“Tea is the elixir of life.” – Lao Tzu
ABOUT TEA
All teas come from the leaves and buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant – green tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong, black and pu-erh tea are all harvested from this plant, it’s the level of oxidation and processing which determines the unique characteristics of each.
During processing, green tea undergoes minimal oxidation, which helps the leaves to retain their green colour, unlike black tea which is fully-oxidised.
Green Tea originates in China and is associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West where black tea is traditionally consumed.
HARVESTING
Green tea plants are grown in rows and pruned to produce shoots in a regular manner. The leaves are generally harvested three times a year with the first flush in late April to early May, the second from June through July and the third late July to early August.
The first flush is the most prized and yeilds the best quality leaves.
It can take up to 12 years for a tea plant to bear seed and about three years before a new plant is ready for harvesting.
POPULARITY
After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It has a cooling, slightly bitter and astringent flavour which many people enjoy.
Tea plants are native to East and South Asia, and probably originated around the meeting points of the lands of northeast India, north Burma and southwest China.
Although there are tales of tea's first use as a beverage, no one is sure of its exact origins. The first recorded drinking of tea is in China, with the earliest records of tea consumption dating to the 10th century BC.
Copyright Kensington Tea Co. Ltd © 2012, 43 All Saints Green, Norwich, NR1 3LY
