The number of places in which tea is produced has grown exponentially. Most of the newer producers focus on black teas which is less sensitive than oolongs, greens, and whites.

I aim to provide detailed information about each of these tea growing regions in the future.

The provinces of Corrientes and Misiones (northeastern part of the country), are Argentina's tea growing regions. This subtropical region is well suited for the growth of Argentina's hybrid Indian and assamica variety tea bushes.

Major efforts at growing tea began in the 1950s, although some seeds came from Russia in the 1920s. In the 1950s, the Argentine government banned the importation of tea, causing a great dependence on local growing. The United States became a major buyer of Argentine tea during the Korean War as there were fears of a disruption to US imports from Asian tea supplies. Most Argentinian tea in the US is used for blending, particularly for making iced tea.

Tea is harvested here in the summer, November to May in this part of the world. Approximately 76,000 tons of mechanically harvested teas are produced each year in Argentina. There was a 44% increase between 2000 and 2006. 99% of Argentinian tea is produced as black tea, with 1% as green tea.

Argentina also produces a large yerba mate crop in the winter, an infusion (also called "Jesuits' Tea") that is gaining popularity here in the States of late. This vegetal tasting herbal drink made from a plant in the holly family and is brewed in hollow gourds with metal straws called bombillas. It is sometimes sold "green" and sometimes "roasted." Exports of mate are decreasing from Argentina recently, however, as domestic consumption is growing so rapidly. Mate is Argentina's national drink.

In 2006, 17 tea estates in Argentina joined the Ethical Tea Partnership to help ensure the protection of workers. (I'll be talking more about the Ethical Tea Partnership in future posts.)

The continued success of the tea industry will be dependent on the country's ability to cope with the high cost of growing tea, the vagaries of the world market, and labor issues. It has become apparent, however, that the Argentinian tea industry often benefits from off years for the producers in countries like Kenya.

Azerbaijan

Dark liquored teas that are slightly spicy.







High quality, high grown teas. Aromatic and malty. Gaining a reputation as a strong tea growing region.



Dark liquored teas that are slightly spicy.

There are 3 - 4 so called "Sacred Gardens" that no visitor has ever entered. They are considered the best Chinese tea gardens and few Chinese people even know they exist. The tea produced is exclusively for high ranking government officials. There are other gardens from which tea can only be purchased by people with relationships with the government and growers. (Stella)

KEEMUN (Click here for full article)

Keemun tea originates in the Qimen County of the Anhui Province of China. (Anhui means "peaceful emblem." )

Keemun tea was first produced in 1875 during the Qing Dynasty when black tea technique was brought from the Fujian province to Qimen. Before that only green tea was produced in this region. Its popularity grew quickly as it became the basis for some English Breakfast teas. It is recommended with spicy foods or after a meal. It is a "gongfu" or "coungou" tea meaning "prepared with care." The tea must be processed in a way that produces thin tight strips without breaking the leaves.

Keemun tea's flavor is said to be of pine with floral and orchid notes. Its mild flavor makes it appropriate for blending and scenting. This reddish liquored tea is considered one of China's best, known as the "burgundy of China teas."

YUNNAN

Located in the high plateaus of southern China

Dark liquored teas with full body. Flowery. Some have suggested that their mechanized harvesting methods place quantity over quality.



India produces 700,000 tons of tea each year. Tea is most popular in northern India. (Coffee is preferred in the south.) They generally drink chai tea - strong with lots of milk and sugar or boiling milk and honey. India is the world's leading tea producer and the number two exporter. (Stella)

The tea trade arose in India when the British became frustrated with the terms of trading tea with China. India was much more convenient geographically and lacked a strong central government in the late 17th and early 18th century. (Martin)

ASSAM (Click here for full article)

Assam is a northeastern state in India, 120 miles east of Darjeeling.

