Where Does Tea Come From?

Tea Growers from Around the World

Ever since tea was discovered in China in about 2700 BC, the plant from which tea leaves are picked, camellia Sinensis has undergone widespread hybridization. Varieties have been grown in different agricultural environments firstly around China and then spreading from Asia all the way down to East Africa. Tea popularity exploded in the 19th and 20th century and is still rising; ordered by annual gross output, these are the major players in the tea world today:

China

The largest tea producer worldwide is China who produced a staggering 1.27 million tons in 2008. Most of their exported tea is black tea, with world consumption divided between black tea at 97% of total production and green and other teas at only 3%. Most other tea growing areas of the world, except Japan, grow black tea. Along with tea, China produces clay teapots and porcelain teapots for domestic use and export worldwide.

In China tea production is varied depending upon the climate, altitude and soil types it is grown in. A tea plant in China takes approximately 5 years to reach a mature enough state to produce a viable crop. The plant can then produce usable tea leaves for up to 30 years. In China they use mostly organic fertilizers and do not use pesticides at all, preferring to remove the plant completely rather than affect the delicately flavored leaves with chemicals.

China and Taiwan are the only sources of Oolong tea worldwide due to the very technical nature of its grading and production. This also makes it more expensive, but its flavor is of exceptional quality. Green tea is mostly consumed within China, although quite a bit is exported to the main other green tea drinker, Japan.

India

India is the second largest producer at 800,000 tons in 2008, growing mainly black tea.  Due to the Opium wars between China and Britain in the 1800s, China set up a trade embargo with Britain, cutting off tea trade with Britain, after it had gotten popular across Europe.  Its colony in India then became the only source of tea for Britain.  Luckily, India possessed areas with the correct soil and climate to grow tea, notably the Assam bush.  Darjeeling in the north-east, Kerala in the south, and Kangra in the west, are the main areas for tea cultivation.

Africa

Tea is grown in a number of African countries including Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa, but Kenya has quite the edge on exports. Kenya has large highland areas ideal for tea growing, producing only black tea. Their exports were a respectable 350,000 tons in 2008, slightly less than half that of India. Most of the exported tea is destined for Britain and Western Europe.

Sri-Lanka (formerly Ceylon)

Sri-Lanka’s tea production is on a par with Kenya. Their plantations are at different altitudes due to the topography of Sri-Lanka and makes for the many different flavors available from this relatively small island. Referred to as “Ceylon tea” still, these black teas are popular throughout the world; growers are now branching out to produce different varieties such as green tea in recent years.

Turkey

Turkey is another tea producer whose product is not really seen to be prominent on the shelves of the average tea room. Their tea is all of the black variety and is grown along the black sea coast. Their tea is prepared in a dual kettle system which makes the brew steep for a lot longer than in most areas of the world and makes for a far from delicate flavor – an acquired taste by all accounts…

Vietnam & Indonesia

Vietnam seems an unlikely source for tea, but together with a few other Indonesian nations, produces a respectable 175,000 tons annually, matching the rest of Indonesia put together. Their teas are mostly used to blend with other teas and are not often found unblended.

Elsewhere

There are other countries that grow tea including Argentina, Iran, and Japan, who grow just green tea for the domestic market, and Bangladesh, who supply black tea for blending. In general, worldwide production is ever increasing and varieties forever being added; with mankind’s propensity for enjoying tea this is likely to be an ongoing trend.