The tea plant belongs to the Camellia family. There are two main varieties of plants:
the Camellia Sinensis (or Chinese Camelia) and the Camellia Assamica
(from Assam, India). All the other varieties now cultivated are a result of hybridization
of these two. The latter, can reach up to 20 meters in nature, but when cultivated
it is pruned to maintain a comfortable plucking height of about 1,20 meters.
The plant usually lives up to 50 years and can be plucked starting from the fifth
year. The growing regions are situated between 42' latitude in the Northern Hemisphere
and 31' latitude in the Southern Hemisphere. Ideal growing temperatures should remain
between 18 and 20°C and have little variations. In tropical regions, tea can be
cultivated at high altitudes up to 2500 meters.
The ground should be permeable and sloping because the tea plant cannot survive
in stagnant water. Sun and shadow are other key elements, which is why often very
big trees are planted all around the plantation to filter sunrays that are too strong
and can burn essential oils that are crucial for the tea leaves aroma.
The harvest is done mainly from February to November depending on the region. Normally,
in tropical regions it is done all the year round (like in Sri Lanka or Indonesia),
while in sub-tropical regions only 4 times a year (like in Japan or northern India).
At the end of a tea tree's branch there's a bud, followed by other leaves below
it. The leaves are never plucked separately: the part of the stem that unites the
young shoot and the leaves are always plucked as a whole. The number of leaves plucked
under the bud determines the quality of the tea. Generally, the more leaves are
removed the lower the quality.
The best plucking (imperial) consists of the bud and the first leaf that follows.
The second best (fine) consists of the bud and the two leaves that follow. The average
plucking is the bud and the three leaves that follow. The fourth and fifth leaves
are normally used for smoked teas.
Plucking is still mainly done by hand. In Japan though, the plantations are nearly
all mechanized.
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