The first tea found in Assam was a 60 foot high wild tea plant on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in 1823. The Assam Tea Company was established in 1840. Assam now has 2000 tea gardens and more than 50% of all of Indian tea is grown here - approximately 425,000 tons per year. The shrubs are generally set 30" apart and are pruned to 4' tall. Most of the tea production occurs "from July to September where 1000 pluckers work eight hours a day....each one picking nearly 50,000 stems a day." (Stella,Pettigrew)

DARJEELING (Click here for full article)

Darjeeling is a town in the 1200 square mile northeastern state of West Bengal, India.

Tea plantations were developed in Darjeeling in the mid-1800s by the British. Darjeeling had been ruled by Nepal and Sikkim at different points during its history. As the tea plantations were developed the land was annexed from Sikkim by the British Indian Empire. In 1866 there were 39 tea gardens producing 46,300 pounds of tea. By 1874 there were 113 gardens. Today there are 86 gardens producing 22 million pounds of tea annually. A "garden" may actually be a plantation more than 1,000 acres in size.

Darjeeling is known as the "Champagne of Tea." Chinese tea varieties are grown in the highest altitudes (up to 7,000 feet above sea level) and the assamica varietal is grown in lower elevations. The finest tea matures at 6,500 feet above sea level or higher. Tea is generally produced using orthodox methods, rather than CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) mechanical methods. First Flush is picked from late March and April. Second Flush is picked in May and June. Tea is also picked during the monsoon season from June to September but these teas are of lesser quality. No tea is picked between the end of the monsoon season and March. Darjeeling is best known for its muscatel flavor. Goomtee, Puttabong, and Makaibari are among the best known tea gardens in Darjeeling today. (Stella, Pettigrew, Pettigrew and Richardson, Wikipedia, DarjeelingNews.net, Zubin.com).

Darjeeling tea is brewed and tasted each day at harvest to assess the quality. Before it goes for sale it is tasted at least 4 more times - once by the broker and 3 more times by import experts who will order the tea. Then it is tasted again after purchase at auction. The final tasting occurs when it reaches its destination to make sure it wasn't changed during shipping. (Stella)

NILGIRI - Located in Southwestern India



Tea has been grown in Indonesia since 1684 when the Dutch East India Company brought it to Sumatra. (The China variety of plants were introduced first, but the Assam plants were more successful. Those were introduced in 1878.) Indonesian teas were popular in Europe until WWII. Japan invaded the island in 1942 because the location was important strategically. By the end of the war, the tea factories had been destroyed and the plants were in poor shape. The country made a commitment to resurrecting it and by the 1980s Indonesian tea was becoming a contender. Tea production has been growing rapidly. From 2004 to 2005 they experienced an 8.9% increase in exports. They were responsible for more than 7% of tea exports.

The main tea growing regions in Indonesia are Java and Sumatra. Tea in Java is generally grown in the western mountains. Tea is harvested year round, but the best quality Java tea is harvested during the dry season - July through September. Sumatra's tea is more consistent year round. Many compare Indonesian black tea to a high altitude Ceylon tea - light and flavorful.

Most of the tea from Indonesia has been used for blending, although it is becoming more available as a specialty item. They have just introduced some CTC teas in addition to their orthodox teas. They started producing green tea in the 1980s and it now composes more than 60% of their production.

Reddish brew with the mellowness of China teas.

Japan produces only green tea (O-Cha). A Tendai Buddhist monk named Saicho first brought tea to Japan from China in the early 9th century. Much of the tea is grown in the Mt. Fuji area, on the islands of Kyushu and Shizouka. Gyokuro is the finest green.

In a typical Japanese garden the tea bushes are not spaced apart. They are placed side by side in long and tight 30 yard strips. All strips are the same size, perpendicular to the slope, forming large plucking tables. In winter, hot air fans are used to protect against the frost.

About 3 weeks before harvest, when the first buds appear, the plantation will be covered with bamboo, reeds, or canvas to block light. The small leaves that grown in these darkened conditions will be emerald green (due to the increased chlorophyll) and have lower tannin content. (Stella)

Uji (Click here for full article): Japan is made up of 4 major islands and 3000 smaller islands. Uji is located on Japan's main island, Honshu, south of the city of Kyoto in the Kyoto prefecture on the Uji River.

