Both traditional varieties of the tea plant – the shrub-like, small-leafed Camellia sinensis, and Camellia assamica, which is a small tree, -- are extremely demanding in terms of their soil and climate requirements. The best varieties grow on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, on the plains of the Brahmaputra, in the Malaysian highlands and in Sri Lanka. But thankfully, they can now be enjoyed everywhere.
Every tea variety is prepared differently. When making black tea, for example, the water temperature should not exceed 90°C, while most green teas are made with water at a temperature of about 70°C. Roughly 2 g of tea leaves are placed in a pre-heated teapot. The brewing time ranges from 20 seconds and five to ten minutes, depending on the type of tea.
The timing of the harvest influences the colour and also the taste of the tea. Although only a few weeks lie between the first flush and the strong, aromatic second flush, there is a world of difference in their taste. Picking the leaves requires immense care. Only two leaves and a bud are plucked.
In China a distinction is made between “tea with a good aroma”, in other words the first infusion, and “tea with a good taste”, when additional water is poured over the leaves for a second time and the tea is allowed to brew for longer. A third infusion gives the host and his guest a very special tea, the “tea of long friendship”.
