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Tea Cultivation

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Tea comes from dried leaves of the camellia sinensis plant infused with hot water. The word “tea” can refer to the leaf, plant, and beverage. The tea plant was first cultivated in China, but was later found growing wild in India. Today tea is still produced in China and India along with other countries including Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Harvesting is the first step in tea production, which is mostly still done by hand. After the leaves are harvested, they go through several more steps. The way the leaves are processed from this point on determines what type of tea the leaves will eventually become, but here is a general description of the process.

• Withering: The leaves are laid out in the shade until they become dried and limp. They need to remain in the limp condition so that they won’t break apart during the next step. This can take up to two full days
• Rolling: The leaves are twisted and rolled (by hand or machine) in order to release chemicals and natural juices that are found in the leaves. This step is very important to the outcome of beverage because it is these juices that give the tea it’s flavor. Oxidation begins during this process due to the heat that is produced
• Oxidation (also referred to as fermentation): The leaves are laid out once again in what can be an eight-hour process. During this time, the strength and color of the tea will be determined. The longer the oxidation, the fuller the flavor will be. Short oxidation causes the tea to be more pungent.
• Firing: In this final step, the leaves are passed under a drying machine set to a controlled temperature. The leaves are now completely dry and ready for storage.

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