Ask ten people to define "tea" and you'll get ten different answers — some will mean the deep amber cup with milk, others the pale green one steeped delicately, and a fair few will mean a chamomile or tulsi infusion that never touched a tea leaf at all. As a tea taster, one of the first things I explain to people is that true tea and herbal tea are two very different worlds, even though they share a teapot. Here's the full map, from leaf to cup, including where our own wellness blends fit in.
The True Teas: All From One Plant
Every white, green, oolong, black and pu-erh tea comes from the same plant — Camellia sinensis. What separates them isn't the leaf itself but how it's handled afterward: how much it's withered, rolled, oxidised and dried. Oxidation is the single biggest factor — it's the same browning reaction you see in a cut apple, and the longer it's allowed to run, the darker and bolder the tea becomes.
White Tea — Barely Touched
The least processed of all true teas, made from young buds and leaves that are simply withered and dried, with little to no rolling or oxidation. Expect a pale liquor, delicate sweetness and soft floral notes. It's the closest you'll get to tasting the leaf as it grew.
Green Tea — Unoxidised and Fresh
Green tea leaves are heated shortly after picking — steamed or pan-fired — to stop oxidation almost entirely, preserving a fresh, grassy, sometimes vegetal character along with high levels of catechins, its signature antioxidant.
Oolong Tea — Partially Oxidised
Oolong sits on a wide spectrum between green and black, oxidised anywhere from 10 to 80 percent depending on style. Lightly oxidised oolongs lean floral and creamy; darker ones turn woody and roasted. It's the most versatile — and arguably most skill-intensive — tea to make.
Black Tea — Fully Oxidised
Black tea leaves are fully oxidised before drying, producing the deep copper liquor, robust body and malty depth most familiar in Indian tea drinking. Within black tea, processing style matters too — Orthodox production keeps the leaf whole and rolled for a more complex, layered cup, while CTC (crush-tear-curl) produces the fast-brewing, strong tea common in everyday chai.
Pu-erh Tea — Aged and Fermented
A specialty of Yunnan, China, pu-erh undergoes an additional microbial fermentation and ageing process after initial processing, developing deep, earthy, almost woodsy notes that mellow further with age — closer in spirit to a fine wine than a fresh-picked tea.
Herbal Teas: Not Tea At All, Technically
Here's the detail most people don't know: herbal tea isn't tea in the botanical sense. It's a tisane — an infusion made from dried flowers, leaves, roots, bark, seeds or fruit, but never the Camellia sinensis plant. Chamomile, hibiscus, peppermint, rooibos, tulsi and ginger infusions all fall into this category. Because they contain no true tea leaf, herbal infusions are naturally caffeine-free, which makes them a good choice for an evening cup or for anyone limiting caffeine altogether.
Where ArtTeas Wellness Blends Fit In
Alongside our single-origin white, green and black teas, we also craft a line of wellness blends — teas and tisanes brought together with spices, dried flowers, fruit and herbs for both flavour and everyday comfort. Some start with a true tea base, others are entirely herbal, so it's worth checking each blend's ingredients if caffeine content matters to you. These are the blends built for a specific moment in your day, from a bracing morning cup to a wind-down evening pour.
Explore Each Type
Single-Origin Black Teas
• Assam Gold — Orthodox whole-leaf Assam
• Spring Delight — Darjeeling First Flush
• Wake Me Up Second Flush Assam CTC
• Forget Me Not - Darjeeling Second Flush
Green Teas
• Green Mist — single-origin green tea
• Long Jing (Dragon Well) Green Tea
Specialty
• Exotic Beauty — Jasmine Pearls
• Spring Delight Gold — Darjeeling First Flush, Moonshine grade
• Blooming Tea - Green Tea Flowers
• Earl Grey - Black Tea with Bergamot
Wellness Blends — Spice, Flower, Fruit & Herb
• Immuno Booster Masala Chai — spiced immunity blend
• Yogi Tea - Herbs with Green Tea
• Rooibos Kiss - Rooibos with Indian Spices
• Crisp Apple Fusion - Cinnamon apple green tea
• Chamomile Flowers - naturally caffine free
Sets & Accessories
Frequently Asked Questions
Is herbal tea actually tea?
Not botanically. True tea comes only from the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal "teas" are tisanes — infusions of flowers, herbs, fruit or roots — and are naturally caffeine-free.
Which tea type has the most caffeine?
Generally, black tea has the most caffeine among true teas, followed by oolong, green and white, though exact levels vary by leaf size, brew time and water temperature. Herbal infusions with no tea leaf base are caffeine-free.
What makes a tea a 'wellness blend' rather than a plain tea?
A wellness blend combines a tea or herbal base with added spices, dried flowers, fruit pieces or herbs — chosen for both flavour and a specific everyday purpose, like an energising morning cup or a calming wind-down blend.
What's the difference between Orthodox and CTC black tea?
Orthodox processing keeps the leaf whole or lightly rolled, producing a more layered, complex cup that opens up over multiple infusions. CTC (crush-tear-curl) cuts the leaf into small uniform granules for a fast, strong brew — the everyday chai standard.
Can I mix true tea with herbal ingredients?
Yes — many of our wellness blends do exactly this, layering spices, petals or fruit over a true tea base. The tea contributes body and caffeine, while the botanicals add aroma and character.
Which tea type should a beginner start with?
A good starting point is a well-made black tea like our Assam Gold, since its bold, familiar profile is easy to enjoy black or with milk. From there, green and white teas (our Moonshine grade) are worth exploring for their lighter, more delicate character.