There are almost as many different types of tea as there are tea lovers! From true teas made from the Camellia Sinensis plant, to herbal infusions and tisanes made from a multitude of natural plants, you’re bound to find a type of tea that tickles your fancy in this list.
Main Types of Tea
You can group all of these drinks into two primary types of tea.
- True Teas are any infusion made from the dried leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant.
- Herbal Teas and tisanes are a concoction made from steeping the roots, stems, leaves, flowers or fruits of any kind of plant.
Now some purists will argue that a drink isn’t tea unless it’s a true tea from the tea plant, for our purposes, we’ll include all herbal and true teas in this list.
So without further ado, here is a list of over 100 teas, in alphabetical order. If there’s a hyperlink, you can click over to find out more about the tea type like recipes, interesting facts, history and more.
Types of Tea: An Alphabetical List
Ashwagandha Tea:
This adaptogen tea is used in ancient Ayurvedic medicine. Also called Indian ginseng, this tea can adapt to your body’s needs whether that’s extra energy or improved sleep.
Assam Black Tea:
Assam tea, a true tea, is a type of black tea originating in Assam, India
Assamica Tea:
This strain of back tea originates from the lowlands of northern India. It has a more smoky, robust flavor.
Ayurvedic Tea:
Any of a variety of teas used in Ayurvedic medicine.
Bai Mudan:
Another name for white peony tea.
Bancha Tea:
A type of green tea harvested later in the season from larger and coarser tea leaves.
Black Tea:
One of the most popular of the true teas, made from leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Boba Tea:
Also called bubble tea, boba tea is a tea based drink usually served with tapioca balls and various other flavorings. Super popular choice in tea shops in the United States and around the world.
Boricha:
Also called Korean barley tea is made from roasted barley and is widely consumed across many East Asian countries.
Bubble Tea:
Also called boba tea, boba tea is a tea based drink usually served with tapioca balls and various other flavorings.
Buckwheat Tea:
Also called sobacha or memil-cha, this tea is made from the steeped roasted grains of the buckwheat plant.
Builders Tea:
This tea is a strong and inexpensive tea usually brewed from tea bags and served with milk and sugar.
Butter Tea:
A savory tea made with strong black tea, yak butter, and salt.
Butterfly Pea Flower:
This vividly colored herbal infusion is made from the dried flower of the butterfly pea plant.
Calendula Tea:
Also known as marigold tea, this herbal tisane is made from the dried blossoms of the pot marigold plant.
CCF Tea:
This ayurvedic herbal tea is made from cumin, coriander, and fennel. Just some of the many benefits include improved digestion and lowered blood sugar.
Ceylon Tea:
A black tea originating from Sri Lanka.
Chaga Mushroom:
This medicinal tea is made by steeping the chaga mushroom in boiling water.
Chai:
Chai tea is black tea mixed with a blend of spices. The spice mixture can vary but usually includes cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper.
Chimarrao Tea:
This grassy herbal tisane is made from the dried leaves of the holly plant native to South America. It’s been enjoyed in South American countries for centuries.
Chamomile Tea:
This popular herbal tea is known for its calming qualities. Easy to grow, this plant is often added to herbal tea gardens.
Chicory Root Tea:
Often used as a coffee substitute, this tisane is made from the root of the chicory plant.
Chrysanthemum Tea:
This pale yellow herbal tea is made by steeping the dried flowers of the chrysanthemum flower.
Cinnamon Tea:
This spicy herbal tisane is made from steeping the bark of the cinnamon tree. It has many health benefits including the ability to lower blood pressure.
Da Bai:
The type of Camellia Sinensis plant that produces white tea. The name of the tea Da Bai translates to “great white” in English.
Dandelion Root:
This herbal tisane is known for its detoxifying qualities. As a natural diuretic, this tea helps flush extra water from your system.
Darjeeling Tea:
This high quality black tea is known as the champagne of teas.
Dragon Well Tea (Longjing):
A type of green tea grown in the Hangzhou region, it’s become known as a symbol of imperial China.
Earl Grey Tea:
This tea blend is flavored with the oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit. Earl Gray is a popular choice at afternoon tea and high tea. A favorite recipe that uses this flavorful tea is the London Fog Tea Latte.
