I enjoy both green and black tea, but wondered what makes them different, especially considering that both varieties of tea are from the same exact plant, the Camellia sinensis. For that matter, oolong and white teas are also from the same plant.
The difference between green and black teas is all in the curing. Green tea is steamed shortly after picking to prevent it from fermenting. Black tea is allowed to dry and ferment which changes its color and taste. The leaves of both types are rolled so that their flavorful juices can mingle and release when brewed.
These are fascinating facts, but what does it all mean to me when I’m trying to decide on a tea? There was only one way to find out. I decided to do a Green vs. Black Tea Throwdown! This seemed like an excellent excuse to sample high quality teas at a local tea café (and a few muffins too).
Although there are hundreds of different types of tea within the green and black categories, I randomly selected two green teas (Sencha Superior and Dragon Well) and two black teas (China Breakfast and Darjeeling 1st Flush); each with different flavor profiles.
My tea-drinking companion and I chose a table in a corner of the café. I’m sure the tea baristas were wondering why two people needed four pots of different teas, but they seemed happy to oblige. We delighted in seeing our small table completely covered with teapots, cups, saucers, strainers and, of course, the teas. We admired the array of tea colors, breathed in the distinct aromas and studied leaf shapes before tasting the samples. I’m tempted here to review each of the teas sampled, but I’ll save that for a future blog. I need to focus on the task before me - to determine the winner in the green vs. black challenge.
And the winner is? Well, it’s not that simple. Turns out, there is no best tea type – the beauty is in the mouth of the beholder. My companion prefers the green teas for their grassy, sharper flavors. She likened them to the pale, meadowy taste of a sauvignon blanc wine. She appreciated the strong, complex green tea flavors and the pleasing light green hues.
I prefer the black teas. To me, the black teas taste sweeter, smoother and richer. Granted, black teas are a daily staple for me and I’m more familiar with them, but after the taste test, I didn’t feel compelled to switch green for black in my regular routine. I find the amber colors of the black teas appealing and the taste more satisfying, even though I enjoyed experiencing the green teas. We both agreed that the black tea seems like the better choice for the morning when you need something hearty to get your day started.
So, the Green vs. Black Tea Throwdown resulted in a tie. If you have an opinion as to the “better” type, leave a comment – I’m interested to hear others weigh in on the subject.
