The Tea Plant RSS

What is tea? Tea is a beverage prepared by infusing the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in water. Infusions made with other plants are called “herbal teas” or “tisanes.” Tea has been enjoyed across the world for centuries, starting with its discovery and inception in China; the earliest record of drinking tea was dated back over 2,000 years ago in the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE). Tea is ultimately the result of generations of passion to produce the best experience in each cup of this beloved drink. Tisanes (Herbal Teas) As previously mentioned, “tea” in its strictest sense refers only to C. sinensis. For infusions made using other plants such as chrysanthemum, chamomile, rooibos, ginseng, barley, and...

Cultivars Aside from the varieties mentioned above, there are also countless hundreds of cultivars (cultivated varieties) of C. sinensis. Just like how Carabao mangoes taste different from Indian mangoes, different cultivars of the C. sinensis plant have varying characteristics and profiles which affect the teas they produce. Some examples of tea cultivars are Shui Xian, which when processed becomes our Evening Spring/Midnight Spring and Ya Shi, which becomes Duck Shit. Terroir Terroir refers to the growth conditions of the tea: elevation, soil, surroundings, sunlight, and so on. Similar to wines, the terroir of a tea greatly affects the quality and flavor of the tea. These variables all greatly affect the tea; two teas which are from the same cultivar and...