All tea comes from a single botanical specie-Camellia Sinensis. Yet, there are more than 2,000 varieties of drinking tea. The differences between them arise from soil, climate, and the processing of tea leaves after they have been harvested. The four common methods of processing give us the four basic tea families: black, oolong, green and white.
All truly fine teas are composed of only the top two leaves and the unopened leaf-bud of a young tea plant. That's where the aroma is concentrated. Up to 80,000 hand-plucked shoots may be needed to produce one pound of top grade tea. The production of fine tea is a precise and labor intensive process.
The art of processing tea is handed down generation to generation, with its details closely guarded secrets. Every traditional step is essential to achieve superior quality. You will discover tea's exotic origins as you read about different varieties of black tea. You will also learn about the characteristics that make each variety unique.