Authors: Laura Martin
Taiwan has a subtropical climate but boasts tall mountains. This combination of climate and geography is excellent for growing tea bushes.
INDIA
India now produces primarily black teas, characterized by a full body and rich taste. Indian teas vary from one district to another, as with different wine-producing regions. Each region produces tea with distinctive and unique flavors.
Darjeeling.
Darjeeling tea plantations are found on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in northeastern India. The average elevation in this important tea-growing region is
2
,
134
meters (
6
,
982
feet). Considered the champagne of tea, these teas are generally the highest grade available. Differences in Darjeeling teas come more from the harvest season than from individual gardens or plantations.
Assam.
This region is found in northern India on a high plateau that straddles the Brahmaputra River. It is the largest tea-growing region in the world. The first flush is harvested beginning in February, although it is the second flush, harvested in May and June, that makes the finest teas. Assam produces full-bodied teas, good with milk. Assam teas are often used in blends.
Nilgiri.
This region is found in southern India on the hilly uplands. The main provinces include Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Nilgiri produces light, delicate teas, primarily used in blends.
JAPAN
The largest tea-growing region in Japan is Shizuoka, at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Over half the tea produced in Japan comes from this one region. Other tea-producing regions include Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu, and the Uji district of Kyoto. Japan produces primarily green tea but offers a large variety of kinds.
SRI LANKA
(
CEYLON
)
Tea from Sri Lanka has traditionally been called Ceylon, after the old name for the island, but in
2006
, the government of Sri Lanka decided to change this tradition and use the modern name of the country for its teas. Known as the “Isle of Tea,” Sri Lanka has six major production regions: Dimbula, Galle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, and Uva, each producing tea with a distinctive flavor. (For a history of the tea industry in Sri Lanka, see pages
169
â
171
.)
Today, Sri Lanka produces mostly black teas that differ in taste according to the elevation at which they grow. These can be divided into three categories: Lower-growing varieties below
650
meters (
2
,
132
feet) have a dark, strong taste and are primarily used in blends. Middle regions, between
650
and
1
,
300
meters (
2
,
132
â
4
,
265
feet) and higher regions, between
1
,
300
and
2
,
500
meters (
4
,
265
â
8
,
202
feet) produce the best quality of tea.
INDONESIA
Tea has been grown in Indonesia since the Dutch brought Chinese plants to the islands in the
1700
s. Initial attempts were not very successful, but eventually the plantations began to show much more promise when assam plants were used in place of the sinensis variety. The Indonesian tea industry was almost completely annihilated during World War II, when tea plantations experienced tremendous damage. Plants were flattened or broken or, at best, neglected. It wasn't until
1984
that Indonesia made a significant comeback under the auspices of the Tea Board of Indonesia.
Most of the tea grown in Indonesia today is processed as black tea used for blending, and most of it is grown on the island of Java. Although it is harvested year-round, the best quality is picked during the dry season of August and September.
EAST AFRICA
Kenya produces the most tea of any country in Africa (and recently, more than any other country in the world). Tea was introduced by the British in
1903
, but at first only on a limited scale. Two British companies, Brooke Bond and James Finlay, changed this in the
1920
s, when they were able to purchase massive amounts of land very cheaply, although with some controversy. Land in Kenya was made available to British ex-servicemen after World War I, a fact that was naturally greatly resented by the African landowners. Twenty-five thousand acres had been set aside for growing flax, a scheme engineered by fifty-five British ex-officers. Unfortunately, the flax market collapsed, and the entire enterprise fell apart. The land was put on the market for almost nothing and was quickly snatched up by the companies James Finlay (now called African Highlands) and Brooke Bond (now part of Unilever), which were both determined to grow tea there. This part of Kenya proved to be excellent for growing tea. Other British companies began buying and planting land in Kenya as well, until
1976
, when the Kenyan government finally was able to stop further expansion of the British tea industry. As of the year
2000
, the British companies had planted over fifty thousand acres of tea. Brooke Bond was the biggest owner.
In
1976
, the Kenya Tea Development Authority Insurance Agency was founded. This organization, funded by the World Bank, encouraged individual African landowners to grow tea. Although each landowner only planted a small amount, usually only about one acre, so many farmers became involved in the project that small landholders now account for
60
percent of the tea produced in Kenya. June
2000
brought change to this group, as it switched from being a parastatal agency (one wholly or partially owned by the government) to a public company. The name was changed to the Kenya Tea Development Agency.
The highest-quality tea produced in Kenya tastes somewhat like assam tea. Leaves are harvested during the driest months, August and September. Most Kenyan tea is low quality, used in blends and tea bags.
SOUTH AMERICA
The United States is a very large importer of tea from Argentina, which produces low- to medium-quality, inexpensive tea used in instant tea, tea blends, and tea bags. The Argentinian plantations are generally found in the northern part of the country in a region called Missiones. For the most part, the leaves are harvested mechanically, resulting in a less-expensive, lower-quality product. Argentina teas are medium body, earthy tasting, with a dark, rich color.