From 794 to 1868 Kyoto was the imperial city in Japan. In the early 1000's tea was planted in tea gardens in Uji. It is likely that it was brought back from Chang'An, China by a Japanese monk named Saicho who traveled there during that time. He is thought to have brought back both the seeds and the concept of tea drinking (especially in connection with the Tendai Buddhism he developed.) Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa who reigned from 1449 to 1474 encouraged the growth and expansion of the Uji tea gardens. Over the years, the tea arts were perfected in Kyoto and the major schools of tea study are still located there. Traditional tea making skills are devoutly practiced at the oldest and most famous tea gardens in Uji. There was an effort to produce black tea in Japan from 1875 to the mid-1950s but ceased with the expansion of black tea production in India and Sri Lanka. Now only green tea is produced in Japan.

Uji makes the premium gyokuro tea, sencha, and matchas. Nearly all Japanese tea is steamed (rather than pan-fired as is done in China.) Steaming "fixes" the tea's emerald color. In Japan, pruning is done in March and in the Fall. The early growth plucking is known as Ichiban Cha; the very first picking is called Shincha. Shincha was rarely available outside of the region of its harvest until recently. Most Japanese tea is mechanically pruned and plucked. The shrubs are pruned into long mounded rows, maximizing surface area. The focus of the Japanese is on manufacture, modern production, and the art of blending (where in China, the focus is on leaf origin and style.)

Because Uji is such a tea center, many of the local foods also use tea in their preparation. Popular foods include Cha-Soba (soba noodles mixed with green tea), green tea ice cream, and green tea flavored dango (rice flour dumplings.) Many visitors also take the opportunity to attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with locally produced matcha.

The European Union has developed strict Concentration Standards of Residual Agricultural Chemicals. Japan could not export their tea to the EU for quite some time as they did not meet the standards. They have now come into compliance and all Uji tea now meets EU safety standards.

Men rarely pluck tea anywhere in Asia, but it is very common in Kenya. Tea was brought there by British planters who left India when it became independent from the British Empire in 1947. These teas are considered high quality by many. Assam-like with a golden liquor. Full bodied and fruity.

Broken leaf teas. Strong tea. Not complex in flavor.

Tea has a vanilla scent. Strong tea.






Bright liquor. Tea is fine, subtle, and slightly fruity. Reminiscent of Darjeeling teas.

High quality, high-grown teas from this Himalayan region. Comparable to Darjeeling. Temi is considered one of their top gardens.

Reddish brew with the mellowness of China teas.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island approximately 55 miles off India's southern tip. 

The tea industry took root in Sri Lanka following the decimation of the coffee plantations by a rust fungus in the 1860s. The first seeds had been sown by Scotsman James Taylor in 1867 at the Loolecondera Estate. The estate opened its factory in 1872 and the first Ceylon tea was sold at the London auction in 1873. (You can read a bit more about the spread of Ceylon tea by Thomas Lipton here.) The estates were mostly run by British companies until the 1971 Sri Lankan Land Reform Act which brought 2/3 of the gardens under state control.

In 1873, Sri Lanka produced 23 pounds of tea. By 1880 they were producing 81.3 tons. By 1890 nearly 22,900 tons were grown and processed in Sri Lanka. Most of the estates are 3,000 - 8,000 feet above sea level. Because of the climate, harvesting can occur year round. The tea industry is the nation's largest employer. It is mostly operated by Indian Tamils descended from the original workers the British brought from India in the 19th century.

The industry hit a rough patch in the 1990s. The government sought to become more competitive with India, Kenya, and Malawi by increasing the amount of CTC tea produced (for sale to Europe for tea bags.) At the time, only 3% of Ceylon tea was CTC. The experiment was largely considered unsuccessful and a number of the gardens have returned to orthodox methods.

