of tea blending in the most delicious way. 

Did you know that our Specially Blended Honey Bee Tea was created by accident by mixing two ‘in progress’ teas together? And we’re glad it happened because Honeybee is one of our (and your) favourites! 

Many of our specially blended teas are inspired by Mallaig and the Highlands as we sought to replicate the area of outstanding natural beauty that we’re lucky enough to be based in. 

Hopefully this post has made ‘Tea’ a little more manageable! There’s still a lot more to unpack but we hope you’ve enjoyed this wee introduction. 

Keep an eye on this space for our next blog post and in the meantime, brew yourself a cuppa and have a browse through our website for all of your loose leaf tea needs!

That’s all for now!

Love the WHTC Team x