Growing regions

The Darjeeling plantations are located at an elevation of nearly 3000 metres on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. The cool nights and intense mountain sun yield the finest and most valued teas in the world. Because of the high elevation, the tea leaves grow more slowly here. This gives the leaves a more intense, fuller aroma.

Darjeeling is considered to be the champagne of teas, and many of the roughly 100 tea estates are as famous as the good vineyards in France.

There are two varieties: the first flush (harvested in the spring) and the second flush (harvested in the summer). The first flush is light and mild and yields tea with a very light cup. The second flush is fuller, more intense, highly aromatic and spicier and yields a muscatel-flavoured cup.

The autumnal flush, the harvest after the monsoons, yields a tea with a full aroma and a lighter cup.

By the way, two of the oldest Darjeeling estates, Steinthal and Happy Valley, were founded by German missionaries long ago.

It is bounded by the eastern Himalayas in the north. The state of Assam is the largest contiguous tea-growing area in the world.

Assam tea is malty and full-bodied and has a strong colour. It is used in many different tea mixtures because of its special flavour (for example as the basis for East Frisian tea).

he highlands of Nuwara Eliya, which reach an elevation of 2525 metres at the peak of Pidurutalagala, are located in the southern part of the island. The Uva and Uda Pusselawa region is located in the eastern part of these highlands, and the Dimbula and Dickoya region in the western part.

Tea is harvested on Ceylon year round. In the east (Uva), the best quality teas are picked during the dry season from June to September, while the monsoon brings rain to the west. In the west (Dimbula and Dickoya), the best quality teas are harvested in the dry period from December to March, while the monsoon rains fall in the east.

The tea has a brisk flavour and a strong colour, and is called “gold in the cup”. The tea from the Nuwara Eliya highlands is very bright.

The tea has a fruity, mild flavour and a light brown colour. Java tea is harvested year round.

The Barisa mountains with their steep slopes in the south and the Pegunungan mountains in the north form a line along the west coast of the island. The mountains are volcanic in origin and include a small number of active volcanoes

The tea plantations were established in the area of the island’s original tropical rainforest. A second smaller tea growing area can be found in the north east at the eastern edges of the mountains, near Deli and Medan. The growers primarily produce a good mixed tea of consistent quality throughout the year.

Because of the specific climate conditions, Turkish tea is especially light and has a low yield.

The tea produces a mahogany cup, and is similar to the tea that is grown in Argentina.

The land rises gradually to an elevation of 1500–2000 metres as you move inland from the coast. The highlands offer fertile volcanic soil. The Aberdare Mountains tower over the highlands to the south. They form part of the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley, where from 800 to 1900 mm of precipitation fall per year on either side at elevations of over 1000 metres. (By way of comparison, 766 mm of precipitation fall per year in Germany). The largest tea plantations in Kenya were established here between 1921 and 1925, and are still leaders in tea production. Roughly 15% of the world’s tea comes from Africa. Kenya is the largest exporter in the world. Kenya tea is very strong, has a brisk flavour and yields a copper red cup.

The main growing regions are located around Taipai, Taoyuand and Hsinchu, and in the highlands in the north. Leaves are harvested six times per year. Tea connoisseurs especially value the country’s oolong teas, which are complicated to produce and which yield high-quality tea. These teas, which are only available in small quantities, fetch very high prices among gourmets and tea lovers.