Speaking of Taste
Taste depends on the processing method, but also on any number of other factors, including the region in which the plant was grown, the weather (rainfall, fluctuating temperatures, etc.), additives and flavoring (usually from flowers or herbs), the soils in the tea garden, the age of the leaves when they were plucked, how long the leaves were allowed to oxidize, the type of wood used in the drying process, the expertise of the tea master, and many others. And of course, the taste depends on how old the tea is, how it has been stored, and ultimately, how it is brewed. Even the finest-quality teas will taste bitter and unpleasant if brewed too long.
Most tea drinkers can differentiate between black tea and green tea, and many can determine which region or country a particular tea comes from (Japan vs. Darjeeling for example). It takes experience and a discriminating sense of taste, however, to be able to differentiate a first flush tea from one made from leaves picked later in the season, or to tell the difference between teas from two different estates within the same region.
THE UNITED STATES
Tea plants were first introduced to America in
1799
by André Michaux, a French botanist who brought many beautiful and exotic plants to this country. Tea was planted at the Middleton Barony near Charleston, South Carolina (now open as a public garden known as Middleton Place), and by the middle of the nineteenth century, it was grown in many places in the state. Several attempts were made at growing tea commercially, but all failed, more from human mishaps and accidents than for horticultural reasons.
One attempt was made by Dr. Charles Shepard, who founded the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, South Carolina, in
1888
. This plantation declined after Shepard's death in
1915
. In
1968
, the Thomas J. Lipton
Company established an experimental tea farm, testing the possibilities of growing tea on Wadmalaw Island in South Carolina, and found that tea could indeed be grown successfully along this Southern coast. In
1987
, Mack Fleming, a manager at Lipton, and his partner, Bill Hall (a third-generation tea producer), purchased the research farm and established the Charleston Tea Plantation. Their product, American Classic Tea is, so far, the only tea ever produced commercially in America. The Charleston Tea Plantation opened for public tours in January
2006
.
Like terms for describing wine, those for revealing the subtle flavors and nuances of tea may be a little vague until you have a lot of tea-tasting experience.
TERMS FOR DESCRIBING BREWED TEA
Aroma.
This term refers to the way brewed tea smells.
Body.
How the liquid feels on the tongue. This could be wispy, light, medium, or full. A full-bodied black tea such as Keemun lingers on the tongue, while a delicate white such as Silver Needles is wispy, seeming to evaporate immediately.
Brassy.
A strong taste, usually a little bitter. This happens when leaves for processing black tea have not been withered long enough.
Brisk.
Pleasing, slightly tangy.
Burnt.
Burnt tea tastes a little like burnt toast. Caused by over firing, this is not a desirable characteristic.
Coarse.
Coarse tea has a decidedly acidic taste, also a little bitter.
Crisp.
Disappears quickly on the tongue; a desirable quality.
Earthy.
An earthy taste is a little moldy, which may be caused by improper firing.
Flowery.
Flowery tea has a hint of floral sweetness, like chamomile.
Malty.
A malty flavor tastes like steamed green vegetables, with a touch of honey and citrusâa desirable characteristic.
Mellow.
Mellow tea is smooth and pleasant on the palate.
Muscatel.
Tastes like the Muscat grape. This term is often associated with Darjeeling teas.
Smoky.
A smoky flavor has a touch of smoke or tar. Lapsang souchong, for example, is made by burning pine logs and branches to create the heat for the drying process, giving the tea a distinctive smoky taste.
Sweet.
A sweet taste is a pleasant, often smooth and fruity, flavor.
Vegetal.
A desirable characteristic for green teas, a vegetal taste is grassy or similar to steamed asparagus.
TERMS FOR DESCRIBING THE DRY LEAF
Brown.
This is an undesirable color for any tea leaf, including black tea.
Chunky.
This is a favorable term, describing large tip pieces.
Golden tip.
A great feature for teas, golden tip tea produces an amber-colored brew.
Neat.
Neat tea leaves are well made and attractive.
Stalky.
This term indicates that pieces of undesirable stalk were included with the leaves.
Stylish.
A very favorable characteristic; stylish leaves are especially neat and attractive.
Although tea is grown all over the world, the best-grade teas are thought to grow in only five countries, Sri Lanka, China, Taiwan, India, and Japan. Countries such as Kenya and Argentina generally produce a low- to medium-quality tea that is used in blends, tea bags or instant powdered tea.
The “best” teas are, of course, a matter of taste and may depend on such vague and esoteric factors as one's mood or the time of day. The following are just general descriptions of a few teas that are readily available. The best way to find a favorite tea is to drink a lot of different kindsâand keep notes. Happy sipping!
BLACK TEAS
Milk is a good addition to some black teas. See notations below:
w
(with) or
wo
(without) milk.
Assam
(India). Robust, full-bodied, used in blends, malty [
w milk
]
Ceylon
(Sri Lanka). Crisp, light to medium body, sweet [
w or wo milk
]