5. Oolong Tea:

Oolong tea is a unique tea variety made by twisting and curling the tea leaves after the withering and oxidation process. The shape of these artisanal tea leaves depends on the tea master, which ranges from tight curls to thin strands. The rolling of leaves adds a distinct appearance, character and aroma to the brew, which can fall in between black tea and green tea.

The general rule for making Oolong tea is to seep the leaves in hot water for 2-5 minutes. The longer the seeping time, the stronger and aromatic the brew gets! The number of flavonoids also increases with the concentration to amp up the health benefits. Depending on the amount of oxidation, the caffeine percentage of Oolong may vary from batch to batch.

6. Pu’erh Tea:

Pronounced as Pu-er is a variety of un-oxidized tea which gets its name from Pu-erh, a Chinese county in the Yunnan province. The tea leaves are left to ferment for months, sometimes years to increase flavor and aroma. The older the age of tea, the higher is its price. Pu-er tea begins its life as green tea and undergoes the withering process to achieve a deeper color.

The leaves get compressed into small discs called Pu’erh cakes. One can find two types of Pu’erh teas – Raw and Ripe, where raw is a fresh batch of leaves and ripe is an aged leaf, which is quite expensive. To prepare the tea, some leaves are loosened from the cake and seeped into hot water for a few minutes until the desired color and aroma are achieved.

Pu’erh tea is known to aid in better digestion and blood circulation compared to other tea types due to the fermentation process.

7. Herbal Tea:

Herbal teas are not true teas! They are herbal infusions that result from dried herbs, spices, fruits, leaves and flowers in hot water. Herbal teas are also called Tisanes, which are aromatic and flavoursome. They are caffeine-free due to the absence of true tea leaves and popular across the world for their delicious taste and mind relaxant properties.