Echinacea Tea:
This herbal tea is full of vitamin c and is great for colds, sore throat, and flu.
English Breakfast Tea:
A strong black tea with a rich flavor. This tea is a cousin of the less well known Irish and Scottish breakfast teas.
Fennel Tea:
This herbal tea is often used for digestive issues.
Flowering Tea:
Any tisane made from dried blossoms which open when added to hot water.
Friendship Tea:
Usually a spiced tea mix given as a gift.
Genmaicha:
This type of tea is green tea mixed with roasted puffed brown rice grains.
Ginger Tea:
Ginger tea is a popular herbal tisane used often for upset stomach or nausea.
Golden Milk Tea:
This ayurvedic mixture of coconut milk, turmeric, and spices has many health benefits like improved sleep.
Green Tea:
A type of true tea, green tea comes from the camellia sinensis, or tea plant. Green tea also fights inflammation to relieve ailments like joint pain. Click the link for more on the rich history of this popular drink.
Gunpowder Green Tea:
A type of green tea where the leaves are rolled into tiny pellet shapes.
Gyokuro:
One of the more expensive varieties of green tea, it’s considered to be one of the best in the world.
Herbal Tea:
Any type of herbal infusion or tisane made from something other than the true tea plant, camellia sinensis.
Hibiscus Tea:
The crimson color of this herbal tea comes from infusing the flowers of the hibiscus plant in hot water.
Hojicha Tea:
This special green tea is roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal embers instead of the usual steaming.
Hokkaido Milk Tea:
This milk tea from Japan includes fresh Hokkaido milk, which gives this tea an extra creamy richness not found elsewhere.
Honeysuckle Tea:
Not surprisingly, this herbal tea is made from the flowers of the honeysuckle plant.
Iced Tea:
Refreshing on a hot day, you can make iced tea by either steeping tea in hot water, cooling and pouring over ice or making a batch of cold brew iced tea.
Irish Breakfast:
This black tea blend can sometimes have a reddish hue and is a cousin of both English and Scottish breakfast teas.
Iron Goddess Tea (Tieguanyin):
This traditional oolong tea is deeply flavored and creates a brilliant red infusion when steeped.
Jasmine Pearl:
This delicious tea is made from young tea leaves rolled into pearls that unfurl when brewed.
Jasmine Tea:
This scented tea is a mixture of green tea, scented with blossoms of jasmine.
Kabusecha:
This dark green tea is usually harvested as a first flush tea that’s shaded during its : growing period.
Kapha Tea:
In ayurvedic medicine, this tea is recommended for the kapha dosha.
Kenyan Purple Leaf Tea:
Kenyan purple leaf tea is a true tea that is native to the Nandi Hills of Kenya. It has purple leaves due to the anthocyanins present in this variety of camellia sinensis plant.
Kombucha:
Kombucha is a fermented tea made with black or green tea, yeast and bacteria. It’s full of beneficial health benefits for digestive health. This fermentation process results in a delicious and healthful tea drink.
Kuromamecha:
Also known as roasted black soybean tea, this herbal concoction is associated with health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, and reduced risk of some cancers.
Lapsang Souchong:
One of the most exotic of the Chinese black teas, it is created by smoking over a pine fire.
Lavender Tea:
This herbal tisane is made from the dried flowers of the lavender plant. It smells amazing and has many medicinal properties.
Lemon Tea:
Usually just black or green tea served with a splash of lemon juice.
Lemon Balm Tea:
Lemon balm tea is good for treating anxiety and digestive issues. It has a mild sedative effect and can help treat minor aches and pains.
Lemongrass Tea:
This herbal tea is made from an aromatic grass native to Thailand, India, and other east Asian countries.
Licorice Root Tea:
Made from the root of the licorice plant, this tea has antibacterial properties and has been shown to protect against infection.
Longjing (Dragon Well):
This type of green tea is grown in the Hangzhou region of China is known for several health benefits such as cancer fighting antioxidants, and boosting focus and mood.
Loose Leaf Tea:
Usually considered a higher quality than tea in tea bags, this tea is made from whole tea leaves that have been minimally processed.
