In China's tea market, there is a vast variety of tea products. One category includes those made from the fresh leaves of tea plants, processed according to the requirements for raw tea (primary processing), refined tea (commercial tea), reprocessed tea (such as scented tea), and deep-processed tea (such as instant tea). Another category comprises herbal teas made from the buds or leaves of non-tea plants, processed similarly to tea. Popular herbal teas currently on the market include bitter tea, eucommia tea, persimmon leaf tea, mulberry leaf tea, willow leaf tea, elm leaf tea, ginkgo leaf tea, ginseng leaf tea, wild chrysanthemum tea, vine tea, chrysanthemum tea, stevia tea, and gelidium amansii tea.

Main distinctions between true tea and herbal tea:

1. Identification based on appearance, color, taste, and aroma:

True tea has compact and heavier tea leaves, with a fresh, sweet, and smooth taste. In contrast, herbal tea leaves are lighter and looser, often having a grassy or peculiar flavor. True tea has a lustrous appearance, such as the vibrant green or olive green of Green Tea, the glossy black of Black Tea, or the sandy-green gloss of Oolong Tea. Herbal teas may appear dull, overly bright, inconsistent, or unnatural in color. True tea possesses natural fragrances like clear, chestnut, sweet, floral, or fruity aromas, while herbal teas lack these tea-specific fragrances and may have odd, grassy, or abnormal odors instead.

2. Identification by examining the infused leaves:

First, steep the sample in boiling water 1-2 times, then filter out the infused leaves and rinse them with cold water on a white porcelain plate. Observe the following characteristics for identification: True tea leaves usually have noticeable serrations, typically 16-32 pairs, with denser and deeper serrations on the upper half and sparser ones toward the base, smooth near the petiole without serrations, and glands on the serrations; the veins form a network with prominent main veins, and the back of the leaf shows raised veins, with 7-10 pairs of side veins branching off from the main vein. The veins do not extend directly to the edge but bend upward at about 2/3 of their length, forming an arc and connecting with the upper side veins to create a closed network system. Young leaves on true tea have Silver-white downy hairs on the underside, with each hair bending at its base. Young stems are cylindrical, and the base of the leaf is triangular. For herbal teas, the leaves are usually opposite or clustered on the stem, with veins resembling feathers extending straight to the edges. The back of the leaf may be hairless or have fine hairs, and the edges may be serrated or smooth.

3. Electron microscope observation:

True tea leaves contain calcium oxalate star-shaped crystals within the spongy tissue and larger, star-shaped or branched leaf cells. The downy hairs on the back of the leaf, except for those on the main vein, are mostly short with significant curvature, generally bending at angles between 45 and 90 degrees. Herbal tea leaves lack calcium oxalate crystals in the spongy tissue, and the hairs on the leaf surface tend to grow upright or may be absent.

4. Identification through chemical analysis:

Teas containing 2-5% Caffeine, 10-30% polyphenols, and 1-2% theanine are considered true tea. Herbal teas, on the other hand, either have caffeine content below 2% or no caffeine at all, and lack polyphenols and theanine.