Learn About Tea: The Tea Plant
Tea is a wonderfully deep and rich topic just waiting to be explored. Most of us in the West have come to believe that tea is a mundane part of life, but if we dig a little deeper, there is history and culture that would take many lifetimes to understand.
Newby’s Passion for Tea
Newby is not like other companies. We were created to show the world how good tea can be and to hopefully share some of the passion that we have for this wonderful drink. As evidence of our commitment to tea, all of our profits go to charitable causes. This article is the first in a series that is all about discovering the fascinating history, culture, and science of tea.
The Tea Plant: Camellia Sinensis
We begin with the tea plant. Not everybody realises that all tea, whether it is black, green, or white—English Breakfast, Darjeeling, or Silver Needle—all come from one plant. The Camellia sinensis, colloquially known as the tea plant, is a relative of the camellias that bloom in our gardens every year around March time. Camellia is the species, and sinensis means "hailing from China," where the tea plant was first discovered around five thousand years ago.
Tea’s Origins in China and India
It was in southwestern China that the tea plant was found growing—a small shrubby evergreen tree or bush that can grow up to fifteen meters tall and live to over one thousand years. The plant is believed to have originated in the area where northern Myanmar, Laos, and China’s Yunnan province meet, but it has also been found growing natively in northeastern India.
Tea’s Discovery in India
The tea plant was not known to grow in India until the 19th century. The local population had probably been using the plant for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until Scottish explorer Robert Bruce found the Singpho people brewing tea with local plants that the world realised tea existed outside of China.
Varieties of the Tea Plant: Chinese and Indian
The tea plant native to Assam in northeast India was discovered to be a different variety of Camellia sinensis. The Chinese variety, formally known as Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, has smaller leaves, prefers higher altitudes, and has a more delicate flavor than the Indian larger-leafed variety.
Discovering the Chinese Tea Plant
To experience the subtle fruity and floral nuances of the Chinese tea plant, we recommend one of our white teas, Silver Needle or White Peony. The delicate nature of minimally processed white tea allows the true nature of the Chinese variety to shine.
The Indian Assamica Variety
The Indian Camellia sinensis var. assamica grows happily in the low valleys of Assam and produces large leaves that yield a more robust flavor. For the best example of the Indian variety of the tea plant, we recommend our Assam blends. The robust, malty character of this tea reflects the taste of tea that we all know and love in the West.
The Global Expansion of Tea Cultivation
Today, the tea plant is grown commercially in more than 60 countries. It is possible to grow tea anywhere that is warm and humid enough, including as far north as Cornwall in England and Perthshire in Scotland, where tropical microclimates exist. However, the best quality tea is grown only in a few small areas
