A Beginner's Guide to Loose Leaf Tea

Discover the rich and diverse world of loose leaf tea in this article from Tegan Woo, former founder of Amoda Tea.

If you’re a tea lover eager to explore beyond tea bags, this beginner’s guide to loose leaf tea will introduce you to the many varieties available and help you find your perfect cup.

Editor’s note: As a tea lover, I ventured beyond grocery store tea bags and found the world of loose leaf tea to be vast and overwhelming. To learn the basics, I turned to Tegan Woo, founder of Amoda Tea, who generously created this beginner’s guide to loose leaf tea.

Jump to Section:

• ☕️ What is Loose Leaf Tea?
• 🌱 Types of Loose Leaf Tea
• 🫖 How Do You Brew Loose Leaf Tea?

☕️ What is Loose Leaf Tea?

Tea is the oldest beverage in the world and an essential drink in cultures all across the globe.

All true "tea" is made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis bush. This includes black, oolong, green, white, yellow, and pu-erh.

Despite the fact that all of those teas come from the same plant, each tea is unique. This is from a combination of differences in terroir from region to region (just like wine), the season the leaves are plucked, changing climate conditions, the farmer's technique in processing the leaf and the many ways we steep them!

🌱 Types of Loose Leaf Tea

If all true tea comes from the same plant, then the difference in the final tea must come from the manufacturing, right?

This is true - the manufacturing process is specific to each class of tea. 

There are six different types of tea: green, yellow, white, oolong, black, pu-erh. You don't see yellow tea much in North America, so we won't cover that one here.

Think of the teas along a spectrum of oxidation.

Oxidation is the exposure of the tea leaves to oxygen in the air, which causes browning of the leaves. This is similar to how an apple browns after you cut it.

Green tea is not oxidized at all and white tea is lightly oxidized.

Black and pu-erh teas are on the opposite end of the oxidization spectrum and have darker brown leaves, infusions, and produce a deeper, more hardy flavour.

Oolong covers a range of oxidation in the middle of the spectrum.

Green Tea

After the initial drying stage, leaves destined for green tea are heated to kill the enzyme responsible for oxidization.

In China, the heating is done primarily by pan-firing or roasting.

In Japan, they steam the leaves.

These different methods plays a big part in why Chinese green teas taste and look so much different from Japanese green teas.

What Does Green Tea Taste Like?

Generally speaking, Chinese green teas have a wider range of flavours and sometimes a smokiness. They're also more of a yellow-green colour.

Japanese green teas are more "fresh" tasting with vegetal, grass and seaweed notes. They're a more true green colour in the cup and tend to be more delicate than Chinese green teas.

You should visit your local tea supplier and get a Chinese green and a Japanese green and compare them at home.

White Tea

White tea undergoes the least amount of processing.

Only the tender young spring buds are used. The buds are allowed to wither then dry to prevent much oxidation of the leaf.

What Does White Tea Taste Like?

Because of the minimal processing, white tea is the most gentle and delicate in both look and flavour.

White tea offers a light and refreshing cup with light steamed vegetal flavours and sometimes light toasted bread.

Oolong Tea

Oolongs are the most complicated teas to manufacture!

Oolong teas are made from large tea leaves. The appearance (form, shape, colour) of finished oolong teas can range from light green to brown, long & twisted or rolled into tight little balls.

There's so much personalization and intricacy that goes into Oolong manufacture that they tend to have the widest array of flavours and aromas.

Some taste and smell of stone fruits, honey, floral (orchid is common), sandalwood and more.

You might hear oolong tea referred to as "semi-oxidized" loose leaf tea. Oolongs tend to be more oxidized than white teas, but less than black. The range is anywhere from 35% to 80% oxidation level.

What Does Oolong Tea Taste Like?

Your cup of oolong will vary in flavour depending on the amount of oxidation.

It may be sweet, creamy and soft (high mountain Taiwan), or roasty toasty (Chinese Wuyi).

Black Tea

Black teas go through a long manufacturing process.

They are withered (dried) after plucking, which is an incredibly important step in creating a solid foundation for further processing.

After withering, black teas are rolled to release enzymes from the leaf and then they are fully oxidized.

Some of the most famous black teas come from single regions and are named that way - Assam and Darjeeling in India and Keemun and Yunnan in China, for example.

Of course, we commonly see black tea as blends such as English Breakfast and Afternoon blends.

You might also see black tea as "broken leaf" and "full leaf". Broken leaf teas allow for faster and fuller extraction and more caffeine, so you'll see them more often in breakfast blends meant for the addition of milk and sugar.

What Does Black Tea Taste Like?

Again, there's a big variation in how black teas taste, but they are generally richer, stronger and darker than the previous teas, with a bit more caffeine.

Chinese black teas tend to have smoky notes and sometimes some chocolate and sweetness.

Indian teas can be heartier and bolder, with the exception of Darjeeling, which is lighter and refreshing.

Best to get out there and just start comparing them!

Pu-erh Tea

There are two types of pu-erh tea: Sheng pu’er (“raw” or “green”), which is not oxidized and Shou pu’er (“cooked” or “black”), which is oxidized.

Sheng pu-erh is the most prized. It is an investment – bought young and set aside to age.

Shou pu-erh is less expensive, but still delicious, and the type that you would normally buy to drink right away.

Like any other tea, there are varying quality levels. Pu-erh tea is the one type of loose leaf tea that is truly fermented. 

Microflora and bacterial activity takes place on the leaf, actually fermenting the tea.

What Does Pu-erh Tea Taste Like?

Pu-erh teas are dark, earthy and hearty.

🫖 How Do You Brew Loose Leaf Tea?

The most simple way to brew loose leaf tea is to pour hot water over the leaves, let it steep, and then sip it carefully to avoid consuming the leaves.

However, there are nuances in the amount of tea you use, the temperature of the water, and the steeping time that can greatly affect the flavour of every tea.

To learn more about brewing tea, check out this article on How to Make Loose Leaf Tea.

This guide on loose leaf tea for beginners was originally published on June 09, 2015 by Tegan Woo. It has since been edited and re-published by Shareba Abdul. All images are credited to Tegan Woo.

Please note that specific products mentioned may not be the exact ones that Tegan recommended, as product listings have changed over the years.

This is not a sponsored post. Links to Amoda tea products are not affiliate links.