True teas
Black, green, oolong, white, and pu'erh. The five families of organic loose leaf true tea, all from the same plant: Camellia sinensis. What makes each one different is oxidation, how long the leaf is exposed to oxygen after harvest, and the craft of the maker who decides when to stop.
In Fujian, a tea maker fully oxidizes the leaf to produce a bold black tea. In Kyoto, another steams it within hours to keep it green. In Yunnan, a third presses and ages the leaves for years until something deeper develops. Same plant. Different hands. Different cup.
Herbal and botanical traditions
Not everything in your cup comes from the tea plant. That's a good thing.
Egyptian herbalists have reached for chamomile for centuries. In South Africa's Cederberg mountains, rooibos grows nowhere else on Earth, a naturally caffeine-free red tea with notes of honey and vanilla. Across South America, yerba mate gets passed hand to hand, fueling mornings and conversation alike. Technically, these are tisanes, not teas. The traditions behind them are just as deep.
Chai blends and caffeine-free
In India, chai isn't a flavor. It's a daily ritual passed through families for generations. We blend robust black teas with whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and clove), then steep it strong. The result tastes like what it is: centuries of warmth in a single cup.
For those avoiding caffeine entirely, our caffeine-free collection gathers the best organic herbal teas, rooibos blends, and naturally caffeine-free options in one place. Evening cups, family-friendly teas, and anyone cutting out caffeine starts here.
Your questions about tea types, answered.
The difference between tea types comes down to how the leaf is handled after harvest. Below are the questions we hear most often at our shop in Oregon and in our inbox. If yours isn't here, reach out. We like the hard ones.
Tea basics and recommendations
What is the difference between black tea and green tea?
They come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference is oxidation. Black tea leaves oxidize fully, developing that deep color and malty, bold flavor the British Empire built its mornings on. Green tea leaves get heated soon after harvest to stop the process, keeping their fresh, grassy character. Japanese makers steam. Chinese makers pan-fire. Both methods lock the leaf in its green state, but the cups taste nothing alike.
For a deeper read on how the tea families relate, see our different types of tea explained article.
What is a tisane?
Tisane (say ti-ZAHN) is another name for herbal tea. Since these come from flowers, roots, bark, and spices rather than the Camellia sinensis plant, they're not technically tea. Egyptian chamomile, South African rooibos, South American yerba mate. Different plants, different continents, same idea: steep it in hot water and something good happens. Our Herbal Teas collection is a good place to start exploring.
I'm new to loose leaf tea. Where should I start?
Welcome. We'd point you toward something familiar first. Our English Breakfast is a balanced black tea that works on its own or with milk, the kind of cup that feels like home. For caffeine-free, our Chamomile has been calming people down for a very long time. Egyptian herbalists knew what they were doing.
How much caffeine is in tea compared to coffee?
A cup of black tea has roughly 40 to 70 milligrams of caffeine, about half what you'd find in a cup of coffee. Yerba mate sits in a similar range. The difference is how that caffeine hits: tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that smooths out the energy curve and promotes calm focus instead of the spike-and-crash cycle coffee is known for. Oolong falls in the middle. Green and white teas come in lighter, around 20 to 45 milligrams. For zero caffeine, herbal teas and rooibos are your answer.
See our caffeine-content chart for a tea-by-tea breakdown.
Why does green tea sometimes taste bitter?
Almost always because the water was too hot or the steep ran too long. Green tea is delicate. Use water around 175°F, well below boiling, and steep for two to three minutes. Japanese greens like our Green Sencha and Genmaicha are steamed, which gives them a sweeter, more vegetal character. Chinese greens like our Gunpowder Green and High Mountain Green are pan-fired, producing a nuttier, more toasted flavor. Once you dial in the temperature, green tea is anything but bitter.
Our full troubleshooting guide walks through temperature, steep time, and water-quality fixes.
Does organic matter for tea?
Unlike most produce, tea leaves go straight from the field to your cup without being washed. Whatever is on the leaf ends up in your water. That's why every ingredient we use is USDA Certified Organic.
What other ways can I explore your teas?
We organize our teas three ways so you can start wherever feels most natural. This page groups them by type and processing method. You can also browse by flavor, from spiced and cozy to bright and citrus, or by mood and wellness if you're looking for a tea to help with energy, sleep, digestion, or immunity. Three paths, same organic loose leaf teas.