First Flush: The best amongst Darjeeling teas, first flush denotes the tea produced during the first season of the year, that is from end-February to mid-April. Traditionally, all first flush teas are Black but these days some Green tea and White tea are also being produced.

Second Flush: Again, a term for Darjeeling teas produced in the second growing season in May-June. Prized for their ‘muscatel flavour’, second flush teas too are mainly Black teas.

Darjeeling/Assam/Nilgiris/Ceylon/Indonesia/China/ Vietnam/Kenya: All tea-producing regions. A tea grown in Darjeeling — and naturally manufactured there too — is called a Darjeeling. Ditto for Assam and the rest. As with all agricultural products, tea grown in the same region differs from garden to garden.

Orthodox: This is a process of manufacturing used in most parts of the tea-growing world. Most high-quality teas use this process in which withered leaves are first rolled, fermented and then fired.

CTC: It is the cut/crush-tear-curl method of processing tea. Because the leaves are cut/crushed in addition to withering, rolling, fermenting and firing, the tea is quite strong and black. The final product is granules of tea popularly known as daanedaar chai. CTC is very popular with those looking for a strong cuppa.

Orange Pekoe: Oft-heard but most misunderstood, Orange Pekoe is a grade (quality index) of tea. There’s nothing orange-y in this tea. The ‘orange’ comes from one of many possible sources: the colour of the liquor of a good quality tea is generally orange. Or it could be that since it was the Dutch East India Company that popularised tea in Europe, they may have introduced the term ‘orange’ to hint at a royal warrant from the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau.

As for the Pekoe in the Orange Pekoe, some attribute it to the Chinese tea pek-ho and that’s about as close as we can get. So, enjoy the leaf and forget the pekoe!

Green tea: This too is a process of manufacturing. Green tea is the healthiest of them all; the brew has high antioxidant properties that help the body fight the everyday ravages of age, lifestyle and pollution.

Green tea is not withered or oxidised (fermented), which ensures that the tea retains all its natural goodness and polyphenols. It is steamed, rolled and fired. So, it tastes different and the colour is sweetly greenish. It is to be had without milk, maybe with a dash of lemon and/or honey and sugar/salt to taste. A pitcher in the refrigerator makes for some great Iced Tea!

Oolong tea: This is somewhat like a Black tea. The manufacturing process is the same, but it is semi-fermented (partially oxidised) and fired for a shorter time. So, it has a character and taste that’s quite distinctive. To sum up, an Oolong is also a process rather than a basic variety of tea.

Silver Tips: Also called Silver Needles, this tea is another exotic variety not found easily on retail shelves. What’s unique about it? It is made only from buds that are plucked first thing at sunrise! So, while all other teas are made from two leaves and a bud, Silver Tips are made only from buds.

White tea: This is again a manufacturing process and currently a global rage. White tea is one of the more expensive teas and not so only because it’s a fad. It is minimally processed and high in antioxidants. It’s almost entirely hand-manufactured and in many cases, sun-dried; hence, the volume of tea leaf is much more than that of the other teas.

White tea is usually made from the leaves of a young tea bush or from the best quality leaves available. It’s called White because it has a straw-coloured liquor. It has much lower levels of caffeine than other teas. The plucking for a White tea involves two leaves and an unopened bud. White tea can be made from leaves of any region including Assam, Darjeeling and more, as long as they are high quality and plucked specifically. The manufacturing process for White tea is rather challenging and resource consuming, hence it is made mainly on the request of speciality tea importers. It’s not available for retail sale in India at the moment.

Black tea: Here the leaf, after being plucked, is withered to extract moisture, then rolled or cut by a Rotorvane and then fermented before being fired. Most of the tea consumed in India is Black tea. The process of manufacturing Black tea could be either Orthodox or CTC.

Leaf tea: No prizes for guessing this. Any whole leaf tea can be referred to as Leaf tea.

Tea pearls and Tea flowers: Tea pearls are round in shape and are actually a few two-leaves-and-a-bud that are rolled and knotted to make a small round ball — that’s why the ‘pearl’ in its name. Tea flowers are actually many tea buds strung together by a thread. It looks like a circular wiry bunch, which is placed at the bottom of the cup over which hot water is poured. As the leaves soak in the water, the ‘flower’ swells and swims up to the surface of the cup. Remove the flower and enjoy the brew. Both ‘pearls’ and ‘flower’ are valued for their aesthetic quality and can be manufactured from any high-grade tea. Have it in a transparent glass cup.

FLAVOURED TEAS

Earl Grey:

Named after the English royal Charles Grey, this is a traditional Black tea flavoured with the oil of the Spanish Bergamot, which is an orange-like tangy fruit.

Muscatel:

A flavour associated with the second flush tea from Darjeeling, it’s difficult to clearly describe the taste of a muscatel. Some call it ‘oak-y’; others feel it’s almost like that of a muscatel grape. This distinctive flavour can only be produced in the foothills of the Himalayas and it’s one of the reasons why Darjeeling tea is called the ‘champagne of all teas’.

Jasmine tea:

In its original form, this is a Chinese Green tea that’s scented or flavoured with jasmine flowers, thus making it a flavoured Green tea of sorts.

Fruit tea:

Tea that’s got a generous proportion of dehydrated fruit chunks, herbs and flowers with added flavours. There are many popular recipes of Fruit teas doing the rounds. It can be a very nice cold drink and is popular in Europe and North America.

Masala Chai:

The typically traditional Indian earthy tea blended with spices and herbs such as cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, fennel and/or tulsi leaves, this tea is best had with lots of milk.

Lemon tea:

It’s like normal milk-less tea, had with a wedge or few drops of lemon. Superb as an iced tea.

Which is your favourite tea and why? Tell t2@abp.in