Maybe as a tea drinker myself the notion of this being something odd never really occurred to me. Being of the same plant allows for different methods to lead to similar outcomes, like where it was grown, or how it was processed. As oxidation is a method of categorization largely based around the simple science of it, at least for the most part, any other categorization method we could want to adopt would likely need to also be based in science, and make more sense than what we already have. Not to discount the intrigue mentioned, I recall a first flush Darjeeling I had that my taste buds could hardly categorize. It was technically oolong by its processing, tasted somewhat like a fired green and a white tea at the same time, and used seeds intended for black teas, the experience is still fresh in my mind, but I don't think this in anyway diminishes the categories we currently have, just adds more depth and complexity to the conversation and meaning around them
Maybe as a tea drinker myself the notion of this being something odd never really occurred to me. Being of the same plant allows for different methods to lead to similar outcomes, like where it was grown, or how it was processed. As oxidation is a method of categorization largely based around the simple science of it, at least for the most part, any other categorization method we could want to adopt would likely need to also be based in science, and make more sense than what we already have. Not to discount the intrigue mentioned, I recall a first flush Darjeeling I had that my taste buds could hardly categorize. It was technically oolong by its processing, tasted somewhat like a fired green and a white tea at the same time, and used seeds intended for black teas, the experience is still fresh in my mind, but I don't think this in anyway diminishes the categories we currently have, just adds more depth and complexity to the conversation and meaning around them