What is the difference between green tea and black tea?
Green and black tea come from the same plant. Black tea leaves are fully oxidized, turning them dark and giving a stronger, maltier flavor, while green tea leaves are heated early to prevent oxidation.
After picking, tea leaves begin to react with oxygen, like a cut apple turning brown. For black tea, the leaves are rolled and left to oxidize fully before drying, which changes their color, aroma and taste. For green tea, the leaves are heated within hours of picking, keeping their green color and fresh flavor.
Black tea is usually stronger and contains more caffeine, about 40 to 70 milligrams per cup, compared with about 20 to 45 milligrams for green tea. Black tea is the most common type in Europe, India, Turkey and North America, while green tea dominates in China and Japan.
In between
Oolong tea is partly oxidized, falling between green and black in flavor. White tea is made from young leaves and buds that are barely processed. In China, black tea is called red tea, hong cha, after the reddish color of its brew.
Did You Know?
Black tea keeps its flavor longer than green tea, which is one reason it became popular for long-distance trade from China to Europe.