Camellia Sinensis
Organic Tea is made from leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, which is a warm weather evergreen shrub of the Camellia family, indigenous to both China and India. The finest whole leaf organic teas use only the top two leaves and a bud of the tea plant (shown in the photo to the right.) Yep, that's where our name comes from.
Dating back to the Ice Age, the Camellia Sinensis plant has been cultivated in China for at least 1500 years.
Tea grows very well at high-elevation mountainous areas like Darjeeling, India or the high-growth areas of Sri Lanka. But camellia sinensis also likes hot and humid growing conditions so these "high grown" areas must be in the tropics or it becomes too cold for camellia! High grown organic teas tend to be lighter in the cup and more astringent. Lower grown teas, like those from Assam, India, tend to be deeper in cup color and richer in flavor. Though the tea bushes prefer a warm environment with lots of rainfall they grow best under shade as the sun can burn the leaves.
When left alone in the wild, the plant can grow quite tall, up to 30 feet or more. But for cultivation of tea leaves, the bushes are mostly kept trimmed to enable easier harvesting. A typical tea bush produces around three thousand tea leaves a year.
The timing of the harvest or "flush" is also very significant in the quality of the tea. "First Flush Darjeeling" is prized on account of its light and floral flavor. Early in the spring, the two leaves and a bud grow above the rest of the bush and are skillfully hand-harvested. The second flush, just a few weeks later, is darker in the cup and can differ significantly in flavor; just a few weeks makes a huge difference in taste!
This is one of the things that makes organic tea so interesting - the same plant can taste totally different depending on where it is grown, how it is grown, and how the tea is then made. This is why we say, "Tea is like wine!"
Cheers!
