Most consumers think of tea as just tea. Similarly, 10 years ago, consumers viewed coffee as just coffee. Today, there are many varieties of coffee, priced according to quality, freshness, and rareness. Similarly, tea will follow this trend. Just like coffee, not all tea is created equal.

Tea leaves are classified as Green , Oolong or Black . The tea color is a result of the chemical changes that occur to the leaves when they are given time to oxidize, before drying, during the manufacturing process.

Tea leaves that have been given full time to ferment become black tea . Black tea accounts for 98% of the tea consumed in North America.

Oolong leaves are those that have been given a shorter time to oxidize or semi-ferment.

Tea leaves which have been dried without time for oxidation or fermentation remain green in color.

The most important factor is the size of the leaf. Teas are divided into broken grades and leaf grades.

Broken grades consist of smaller leaves and broken leaf particles. These teas usually produce stronger and darker tea liquors. The smallest tea particles are labeled as dust and typically used in tea bags.

Only about 20 percent of teas produced are leaf grades which are the larger tea leaves. These rarer teas tend to produce liquors that are smoother and lighter though less strong than the broken grades.