Are you drinking real teas but don’t know where do tea leaves come from?
The best leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant that tea countries produce. Nowadays we love to drink real teas that are made from this plant. Each type of tea is produced differently.
If we look at tea history, we see that it is home in Asia. A legend says that the Chinese emperor Cheng-Nung discovered tea in 2374 B.C. when tea leaves fell into his hot water.
Another legend claims that Indian monk Bodhidharma discovered it when he took a 9-year meditation trip to China.
Nevertheless, who discovered it, we have tea producing countries that give us the best quality teas in the world. Do you want to know where does your tea come from?
Read on and you will find interesting information about tea production in different parts of the world.
Where do tea leaves originate from?
There are more than 50 different types of green tropical and subtropical shrubs and low trees in tea tree generation. The most important among them is certainly the Chinese tea plant (Camellia sinensis).
It originates from South and Southeast China for thousands of years but it is also grown in India, Burma, Vietnam, and Laos.
Teas that come from the tea plant are also called as real teas. They differ mainly in the way of production. We also produce essential oils from tea trees that are highly valued.
Tea producing countries
Nowadays, every continent has growing tea bushes but tea is home in Asia.
Some countries cultivate it for a few centuries now. It is interesting that the second largest exporter of this drink is a complete novice.
India
India is the largest producer of this drink in the world. It produces very different types of tea that differ from region to region.
Darjeeling is a tea-growing area that expands in north-eastern India, in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The aroma of this green tea is pleasant, specific and irreplaceable. It can develop only if you use soft water for tea preparation.
In eastern India, there is Assam that is the largest tea cultivation area in the world. Tea bushes grow on the special fertile land of the deforested rainforest. This drink is very aromatic and has a full taste.
Japan
Japan is also one of the leading countries of tea production in the world.
The plantations in Japan are different from those elsewhere in the world, as the Japanese tea machine harvesting differs from picking leaves in other countries.
All Japanese plantations are located in the mountainous part of the country near rivers, streams, and lakes.
Here the climate is foggy and wet, and the heat of the sun isn’t that strong because of colder and foggy mornings.
Harvesting of the leaves begins at the end of April. Most of Japanese tea production is focused on green teas.
While in most countries the part of the production is still manual, their industry mechanized the entire production process.
Picking, rolling, fermenting, drying, sorting and packing of tea is mechanized. Manual harvesting and production are used only for the most expensive teas – Kariganes and Gyokuro.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has three major regions of tea production. Uva – district in the east; Dimbula area to the west and the one where these two regions connect.
This area is Nuwara Eliya highlands that we can found on the altitude of 2.000 to 2.500 meters. The best and most aromatic Ceylon teas grow here.
Indonesia
Indonesian Java and Sumatra are the two largest islands that grow tea leaves. This island country is in fifth place in the world for tea production quantity.
Java started to grow it in the early 19th century when they planted the first tea plants from Japan. Sumatra started to grow it in the 20th century.
Teas from Sumatra give a strong flavor similar to Assam tea and tea from Java is more like Ceylon tea.
Russia
Russia grows its tea on plantations in subtropical parts of the Caucasus (Georgia). They drink almost all produced tea.
Argentina
Argentina is one of the newbies in producing tea. Their tea production began soon in the 20th century but it has increased significantly after 1954.
Brazil
Brazil began to grow tea already in 1810 but production didn’t fulfill major expectations.
Brazilians are more known for growing and drinking coffee which they produce with less effort. Their production isn’t large and doesn’t have a significant role in the world production of tea.
Kenya
Englishmen brought tea bushes to Kenya that was an English colony.
After the Second World War, they arranged a number of large plantations around Lake Victoria which are still owned by Englishmen.
They produce mostly crushed tea that prevails in England. Superior varieties of tea from Kenyan highlands may always compare to the quality teas from Sri Lanka or Java.
Taiwan
Taiwan produces their tea in a Chinese way. They export mainly semi-fermented green tea and oolong tea.
Chinese tea guide
China is undoubtedly the cradle of tea. With its rich tea tradition that goes back thousands of years, tea drinking deeply rooted in Chinese culture.
Today we can enjoy a wide range of Chinese teas that grow in diverse provinces.
Chinese tea types
Chinese tea may be classified into different categories. One of the most common methods of classification is based on the different production of tea that affects their final characteristics.
Thus, Chinese teas are divided into 6 different types, each differing in cultivation and fermentation.
Green tea
Green tea is the oldest and most popular drink in China. It is made from young sprouts and leaves of the plant. They are fried immediately after harvesting.
It is mainly produced in the provinces Jianxi, Anhui, and Zhejiang. Beverage with yellow-green color has a fresh and aromatic taste.
White tea
You can find it only in China. Slightly fermented leaves create a yellow-green drink that is imbued with tenderness and mercy.
Red or black tea
Black tea is red tea in China. The leaves are fully fermented that give red color and a rich aromatic taste.
Oolong tea
It falls into the category of partially fermented teas. The oxidation rate puts him right between green and black teas. They carefully roast leaves in a pan.
The drink has a strong yellow color that gives freshness and aromatic flavor, which can be tasted for a long time.
Pu-erh tea
This one forms a special category of teas that are fermented in the later stages of production.
They are made of green, oolong or black teas. The drink has a red-brown color, while the flavor is rich and mellow.
Flavored tea
Tea manufacturers add fragrant flowers or flavor fruit to the leaves. They will take you to a delicious experience.
The world of real tea
Countries from all over the world produce the best tea leaves that give us an unforgettable experience each time we drink loose leaf tea.
As you see, some Asian countries have specialized in tea production and have their own production methods.
Real teas differ regarding many factors and production is one of them. Are you Japanese or Chinese tea lover? Their teas differ regarding taste, color, and flavor.
So, where do tea leaves come from? Farmers work hard on plantations in China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka to bring you the best quality tea on your table.
Try them from different places in the world and find your winner.
