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Some countries boast some truly long tea traditions. Tea culture started in far-off exotic countries, spreading to Europe later when it was imported from the colonies. Originally, tea plants grew naturally in China and India, with subsequent cultivation happening in other Asian nations, as well as Africa and America. So what countries are the best at cultivating tea? These would be the nations of Japan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Australia, Kenya and Argentina. Each country produces slightly different tea, depending on the individual culture in place. As a result, significant differences exist in taste between the teas of the world.
China’s the cradle of tea, where the preference is to consume black tea, although the Chinese call it “red tea”. What they think of as black tea is actually pu-erh (also spelt pu’er), which is darker than ordinary black tea. What’s more, several varieties of green tea are widely cultivated in China, as is white tea, a unique type which once was the preference of the imperial court.
Another major tea nation is Japan. In terms of history, the crop was brought to the country by monks from China. The great majority of Japanese production and consumption relates to green tea, which is distinct for its refined taste and aroma.
Traditional tea from tea plants isn’t drunk in every country. In fact, many nations prefer beverages made from certain exotic plants. For example, South Africa’s renowned for its rooibos and honeybush, while mate is highly popular in Argentina. If we’ve piqued your interest, several pure and flavoured varieties can be found in our assortment.
Indian teas are consumed almost everywhere, but some people mightn’t realise they come from India. Of particular note are the black teas of Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri.
Although India’s one of the world’s leading cultivators of black tea, it also produces green tea, which was first cultivated in 1985 in the areas of Assam and Darjeeling. This relatively recent product is processed via the Japanese steaming method, resulting in a high-quality, delicious green tea.
