An evergreen shrub that has pink or white flowers, tea is traditionally hand picked. Only the bud and two new young leaves are used in the tea process. They can be harvested every one to two weeks during the growing season.
Black tea, green tea and white tea are all produced from the same plant, the difference being the way in which they are processed. When the leaves are picked they contain around 80% moisture, whereas the tea we buy typically contains only 10% moisture, the drying phase of the process is crucial, this preserves and intensifies the tea.
Tea buds are picked before ripening and opening, the closed buds are sundried. The delicate leaves are hardly processed at all; white tea is only produced in small quantities and is usually very expensive
The leaves are sundried, then roasted and rolled. They are roasted and rolled a second time and retain their colour.
The picked leaves are sundried or air-dried, then rolled to release any remaining liquid, they are then left to ferment by blowing humid air over them during which time the leaves oxidize and turn black. The black tea is then dried which stops the oxidization and preserves the tea.
This follows the same process as black tea, but with a shorter fermentation stage.
