Botanical Foundations: What is Tea?

All authentic tea originates from the leaves of a single botanical species: Camellia sinensis, a member of the Theaceae plant family. The vast array of global tea styles is categorized entirely by the degree of enzymatic fermentation (oxidation) the leaves undergo after plucking:

Green Tea (Unfermented Tea): Tea leaves that undergo zero fermentation. The natural oxidation process is deliberately halted immediately after harvest through rapid thermal processing.

Oolong Tea (Semi-fermented Tea): Tea fermented to an intermediate level, occupying the sensory space between green and black tea.

Black Tea (Fully Fermented Tea): Tea where oxidizing enzymes are allowed to fully ferment the leaf structure prior to drying.