Green, Black, and Herbal: A Comprehensive Guide to Vegan Tea Types

Welcome! If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the types of tea or what kinds there are, here is the right place to be. And we’re sure tea lovers all around the world are ready to embrace you with open arms. There are quite a lot of them, you know. After all, tea is the most consumed beverage in the entire world (that is, after water)!

Realistically, we won’t be able to go through each and every kind of tea - there are over 3000 varieties of it. We can, however, give you a list of those most commonly found in your local shops. That should be a great place to start!

As a baseline, we have to mention that all varieties of tea come from the camellia sinensis, which is a shrub common in East Asia. No matter if it’s green, black, white, or any other variety, it all comes from that same plant. The only difference is how they are prepared - the process of making tea, if you will.

But Why Do People like Drinking Tea?

Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way. People drink tea because they enjoy the taste. Sometimes we simply choose to do things because they make us happy - and that’s okay!

Second of all, people drink herbal tea because it’s very beneficial to their health and wellness. Tea is packed with nutrients. It is also a source of polyphenols, a compound said to help minimize the risk of cancer and other cardiovascular diseases.

While we’re talking about benefits, it’s worth noting that tea helps people deal with psychological factors as well. They drink tea since it helps calm their nerves and soothe them. It does depend on what type of tea you drink, though. Some variants of tea do contain caffeine and those are not ideal beverages before bed!

And speaking of caffeine… The last reason why people may like drinking tea is that they’re trying to replace their coffee with it. When looking for alternatives to coffee, tea often comes to mind since it’s lower in caffeine. 

Common Vegan Tea Types

Black Tea

Let’s start with the most consumed tea in the world, black tea. Over 80% of the tea consumed globally is said to be some form of it. This includes tea blends.

Certain varieties of black tea originate from China, India, Taiwan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and also Iran. From varieties, you can make blends with black tea as the base like Earl Grey or English Breakfast. One region could have a lot of varieties or just one. 

Assam Tea

Let’s stick to the popularity statistics a little more. The most popular variety of black tea is Assam tea! As the name suggests, it comes from the Assam state in northeastern India. Assam tea is known for its malty and nutty flavor.

Assam tea has caffeine content and varies depending on how long you steep it for. As a comparison, coffee has 100–150 mg per cup while Assam tea has 100–150 mg. It’s this caffeine content and distinct nuttiness that makes Assam tea a great base for breakfast tea. And since we’ve been mentioning breakfast teas a lot, let’s get to one very popular blend.

English Breakfast Tea

It’s quite easy to find a decent English Breakfast Tea anywhere you go. There is no standard way to make this blend, but it’s often made with some mix of tea varieties from Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya. And there is no standard way to enjoy this tea. Have it straight as it is or add some vegan milk and sugar if you’d like. 

And why is English Breakfast Tea called that? Well, it’s best paired with a full English breakfast. It’s strong and has rich flavors. This can help cut through the typical fattiness of the meal.

Green Tea

The way green tea is made is similar to black tea, but it does not go through the withering and oxidation process. Green tea is still dried and aged just the same and this gives the tea somewhat grassy and flowery notes.

When it comes to green tea, the quality dictates the steep time. Premium green tea requires far less steeping time and is done in cooler water. To get the most out of cheaper tea, you’d need to steep it in hotter water for longer. 

Matcha Tea

Probably the one you immediately think of when people say green tea is the greenest tea of them all, matcha! Very popular in Japan, a good cup of matcha is worth its weight in gold. One cup of matcha typically contains 70mg of caffeine. 

Though some may say matcha is an acquired taste, you’ll easily find coffee shops offering matcha lattes served iced or hot. 

Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is also known as Chinese huángchá or Korean hwangcha. Often considered more expensive, this kind of tea is prepared similarly to green tea. Only yellow tea goes through certain steps to remove the grassy taste. Because of this, yellow tea is sweet and nutty and only has very light floral and grassy notes.

Although we did say that we’ll go through only the more common vegan tea types, we think this little detour is necessary as it is still one of the major tea varieties. And speaking of little detours…

White Tea

…We need to talk about white tea. Though it’s called white, it often has hues of pale yellow. We know, it can get confusing. Compared to green or black tea, white tea is said to be lighter. 

Fun fact: Did you know that chamomile tea isn’t really tea? Well, technically, it isn’t. We only mention this because you might think it is some form of white or even yellow tea. If you remember, all tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant. Chamomile, as you know, comes from the chamomile plant. So, remember, not all “tea” is tea!

Oolong Tea

We’ll wrap up with oolong tea. Still considered one of the basic types of tea, oolong is a variety that has different notes and flavors. The process used to prepare oolong can vary from one maker to another, giving each its unique taste. 

That said, oolong does tend to have some form of floral and grassy note, making it pair well with fruits and fruity flavors. Oolong tea blends usually have dried peaches, berries, cherries, or apples in them.

Check Out - Ultimate Guide to Vegan Tea Brands

My Type of Tea

We hope we helped you in your tea-enlightenment journey. We tried to be as comprehensive as can be without bombarding you with too much. Hey, if it stressed you out a bit, get some tea here at Vegan Essentials!