Assam: From northeastern India. Frequently used in blends. Hearty black tea with a deep color.
 
Bancha: Basic quality green tea.

Black Dragon: The most highly prized oolong tea in France. Called Oriental Beauty in other parts of Europe.

Cachar: Very common Indian tea. Cachar is the district in Assam, India where this tea is grown.

Ceylon: From the mountains of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon.) Light golden color liquor. Bright flavor.

Chun-Mee: Green tea leaves rolled to 1 cm long. Named for its resemblance to the shape of an eyebrow.

Congou: A general term for all China teas.

Darjeeling: Considered the "champagne" of teas. Grown in the foothills of the Himalayas. Full bodied tea with muscatel flavor. Rich color. Second Flush Darjeeling is considered the finest. "Autumn Darjeeling," which is harvested late in the season, is also highly prized. (Moxham)

Dooar: Low-grown, full-bodied dark tea. Not as strong as an Assam. Named for the district in northeast India where it is grown.

Dragonwell aka Lung Ching or Longjing: Noted Chinese green tea variety from the Zhejiang Province, China.

Formosa Oolong: Oolong grown in Taiwan. Peachy flavor. (Foley) Five crops are produced each year between April and December. The second and third harvests are best. (Israel)

Grand Pouchong: Slightly oxidized China oolong

Gunpowder aka Pearl Tea: Chinese green tea from Anhwei Province and Taiwan. Hand-rolled, pellet shaped tea leaves with a leaden color, generally 1 to 3 mm in diameter. The tighter the roll, the more expensive this tea is. It steeps to a pale yellow color. This is used in the best mint teas.

Gyokuro: Japan's finest green tea aka "Pearl Dew." It is bright green with a strong vegetal flavor. It is very high in caffeine. Treated by hand and quite expensive. It is made from tea grown in shaded gardens.

Hojicha: Green tea that is roasted, giving brownish leaves and liquor

Hyson and Young Hyson: Chinese or Indian green tea. "Hyson" is Chinese for "flourishing spring." Young Hyson is picked early in the season.

Keemun: Tea from China or from Taiwan. It is often considered among China's best black teas. Sometimes called the "burgundy" of China teas. Reddish liquor.

Kukecha or Kukicha Twig Tea: Made from the delicate branches and stems of the tea bush.

Lapsang Souchong: Tea from China's Fujian province that is smoked over pine wood. May be blended with Assam and Ceylon. Very smoky flavor and strong aroma.

Lung Ching: See Dragonwell.

Matcha: Japanese powdered green tea. Whisked into hot water to create a frothy beverage. This is the tea used in Japanese tea ceremony.

Matcha Uji: "Froth of Liquid Jade". Powdered tea made from Gyokuro leaves. (Other matchas may be made from lesser quality green teas.) Grown in the Uji countryside near Kyoto, but it is dried in its natural shape and ground.

Nilgiri: Tea originating in southwestern India.

Orange Pekoe: This is not a blend and does not have an orange flavor. It is actually a grade of tea reflecting a particular black tea leaf size. "Orange" refers to the Princess of Orange, descended from the house of Nassau. It conveys the idea of a noble quality to the tea. It was a term first used by Dutch merchants. "Pekoe" alludes to the fine hair on a newborn infant, as young tea buds are still covered with a light down. (Stella)

Oriental Beauty: The most highly prized oolong tea in Europe. Called Black Dragon in France.

Pai Mu Tan: A less rare white tea than Yin Zhen ("Silver Needle")

Pouchong: From Fuzhou, China (Fujian province - northeastern China) and Taiwan. Named for the small paper packets the Cantonese packed tea in, one packet per tea plant.

Pu'erh (pronounced POO-air): A China black that decays during the withering process to allow bacteria to enter the leaf. The flavor is altered. The leaves are then aged. This tea has a very earthy strong taste. May be sold loose or compressed.

Sencha: A mid-range Japanese tea. Clear and bright with little caffeine. Grassy flavor. Whole, unrolled leaves; also called "natural leaf."

Sencha Honyama: One of Japan's best teas. It is among the best senchas produced.

Silver Peony aka Pai-Mu Tai: White tea from China.

Tai Kuan Yin: China Oolong from the Fujian province. Amber liquid with a peachy and slightly nutty flavor.

Tarry Souchong: This Formosa tea (Taiwanese) is the most heavily smoked black tea. It is produced using traditional Chinese methods.

Terai: Teas grown on the plains south of Darjeeling.

Travancore: Tea grown on the largest plantation in southern India.

Tung Ting: Most famous Formosa (Taiwanese) tea. Mild flavor with orange-red liquor.

Yunnan: Grown in southwestern China. Tea has been produced there since the 2nd century AD. This tea has long green leaves with golden tips. Delicate, light tea with a slightly floral aroma.