What are the three types of tea commonly used for milk tea

The three commonly used types of tea for milk tea are black tea, green tea, and oolong tea. Black tea provides a rich and mellow taste, green tea brings a fresh flavor, and oolong tea combines floral and fruity aromas with a sense of layering.

1. Black Tea

Black tea is the most classic base tea for milk tea, using varieties such as Assam, Ceylon, or Dian Hong. Tea leaves undergo full fermentation process, and tea polyphenols are fully oxidized to form thearubigins and theaflavins. After brewing, the soup color is bright red. The combination of theaflavins in black tea and milk fat can produce a unique caramel aroma, while the slight astringency brought by tea tannins perfectly balances the sweetness. When making Hong Kong style stockings milk tea, black tea is usually repeatedly pulled to make the tea smoother and stimulate the aroma. 2. Green Tea Jasmine green tea, fried tea and other unfermented teas are suitable for making refreshing milk tea. Green tea retains a large amount of tea polyphenols and amino acids, which form a sweet herbal flavor when mixed with milk. Matcha latte uses ultra-fine powdered green tea, rich in chlorophyll and epigallocatechin gallate, which can present a bright emerald green color. It should be noted that green tea milk tea should not be soaked at high temperatures for a long time. Controlling the water temperature below 80 degrees Celsius can avoid the precipitation of bitter taste.

3. Oolong Tea

Semi fermented oolong teas such as Tie Guan Yin and Dong Ding oolong combine the richness of black tea with the fragrance of green tea, and the tea soup has a natural orchid or peach aroma. Some fermentation products in oolong tea, such as theaflavins, can form stable complexes with milk proteins, making milk tea taste more mellow. Charcoal roasted oolong tea, after being roasted, produces pyrazine compounds that combine with milk to create a flavor layer similar to toffee, making it suitable for making desktop roasted dairy drinks. When choosing milk tea leaves, it is necessary to consider the degree of fermentation and the degree of flavor matching. Black tea is suitable for pairing with whole milk to create a rich taste. For green tea, it is recommended to use low-fat milk to highlight the natural tea aroma. Oolong tea is compatible with various dairy products. When making tea at home, it is recommended to soak and use it immediately to avoid the bitter taste caused by prolonged storage. In commercial use, different tea leaves are often blended together, such as black tea and oolong tea mixed in proportion, which can reduce costs and enrich flavor dimensions. No matter which type of tea is chosen, controlling the ratio of tea to water at around 1:50 and soaking for no more than 5 minutes can avoid the tea soup being too thick and affecting health.