All tea as we know it comes from the same plant, the Camellia Sinensis. Most people think that green, white, black, pu-erh, and oolong comes from different plants. The distinction of the types of tea isn’t from the plant, but from how it’s prepared after the leaves have been harvested.
Camellia sinesis harvest
Harvesting this magnificent plant has significant results on the quality of tea we consume. The best tea is grown in cooler climates and at higher elevations than normal. If left untouched, the Camellia sinesis plant can grow as high as 30-40 feet. Tea growers keep their gardens cut back to improve the taste of the tea and to make the harvest easier. The finest tea is hand-picked at harvest time by experts who know how to choose the best leaves. This means sticking exclusively to the two uppermost tea leaves, along with leaf buds located at the tips of the stems.
How your favorite teas are made
Withering
After harvest, the leaves will begin to wither like any other freshly-plucked leaves. This step allows any moisture to evaporate, which is usually done by drying the leaves under the sun (for darker teas) or in a well-ventilated room (for lighter teas).
Braising
the leaves are then exposed to different levels of oxidation. Bruising the leaves by shaking, rolling, tossing, or crushing them allows the structure of the long leaf to break down exposing more of the surface to the air. This quickens the oxidation process and allows the oils to be released which may change the flavor profile of the tea leaves.
Rolling
once the leaves are bruised and withered, they are rolled in order to promote oxidation. As the leaves are rolled, the internal cell structures are broken down, releasing essential oils that react with oxygen to develop the flavor and aroma.
Oxidation
Oolong and black tea are both oxidized and changed the color and flavor of the tea.
Drying
To stop the oxidation process, tea leaves are dried differently depending upon their origins. Teas from Japan and China use pan-firing, while other locations use sun drying or baking.
CTC Method
The Crush-Tear-Curl method results in granular pellets most often found in mass produced teas at the grocery store. CTC teas undergo the same processes as loose leaf tea except for the rolling process. In the CTC method, the leaves are rolled in machines that contain hundreds of sharp teeth which break down the leaves into much smaller pieces.
COLOMBIA
Our Colombian tea is sourced directly from a small farm in the Valle del Cauca región at the perfect altitude and away from any city smog. It is the perfect location to grow world class tea. We hope you will find it as enjoyable as we do. All of our blended tea from Colombia collection comes from the Savannah Black and Mountain Spring Green. What’s even better is that a portion of all our tea sales will benefit workers and their families at the Bitaco farm.
