Though it is not made from the Camellia sinensis plant, rooibos is currently taking the tea world by storm. In fact, this popular herbal tea is made from a South African shrub, Aspalathus linearis, which has been harvested and brewed in hot water there for countless generations.

Though Chinese tea has a history that spans thousands of years, tea farmers and crafters continually come up with techniques for making new and interesting teas. In the early 20th century, one farmer in Taiwan experimented with using leaves that showed damage from bug bites, and created the first Eastern Beauty tea. The commercial success of this risky experiment proved there was something special about this novel processing choice, but it was only recently that modern science has shed some light on the reasons behind the unique flavor.

Today, bug bitten leaves are used to make many different kinds of tea, in what seems like a wider variety every year. While some famous styles use bug bitten leaves by definition, others use the phrase mi xiang to denote a bug bitten version. This title translates directly to “honey fragrance”, and describes the naturally sweet characteristics of many bug bitten teas. As strange as it may sound, the attacking insects play a big part in the flavor of the final tea.

Thanks in part to highly lauded health benefits, the popularity of green tea has exploded worldwide. Backed by promises of weight loss, anti-aging capabilities, and the novelty of a natural bright green color, green tea has become a trending ingredient in everything from cookies and cakes to lattes and protein shakes. But few of these concoctions gives center stage to the green tea itself, instead blending (often powdered) leaves with fillers, sweeteners, or other strong flavors to mask the inherent bitterness of mass-produced teas.

Troubleshoot bitter tea flavors with these brewing tips >>

Unfortunately, the small quantities used for subtle green tea flavor are rarely enough to offer the promised benefits, and the quantity of butter and sugar in a green tea cookie will more than offset the metabolism-boosting effects of the powdered tea that makes it green. To get the most from any green tea, it must be a regular habit, drunk without added flavors or sweeteners. Luckily, this doesn't mean you have to choke down a bitter brew. Find green teas that taste good naturally by asking about these flavor factors:

Summer is coming! Cold brew these five amazing teas for a natural and refreshing iced tea that doesn’t need sugar to taste good.

New to cold brewing? Get started with these simple step-by-step instructions >>

The worldwide popularity of black tea has made it one of the most diverse tea types, with huge range in both flavor and quality. While terroir and regional crafting styles create unique flavor profiles, each farm typically produces several different grades of their own specialty style. This can be confusing, since the terms used for each grade can vary between regions and tea types.

In India, Sri Lanka, and other tea industries founded by the British Empire, there is a complex system of abbreviations to describe the quality of any given tea. But these esoteric letter codes are often used inconsistently, and are not recognized by most Chinese tea producers. Instead of using these coded labels, it is easier to judge the quality of any given tea by looking at the leaves directly.

Rolling out of a warm bed into the chilly dawn of a new day is a struggle most of us face every morning. Luckily, the promise of a steaming beverage can help us all stop slapping the snooze button and get on with starting the day. A dose of caffeine doesn’t hurt, either.

Coffee comes with the jitters, but the lower levels of caffeine in a cup of tea are balanced with L-Theanine, which evens the keel and helps create a relaxed-yet-focused state of mind, without the afternoon crash. Alternatively, cut the caffeine altogether, and try an herbal tea with invigorating flavor to jump-start your day. No matter which you choose, any of these teas will brew up both an energy boost and a taste worth getting out of bed for.