There are 6 major tea regions in Sri Lanka today. Most are located in the southwestern part of the island. There are about 650 tea estates in this "wet zone." The best teas are from the slopes of the high plateaus.:
Nuwara Eliya - The "City of Lights" is also known as "Little England." The highest region produces the highest quality teas. Southeast of Kandy. Best tea is plucked in January and February.
Dimbula - Probably the best known region. It lies east of Colombo and southwest of Kandy. There is an August and September monsoon here so the best plucking is in January and February.
Kandy - In the central part of the island. Reduced productivity here of late due to soil erosion issues
Uva - Located on the eastern slopes of the central mountains. The best tea here is plucked from June to September.
Ruhuna - Includes the Galle region (southern coast) and the Ratnapura region (south central). Lower grown teas often used in blends. Galle specializes in Flowery Orange Pekoe and Orange Pekoe grades.
Uda Pussellawa - In the southeastern part of the island.

Tea lovers should also note that there is a Ceylon Tea Museum near Kandy. 

Taiwan is a collection of islands located in East Asia, approximately 75 miles off the southeastern coast of mainland China between Japan and the Philippines. It was previously known as Formosa, which is Portuguese for "beautiful island."

Taiwan is most famous (in terms of tea) for its oolong, although it does also produce green and black tea. The earliest records show tea found in Taiwan in 1717 in present day Yuchih and Puli (Nantou County.) Cultivation began in the 1800s when Chinese migrants brought their tea-making skills to the island. By the 1880s the island was a major exporter of tea. Originally, most tea was from the area near Taipei. Now it is also commonly grown in the central region of the island as well as some in the south. Each region has distinct oolongs. The best known teas are high mountain teas grown more than 1200 meters above sea level. One particular mountain, Alishan in Chiayi County (central Taiwan, between T'ai-nan and Chang-hua), is particularly well-known for its tea production. Some Taiwanese tea, such as Dong Ding aka Tung Ting, is grown from plants taken from the Wuyi Mountains of China. Bai Hao Oolong (also called Dong Fang Mei Ren tea) is grown in Hsinchu, Taiwan. In the Pingling Township near Taiwan, Pouchong is produced. In Nantou County, Ti Kuan Yin (or Tie Guan Yin - "Iron Goddess of Mercy") is a superior oolong now being produced as well. (For more information, visit the Tea Pages Blog.) The tea gardens in Taiwan tend to be smaller family farms using orthodox production methods.

Bubble tea was a Taiwanese invention from the 1980s that spread throughout the world. Large black tapioca pearls are placed in a cup with hot or iced sweetened tea and milk. (The original included Formosa black tea, condensed milk, pearls, and honey.) It is consumed through a large straw so the pearls can be chewed. In some cases, the tea has been removed and these drinks consist of fruit juices and the tapioca pearls. Green pearls may also be used in place of black. The name "bubble tea" comes from the bubbles that form on top when the drink is shaken. Sometimes it is called "boba" tea, with "boba" referring to the balls or pearls.

Mild teas that are slightly sugary. Only whole leaf is sold. Turkey has the highest per capita consumption at more than 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms) per person per year.

Currently tea is grown in South Carolina, Hawaii, and Washington state.

China Travel Tour Guide - http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com

Darjeeling News - http://www.darjeelingnews.net

Heiss, Mary Lou and Richard J. Heiss - The Story of Tea

Martin, Laura C. - Tea: The Drink that Changed the World - 2007 - Tuttle Publishing: North Clarendon, VT

Pettigrew, Jane – The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur’s Guide – 1997 – Running Press: Philadelphia, London

Pettigrew, Jane and London: National Trust Enterprises

Stella, Alain, Nadine Beautheac, et al. - The Book of Tea - 1992 - Flammarion: Paris and New York

Lonely Planet - www.lonelyplanet.com

TeaSpring - www.teaspring.com

Travel Taiwan - www.traveltaiwan.com

Wikipedia - www.wikipedia.com

Zubin.com - www.zubin.com

KAM, Copyright 2007

Last update March 2011