Maghrebi Mint Tea:
This mint flavored green tea, also known as Tuareg tea, was introduced by British troops in the 18th and 19th centuries in a rolled form known as gunpowder tea.
Manglier Tea:
A traditional Creole cold remedy that has been passed down and used for generations. This herbal tisane is made by boiling the leaves of the groundsel bush.
Marigold Tea:
Also known as calendula tea, this herbal tisane is made from the dried blossoms of the pot marigold plant.
Matcha Tea:
Matcha is a fine powder made from grinding whole green tea leaves. It’s usually a vibrant green color, and is traditionally prepared in the Japanese tea ceremony.
Memil-Cha:
Also called buckwheat tea or sobacha, this tea is made from the steeped roasted grains of the buckwheat plant.
Mint Tea:
This herbal infusion made from the leaves or either peppermint or spearmint is easy to make and delicious to drink.
Moon Milk:
Another ayurvedic tea, moon milk is a tisane made of milk and ground spices designed to help you sleep soundly.
Nettle Tea:
Made from stinging or common nettle, this tisane is a good tea for reducing inflammation and high blood pressure. It can be foraged or made fresh at home.
Olive Leaf Tea:
Used for centuries, this herbal tea is made from steamed and rolled fresh olive leaves. The leaves are then dried and cut for tea. High in vitamin C, this tea has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, support the immune system, and assist in weight loss.
Okinawa Milk Tea:
A famous type of milk tea originating in the Okinawa region of Japan. Made with black tea, milk, and a special type of sweetener called kukoto sugar, it has a unique taste and rich flavor.
Oolong Tea:
This true tea is a type of traditional Chinese tea. It’s chock full of vitamins and minerals like theanine, fluoride, and antioxidants.
Palo Azul Tea:
This herbal tea is made from the bark of the kidneywood tree. It’s known to support the kidneys as a natural diuretic. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties, and helps fight oxidative stress by balancing free radicals with antioxidants.
Parsley Tea:
This herbal tea has a grassy flavor and has many health benefits from improving urinary tract health to fighting bad breath.
Passionflower Tea:
This tea made from the flowers, stems, and leaves of the passionflower plant is a popular before bed drink. Its sedative properties can promote relaxation and are effective in treating the symptoms of menopause.
Peppermint Tea:
Along with its cousin, spearmint, peppermint tea has healthy essential oils and polyphenols that encourage good health.
Pine Needle Tea:
Made from the fresh needles of the Manchurian red pine, this tea originated in Korea, but is loved by survivalists and outdoorsy people around the world.
Pitta Tea:
In ayurvedic medicine, this is any tea prescribed for the pitta dosha.
Probiotic Tea:
Another name for kombucha, this fermented tea can help populate your digestive tract with beneficial bacteria strains.
Pu-erh Tea:
Pu-erh is a fermented tea traditionally presented in cakes of leaves that can be added to boiling water. It often contains a higher caffeine content than other true teas.
Purple Boba:
Another name for taro bubble tea, this boba tea gets both its creamy consistency and color from ground taro root.
Purslane Tea:
This easy to make herbal tea can be made from foraged, backyard grown or commercially purchased purslane leaves. It has a host of cancer fighting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Easy to grow, this plant is a great addition to your garden.
Roasted Black Soybean Tea:
Also known as kuromamecha, this herbal concoction is associated with health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, and reduced risk of some cancers.
Rooibos Tea:
This herbal red tea is made from the fermented leaves of the Aspalathus linearis shrub native to the western coast of South Africa.
Rose Hip Tea:
Rose hip tea is an herbal tisane made from the fruits of the rose bush. Full of vitamin C, this tea has been studied to reduce blood sugar levels, boost your immune system, and promote heart health.
Rose Tea:
This easy to brew herbal tea is made from dried rose petals, and has many essential vitamins and minerals.
Russian Tea:
Traditionally served from a samovar, tea in Russia is made from black tea leaves and sweetened by sucking through a sugar cube, or adding preserves.
Sage Tea:
This herbal tea is used for wound healing, to boost your oral health condition and improve brain function. It’s an herbal that’s a great addition to an herbal tea garden because it’s easy to grow, harvest and brew.
