Some Interesting Facts about Tea:

Here is some interesting information about tea.......  It's amazing that tea is all derived from the same species of plant, the Camellia Senensis which is a member of the Camellia family of plants.  This is an evergreen plant with shiny greens leaves and small white flowers.  The plant does best when produced in tropical and subtropical regions.  There are two subtle varieties of this plant used for producing tea.  There is the smaller leaved plant common to plantations in China, Taiwan and Japan and there is also a slightly different version common to India where they produce the Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri teas to name a few.

High quality great tasting teas  are also influenced by the  growing regions and conditions.  The quality of the soil, altitude, temperature and humidity  can have a profound impact on the quality of the leaves.  Many regions have become famous for their teas due to the location and caring of the plantations from which the teas are produced.  Once the leaves are carefully harvested, the next step is how the leaves are processed.  Its the careful method of fermentation and preparation that brings us the wonderful variety of teas available today.

 

The Fermentation process:

The main differences in the different types of tea is due to the preparation and fermentation of the leaves.  The least fermented type of teas are the White teas.  These teas are usually just very lightly steamed and dried.  The leaves are usually very fine with the fragile light fuzz still covering the leaves.  These teas are known for their wonderful health benefits and the high concentration of antioxidants found in the leaves.  Brewing produces aromas and flavors that are subtle and light.  Top quality white teas use only the finest young leaves to produce the tea.  The image on the right is of our Golden Needles White Tea.  This is a fine mixture of light green and silver leaves.  The silver color is from the fine white delicate fuzz on the young leaves.

 

Green Teas undergo slightly more preparation which include light fermentation, drying, withering and sometimes rolling.  This will effect the flavor and aroma of the tea.  The careful release of natural substances through this balance of oxidation, fermentation and preparation give us the wonderful varieties of green tea.  The latitude of each process enhances the tea in different ways, adding to the variety.  We carry many types of green teas imported from China, India, Taiwan and Japan.  It's so interesting to see, smell and taste the differences in the teas.  This particular one on the left is Mountain Leaf Green Tea from China.  Notice the fine green leaves with a light mix of white tipped leaves.

 

Oolong Teas are very similar to green teas except that the fermentation process is allowed a little bit more time.  There is also the art of drying and rolling which enhances the unique flavor and gives most oolong their distinctive appearance and flavor.  China and Taiwan have become masters of this process.  Each region or estate is usually very finicky about the sequence of steps and the time allowed for each process.  The finest Oolong teas are completely processed by hand, yet the amount of fermentation and moisture content of the tea can be remarkably reproduced.  These are also know as semi-fermented teas that are very appealing.  This tea on the right is Ti Kwan Yin from China.

 

Black Teas are know as fully fermented teas. These teas are more fully dried to remove more moisture from the leaves.  The tea is then  allowed to oxidize which will naturally darken the leaves.  Black teas are offered in a wonderful, broad range of  varied flavors, strengths  and aromas.  Black teas are also wonderful for Iced tea mixes and blends.  These teas tend to have the fullest and boldest flavor of the tea groups. The variations of this full fermentation process is what gives us the famous Nilgiri, Assam, Darjeeling and Earl Grey's  to name a few.  This particular tea on the left is our Korakundah Black Tea, which is imported from Nilgiri, India.

 

So.....all of the fantastic teas that are available really do come from the same plant!

The Regions our Teas are imported from:

• Assam - Located in India, is the worlds largest tea growing region.  Teas from Assam are very popular and they make great breakfast teas.  Assam teas are well know for their strength and quality.

• Ceylon - This is a wonderful region for producing tea that is situated south of India in the Indian Ocean.  The weather conditions are ideal for producing tea.  The popular growing regions in Ceylon are Nuwara, Eliya, Uva and Ratnapura.

• Japan - Some of the worlds finest and most unique green teas are produced in Japan.  Gyokuro is a famous green tea from Japan.  This country is steeped in the ceremony of drinking tea.

• China  - This country produces an amazing variety of green teas from the various provinces. China is the true birthplace of tea dating back thousands of years.  China also produces some very fine white, oolong and black teas as well.

• Nilgiri - This is home to the spectacular mountain ranges of India.  Nilgiri means 'blue mountain'.  These teas are produced at high elevations and are know for their wonderful fragrance and flavor.

• Taiwan - Some of the finest Oolong teas in the world come from Taiwan.  Home to the Formosa Oolongs, these teas are processed to perfection.  The finest of these teas are produced in the mountain regions of Taiwan.

• Darjeeling - This region is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.  Some refer to the Darjeeling's as the 'Champagne of Teas'.  There is a wonderful wide variety of teas produces in this region.