BLACK TEAS

ASSAM
It's grown in India and makes an astringent, robust, malty brew. Assam can stand up to milk and sugar and makes a strong breakfast tea.

LAPSANG SOUCHONG
This Chinese tea is cured in a smokehouse and has a pronounced toasted aroma. Sip it with savory, spicy foods, not sweet ones.

EARL GREY
Produced in Sri Lanka, China, and India, Earl Grey is scented with bergamot oil, which gives it an orange-citrus flavor. It tastes best with a slice of lemon.

DARJEELING
Grown in India, Darjeeling is the rarest variety of black tea. It brews into a clear, floral-accented tea, which makes it an aromatic dinner drink.

CEYLON
Ceylon tea, from Sri Lanka, is lighter than Assam but not as flowery as Darjeeling. Lively, flavorful, rich, and smooth, it's a good all-day-long tea.

YUNNAN
This Chinese tea makes a honey-sweet, floral brew. Because it is assertive and has fruity and spicy notes, Yunnan makes a great iced tea.

KEEMUN
This is the well-known tea served in Chinese restaurants. Full-bodied, slightly sweet, light, and toasty.

WHITE TEA

SILVER NEEDLE
Like all white teas, it is picked before the buds open and has little caffeine. Steep this delicate tea in water that's slightly cooler than boiling.

GREEN TEAS

JASMINE
This Chinese tea is made by layering green tea leaves with jasmine blossoms, which infuse the tea with a flowery perfume.

GUNPOWDER
A fairly strong, smoky, and refreshing dark green tea from from China or Taiwan, where it is called "pearl tea" because each leaf is rolled into a small ball.

BANCHA
Japan's everyday tea, Bancha is made from the last harvest of the tea plants. It is pleasantly grassy and pale yellow.

SENCHA
Sencha produces an herbaceous yellow-green tea. It is a richer green and more flavorful than Bancha.

OOLONG TEA

FORMOSA OOLONG
Like all oolongs, it's smooth and fruity--a bridge between black and green. Its flavor complements savory foods.

HERB TEAS

CHAMOMILE
Has a classic applelike aroma. Chamomile tea is believed to have a calming effect on the body, making it a good bedtime drink.

ROOIBOS
A South African import that is caffeine-free and mellow yet as full-bodied and assertive as black tea.

PEPPERMINT
An astringent, pleasantly sharp herb tea with more menthol than spearmint. It is widely used as a digestive aid.