tea

Introduction
History of the tea trade
Classification of teas
Processing the leaf
- Black tea
  - Withering
  - Rolling
  - Fermentation
  - Drying
- Green tea
- Oolong tea
Packaging
- Sorting and grading
- Packing
- Instant tea
Preparing the beverage
- Blending
- Brewing
- Tasting

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Neatly planted rows of green tea bushes stretch across rolling fields with Mount Fuji, capped with snow, rising in the background in Japan.

Tea pickers wearing hats and long sleeves harvest tea leaves on a lush green plantation in Chiang Rai, Thailand, with baskets strapped to their backs.

Close-up of vibrant green leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, growing densely together.

This flowchart-style diagram illustrates the tea production process, from harvesting tea leaves through steps like withering, steaming, rolling and breaking, conditioning and maceration, fermentation, drying, grading, and packing. Colored arrows indicate the different processing paths for white, green, oolong, and black teas, showing how each tea type follows a unique combination of steps before reaching the final packing stage.

A bowl of frothy matcha green tea sits beside a wooden container of matcha powder, a bamboo whisk, a wooden scoop, a black teapot, and fresh tea leaves.

At a Glance

tea summary

Quizzes

Fruit. Grape. Vitis vinifera. Blauer Portugieser. Wine. Wine grape. Autumn. Grape leaves. Two clusters of Blauer Portugieser grapes on the vine.

Drink to This

Herbal teas in white porcelain dishes over a bamboo background.

Properties of Herbal Teas Quiz

Related Questions

How are tea plants pruned to make harvesting easier?
How did the Dutch introduce tea cultivation to Java?
How did the English East India Company bring tea to the London market?
How do professional tea tasters evaluate a tea brew?
How do the China and Assam varieties of Camellia sinensis differ?
How does caffeine in tea affect the central nervous system?
How does drying finish the processing of black tea leaves?
How does green tea processing stop the oxidation of tea leaves?
How is matcha grown and processed?
How long can a China tea plant remain economically productive?
How long can an Assam tea plant remain economically productive with pruning and plucking?
How many insect pests and fungal diseases can attack tea plants?
How much caffeine does an average cup of tea contain compared with an average cup of coffee?
How tall can an unpruned Assam tea plant grow?
How tall can an unpruned China tea plant grow?
How were tea bags invented by accident?
What climate conditions are needed for tea cultivation?
What does the term second flush mean in tea cultivation?
What events led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773?
What happens to tea leaves during the withering stage of black tea processing?
What roles do caffeine, tannins, and volatile oils play in tea?
When did tea cultivation become established in Japan?
When did the British introduce tea cultivation to Sri Lanka?
Which African countries became tea-growing regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
Which company brought the first shipment of China tea to Europe in 1610?
Which parts of a tea shoot are usually removed during plucking?
Which plant provides the leaves and buds used to make true tea?
Which regions are included in the tea plant’s natural habitat?
Which tea-growing regions are known for Darjeeling, Assam, Uva, Dimbula, Keemun, and Enshu teas?
Why are commercial tea blends made from teas grown on different estates and in different countries?
Why does green tea have a weaker flavor than black tea?
Why is hand plucking used for premium spring tea leaves?
Why is matcha often more expensive than other kinds of tea?
Where is coffee grown?
Where did coffee originate?
Why does coffee make you poop?

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Exploring the ancient roots and modern global brews of tea and herbal beverages: A comprehensive review of origins, types, health benefits, market dynamics, and future trends
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - The Nutrition Source - Tea
Cleveland Clinic - The best Teas to drink for your health
Pennsylvania State University - PlantVillage - Tea
Verywell Fit - Health Benefits of Traditional and Herbal Teas
Oregon State University - Linus Pauling Institute - Tea
Royal Museums Greenwich - Interesting Facts About Tea
WebMD - Are There Health Benefits to Drinking Tea?

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

tea - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
tea - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

tea

beverage

Written by

Sinnathurai Sivasubramaniam

Senior Lecturer in Agronomy, Eastern University, Chenkaladi, Sri Lanka. Project Coordinator, Agricultural Research Project, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle, 1988.

Sinnathurai Sivasubramaniam

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 22, 2026 •History

tea, beverage produced by steeping in freshly boiled water the young leaves and leaf buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Two principal varieties are used, the small-leaved China plant (C. sinensis variety sinensis) and the large-leaved Assam plant (C. sinensis variety assamica). Hybrids of these two varieties are also grown. The leaves may be fermented or left unfermented. According to legend, tea has been known in China since about 2700 bce. For millennia it...

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