Scottish Breakfast Tea:
This black tea blend usually has a more intense flavor than its cousins, English and Irish breakfast teas. It’s the least popular and least well known of the three.
Sea Moss Tea:
This healthful tisane is made from Irish sea moss gel. You can purchase the gel or make it at home with just water, sea moss and a blender.
Sencha:
Sencha tea is a category of Japanese green tea used for drinking, cooking and cosmetic products. Subcategories of sencha include shincha, kabusecha, and gyokuro teas.
Shincha:
A more expensive green tea, shincha tea is also known as “new tea” because it’s harvested during Japan’s first harvest each year.
Silver Needle Tea:
A type of white tea, it’s considered to be one of the purest white teas from the Fujian province of China.
Sobacha Tea:
Also called buckwheat tea or memil-cha, this tea is made from the steeped roasted grains of the buckwheat plant.
Soursop Tea:
This herbal tisane is made from the leaves of the annona muricata plant and is popular in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Sweet Tea:
Usually made from black tea and sweetened with sugar or simple syrup and served over ice, the sweet taste of this refreshing cold drink is popular in the southern United States.
Tamaryokucha:
This true tea is an expensive Japanese variety with a fresh grassy aroma and unique umami flavor.
Taro Bubble Tea:
Another name for purple boba tea, this bubble tea gets both its creamy consistency and color from ground taro root.
Tea Bags:
While not 100% true, most tea bags are of a lesser quality than loose tea because they are normally filled with bits and pieces of the higher quality tea leaves.
Tencha:
This crumbly mix of specially harvested green tea leaves is what’s ground up to create matcha powder.
Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess Tea):
This traditional oolong tea is deeply flavored and creates a brilliant red infusion when steeped.
Tiger Milk Tea:
This delicious variety of boba tea is named after the stripes of thick brown sugar syrup lining the inside of the glass.
Tisane:
Similar to an herbal tea, a tisane is any mixture of leaves, roots, seeds, flowers, bark, or fruit steeped in hot water to make an herbal concoction.
True Tea:
Any infusion made from the dried leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. This includes black tea, green tea, white tea, yellow tea, pu’erh tea, and oolong tea.
Tuareg Tea:
This mint flavored green tea, also known as Maghrebi tea, was introduced by British troops in the 18th and 19th centuries in a rolled form known as gunpowder tea.
Tulsi Tea:
Tulsi tea is an herbal tea brewed from the leaves of the tulsi plant, also known as holy basil. It’s widely used in ayurvedic medicine.
Turmeric Tea:
This herbal tisane has been shown to be a healthy powerhouse. Studies show it possesses anti-inflammatory properties, can help in cancer prevention, treats high cholesterol, and can improve your immune system. The active ingredient in turmeric tea is curcumin.
Ube Bubble Tea:
Used to flavor many types of dessert flavored bubble teas, ube is a purple sweet potato.
Vata Tea:
In ayurvedic medicine, this is any tea prescribed for the Vata dosha.
White Peony Tea:
A lesser known white tea originating in China, is widely considered by tea connoisseurs as one of the best white teas available.
White Tea:
The least processed of the true teas, white tea is a subtly flavored, lower caffeine tea originally from China.
Willow Bark Tea:
When properly made, this herbal tea can reduce pain and inflammation. Its active ingredient salicin actually limits the chemicals in your nerves that cause pain.
Yellow Tea:
This true tea is similar to green tea but receives an additional processing step. After drying, the tea leaves are wrapped in wet paper or cloth and oxidized through steaming. This process produces a yellower tea leaf and the distinctive yellow color this tea is known for.
Yerba Mate:
This herbal drink made from the leaves of the yerba plant contains caffeine and has been made by the people of South America for centuries.
Zavarka Tea:
Traditionally served from a samovar, this concentrated tea pays an important role in Russian culture. It can be brewed with many types of tea.
The Takeaway: For Tea Lovers, the World is Your Oyster
Whether you are a tea connoisseur, or like to dabble in herbal medicine, you’re just a cup away from your next delicious drink. With so many types of teas to choose from, you can go from A to Z, around the world of tea, and back again!
