Chinese Tea: Yielding a Fine Harvest
In many parts of the world, the word tea leaves or tea is known as a drink called “cha”, a Chinese character for tea or Chinese tea. There are three most common beverages in the world – tea, coffee and cocoa. Among these three, categorically, tea is known to have the biggest percentage of consumers. Not only that it is part of the culture and tradition of China, Japan and other Asian countries, its soothing powers to enhance health have attracted many people to consume tea as part of their daily drink. Definitely, tea is an extensively consumed beverage in the world after water.
It is interesting to note that there has been an increased demand of tea around the world. An extensive cultivation of Chinese tea in various tea plantations ensued. Many of them can be seen not only in China but also in other Asian countries like Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. More so, tea production in the Asian region alone attains 90% of the world’s total production. Forty countries in the world cultivated tea, but the three top producing countries are China, India, and Sri Lanka.
In the history of tea planting and development, record shows that as early as five to six thousand years ago Chinese tea plants already existed. We can also assume, moreover, that all tea variants in other countries originated directly or indirectly from China.
The growing and harvesting of tea ca be easily correlated to the growing of grapes. Yes, it would take quite a number of years for one to be able to produce quality tea crop.
A Chinese tea plant must grow for five years before its leaves can be picked. When the tea plant is at its 30 years of age, it will be too old to be productive. So, to keep the plant productive, the trunk of the old plant must then be cut off for new stems to grow out of the roots in the coming year. By doing so, a plant may serve for about l00 years.
For best condition in cultivating Chinese tea, it must be located in high altitudes with good amount of rainfall. In other places like Sri Lanka, however, tea growing is at its best in lower altitudes generating a distinctive aroma of tea. Too much amount of sunlight hinders the development of a certain tea plant. Such that a perfect climate for growing tea is to have cooler mornings with a light mist so that the plants can take shield from the heat of the sun.
Accordingly, an estimated three thousand tea leaves from a tea plant each year means a good harvest. At present, all tea is practically cultivated and harvested on plantations.
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