Different leaf ages produce differing tea qualities, since their chemical compositions are different. What is the difference between your plants? lasiocaly) was originally considered a type of assam tea. However, since no wild populations of this tea are known, the precise location of its origin is speculative. There are over 20,000 different teas in the world, according to Mary Lou and Robert J. Heiss in The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook: A Guide to the World’s Best Teas.But if you’re interested in learning about specialty tea, there are six main kinds you’ll want to start with. So the plucked tea brought to the processing facilities or factory starts out basically the same, from the same Tea plant thrives in well-drained, sandy soil and shouldn't be harvested until it reaches three years old. These can all be broken down and classified even further to … The best hand-crafted leaf is … The small leaf variety, known as Camellia sinensis, thrives in the cool, high mountain regions of central China and Japan. It grows in many parts of Asia, Eastern Africa and Argentina. The leaves are 4–15 cm (1.6–5.9 in) long and 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) broad. Yes, you read right, all tea, whether it’s black, oolong, green, white, or pu-erh, comes from the Camellia sinensis plant in the same way that all wine comes from the grape, albeit different varietals. Black tea. Younger leaves feature high concentrations of TCS1 transcripts, allowing more caffeine to be synthesized during this time. However, later genetic work showed that it is a hybrid between Chinese small leaf tea and assam type tea. The generic name Camellia is taken from the Latinized name of Rev. Mamri tea plants from Assam region’s are used to make Masala Chai with different proportions of spices. [8] The name sinensis means "from China" in Latin. There are two types of Puer: sheng puer and shu puer. The seeds of C. sinensis and C. oleifera can be pressed to yield tea oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil that should not be confused with tea tree oil, an essential oil that is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, and originates from the leaves of a different plant. There are many varieties of Camellia but most are used as ornamental shrubbery. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. In the United States, tea is grown in Hawaii, the subtropical region of the Southeast, and in the cool, mild climate of the Pacific Northwest. Tea is harvested during the warmer months when the plant is growing strong. The tea plant is also cultivated in some areas of the U.S. [3] White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which includes pu-erh tea) and black tea are all harvested from one or the other, but are processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation. Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Theaceae whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. Two principal varieties are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. s. sinensis) and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. s. assamica), used mainly for black tea. It consists … Assam Tea Plants For A Future Plant Database. On rare occasions, the twigs and flowers of the plant are also used. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing a green tea plant or a black tea plant. Two varieties of the tea plant make up some of the most popular types of tea. Some Japanese cultivars include: C. sinensis is native to East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, but it is today cultivated across the world in tropical and subtropical regions. Barley Tea. dehungensis (Hung T. Chang & BH Chen) TL Ming are sometimes used locally. Missouri Botanical Garden, Camellia Sinensis Assamica. If you see green-tea ice … Three main kinds of tea are produced in India: Nepali tea is also considered to be similar to the tea produced in Darjeeling, mostly because the eastern part of Nepal, where a large amount of tea is produced, has similar topography to that of Darjeeling. C. sinensis is mainly cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates, in areas with at least 127 cm (50 in) of rainfall a year. While there are more than 325 varieties of genus Camellia, only two varieties of Camellia sinensis are commercially viable for producing tea: Camellia sinensis var. A sequence of reactions turns xanthosine into 7-methylxanthosine, then 7-methylxanthine, then theobromine, and finally into caffeine. Sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. Almost every tea enjoyed comes from a specific species of plant known as the camellia sinensis. Tea that's grown in the shade. [27][28] The biosynthetic pathway in C. sinensis differs from other caffeine-producing plants such as coffee or guayusa. The Chinese plant is a small-leafed bush with multiple stems that reaches a height of some 3 m. It is native to southeast China. Whilst there are many different types of tea available on the supermarket shelf, most originate from the ‘Tea Plant’, otherwise known as Camellia Sinensis variant Sinensis. White tea is a delicate tea that undergoes very little processing and oxidation. The Chinese variety, Camellia sinensis sinensis, has a small leaf and is more tolerant of cold weather. This plant is considered more tropical than its Chinese variety, growing larger and producing bigger leaves (due to a climate with plenty of rain and warm temperatures). Instead of steaming the freshly picked leaves, Chinese green tea farmers pan-fry the leaves, which flattens and dries out the leaves, but also makes the leaves more stiff than the Japanese green tea. There is an incredibly vast number of teas, but if you want to think in generalities, there are essentially four different *major* or *common* types… they are white teas, green teas, black teas, and lastly herbal teas. sinensis and C. s. var. Matcha is a specific type of green tea made from the leaves of tea plants that have been grown under shade. [9], Tea plants are native to East Asia, and probably originated in the borderlands of north Burma and southwestern China. Tea from buds, leaves, tips, sticks or stems. The Cambodia variety, a single-stem tree growing to about 16 feet (5 metres) in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties.. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Some Indian Assam tea appears to have hybridized with the species Camellia pubicosta. However, the clonal one is commercially cultivated from the equator to as far north as Cornwall and Scotland on the UK mainland. The bushier and older the plant gets; the more tea leaves it will produce. [11][12], Given their genetic differences forming distinct clades, Chinese Assam type tea (C. s. var. [10], Chinese (small leaf) type tea may have originated in southern China possibly with hybridization of unknown wild tea relatives. All types of tea come from an evergreen plant of the Camellia family – Thea sinensis. Assamica. Tea plants will grow into a tree if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. 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