The differences between black and Green Tea: Different levels of fermentation, black Tea is a fully fermented tea, while green tea is non-fermented; Different appearances, black tea has red leaves and a red infusion, the dry tea is dark and lustrous, tightly bound; green tea has green leaves and a clear infusion, the dry tea is tightly bound, robust, with a verdant color; Different processes, the process for green tea is picking, fixation, rolling, and drying, while the process for black tea is withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying.
The first difference between black and green tea: Different appearance of the tea leaves
From the appearance of the tea leaves, in general, green tea often displays fine downy hairs, revealing tender buds, with a bright infusion, high fragrance, mellow and refreshing taste, and a greenish tone. Famous varieties include Longjing tea, Biluochun tea, Huangshan Maofeng, Zijia green tea, Lushan Yunwu, Liuan Guapian, etc.; black tea reveals fine downy hairs, has a dark and lustrous color, a bright and red infusion, bright red leaves, a fragrant aroma that is rich and long-lasting. Famous varieties include Qihong, dianhong, Yinghong, etc.
The second difference between black and green tea: Different colors of the tea infusion
As the name suggests, black tea gets its name from the red color of the infusion and leaves after brewing the dry tea, while green tea retains more of the fresh green color of the original leaves when brewed, hence the name green tea.
The third difference between black and green tea: Different production processes
From a production process perspective, black tea belongs to the category of fully fermented teas, made from the buds and leaves of the tea plant, and goes through typical processes such as withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying; green tea belongs to the category of non-fermented teas, using new leaves from the tea plant, without fermentation, and going through typical processes such as fixation, rolling, and drying.
After fermentation, over 90% of the catechins in black tea undergo chemical reactions, producing new components such as theaflavins and thearubigins; green tea does not go through fermentation, thus retaining many of the original components of the tea leaves, including higher levels of catechins, flavonoids, chlorophyll, caffeine, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients. The natural nutritional components contained in these two types of tea differ, so there are differences in the effects and benefits of black and green tea.
The fourth difference between black and green tea: Different water temperatures for brewing
For high-grade green teas, especially those with very tender buds, water around 80°C is generally used for brewing. Water that is too hot can easily destroy vitamin C in the tea and cause caffeine to leach out, making the tea soup turn yellow and the taste more bitter. For brewing various floral teas, black teas, and mid-to-lower grade green teas, boiling water at 90-100°C should be used. Lower water temperatures result in less effective extraction of components from the tea leaves, leading to a lighter tea flavor.
The fifth difference between black and green tea: Different Health benefits
A characteristic of black tea is that it produces a red infusion when brewed, with a sweet and warm taste, containing abundant proteins, and having effects such as invigorating the mind, relieving fatigue, etc. Black tea, with its red leaves and red infusion, gives a warm feeling; black tea can be consumed with milk or sugar, which has the effect of generating heat and warming the stomach; black tea helps digestion and reduces greasiness, which is beneficial during the winter season when consuming fatty foods.
Both black and green tea are good for health, but you should choose according to your constitution. Black tea is relatively mild and suitable for most people to drink, particularly beneficial for those who are cold in constitution, helping to improve physical condition. Green tea is relatively cool, so those who are cold or have a weak constitution should avoid drinking it, while those with a hot constitution can drink it more frequently.