The countries that produce high-end premium teas

The history of tea stretches back millennia, with each country claiming legends of their own regarding its origins. According to a Chinese legend, Emperor Shen Nong, the father of agriculture and medicine, was extremely careful about hygiene, so much so that he drank only boiled water. One day, in 2737 BC, while he was resting in the shade of a wild tea tree, a gentle wind caused several leaves to fall into the water that he was boiling, turning it a golden color. Curious, the emperor tasted it and exclaimed: “That which Heaven sends, brings harmony into our soul.” He lifted the beverage to his lips and thus the tradition of tea was born. 

The origin of tea and the primary countries of production

Legend aside, tea is one of the greatest contributions that China has made to humanity and civilization. China is the birthplace of the tea plant and the Chinese people were the first to discover and use it. The custom of drinking tea gave rise to an industry of mammoth proportions and to a diverse and sophisticated culture which has spread throughout the world. In 2020, the global tea market was valued at approximately $207.1 billion and is expected to reach $266.7 billion by 2025. 

The history of the tea plant and its dissemination across cultures and traditions worldwide is complex and detailed, deserving of a discussion unto itself. Here we’ll provide only a brief overview, highlighting the most important milestones of its popularization, from China, where it all began, to the world’s most important tea-producing countries. Tea is currently cultivated for commercial purposes in over 32 countries all around the world.  These countries are located within the tropical belt: China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka are the largest producers and exporters, but many other regions also supply a significant portion of the market’s production.

CHINA

Within the vast “territory of the Dragon”, we can find all six families of tea as well as a variety of products which are not found in other production areas. Despite this rich variety, green tea remains the favorite type among the Chinese population, which consumes about two-thirds of the tea it produces. This includes approximately 75% green tea, 20% oxidized and fermented black tea, and the remaining 5% Oolong tea. In comparison, white and yellow teas represent niche productions. Tea cultivation is concentrated in the southeastern provinces, particularly in Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui. The finest harvests come from hilly and mountainous regions, the names of which are often associated with the best crus. In this regard, there is a great a similarity with high quality French wines, as in both cases they’re named after the small villages where they’re produced and in which expertise is passed down through the centuries. 

In the Fujian province, which accounts for approximately 20% of China’s total tea production, we find some of the finest green teas, white teas, jasmine-scented teas, and legendary Oolong teas like Da Hong Pao from the Wu Yi Mountains and Tie Guan Yin from the hills in the Anxi area. In Zhejiang, we predominantly find green teas, including the elegant and refined Long Jing and Gunpowder, the latter of which is produced on a large scale for export to Morocco and other North African countries. Oxidized and fermented black teas come from Yunnan, such as the famous Pu Erh (in loose leaf or pressed form), and are often made from wild or ancient tall-stemmed tea plants. Last, but not least, Anhui is known for its extraordinary green teas from the Huang Shan Mountains and for Qimen (or Keemun), one of the most highly regarded oxidized black teas not just in China, but worldwide.

INDIA

What we’ve come to know as “English tea” comes from India. Introduced in the mid-19th century, it was cultivated and prepared exclusively for exportation. Today, however, local consumption absorbs approximately 80% of the total production, making this country the second largest producer of tea in the world.

The primary production areas are Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiri. The other areas (Dooars, Kangra, Munnar, Sikkim, Meghalaya) are less significant in terms of the yield of their harvest. Regardless, the teas produced in Sikkim and Meghalaya are well worth tasting for their high quality. They aren’t easy to find, but the effort will be greatly rewarded. Though the production of green tea has been introduced over the last 20-30 years, India is known worldwide for its black teas and their unique and distinctive characteristics: Darjeeling for its vibrant muscatel notes and Assam for its full-body and intense malt and honey flavors.

KENYA

In Africa, tea is primarily cultivated in Kenya, followed by Malawi, Ruanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. Although the steady rise in the trade of premium whole-leaf tea is changing the African tea industry, production remains primarily focused on small-particle CTC black teas intended for blending and tea bags. The tea that’s produced is strong, full-bodied, and perfect for breakfast. The managers of some plantations have significantly improved the quality, and their great crus are expanding into the international market. Meanwhile, the evolution of silver tips (white teas) and purple tea (rich in anthocyanins), produced in Kenya, as well as white tea pearls, smoked black tea, and true fermented black tea, produced in Malawi, is worth keeping an eye on. These are completely new for the continent.

SRI LANKA

The island of Ceylon, the fourth largest tea-producing country in the world, switched to producing tea in 1860 when Hemileia vastatrix (a fungus that causes coffee leaf rust) struck the region and decimated all the crops. Here, where the monsoons make the gardens lush, tea is classified according to the altitude at which it is grown: low grown, between sea level and 600 meters; mid grown, between 600 and 1200 meters; and high grown, above 1200 meters. At higher altitudes, the teas become more fragrant, delicate, citrusy, and floral, while at lower altitudes they become stronger and maltier, with balsamic notes. The primary production areas are Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Dimbula, Ruhuna, Uva, and Uda Pussellawa.

JAPAN

The Land of the Rising Sun may not be known for high yield tea plantations, but its green teas, such as Sencha and Matcha, are household names, familiar even to non-tea drinkers all around the world. The spread of tea in Japan has ancient roots that date back to the period between 794 and 1195, when the first exchanges between Zen monks and Chinese Buddhist monks occurred. In addition to the religious practices and meditation that the Japanese monks learned in China, upon their return home they also brought with them tea seeds and the art of tea preparation. Soon tea and spirituality became inseparable. Today the primary tea production areas are in the prefectures of Shizuoka, Mie, Kyoto, and Kagoshima. 

Nearly all the tea produced in Japan is steamed green tea. The prepared leaves are a very bright, dark green color with a characteristic needle-like shape achieved through a multi-step process in which they are rolled in a machine before finally being dried. In the cup, these teas are fresh and medium-bodied, with pronounced grassy and umami notes. In recent years, some producers have also started processing Oolong teas, oxidized black teas, and fermented black teas. These, for the moment, remain high quality, niche products.

TAIWAN

The tea industry in Taiwan has a history that dates back centuries. During Dutch colonial rule in the 17th century, many day laborers from Fujian were brought to the island to build the colony. These people, hailing from the birthplace of the finest Chinese Oolong teas, brought their expertise and tea plant cuttings with them. 

That’s when everything began, although it wasn’t until the late 20th century that a large-scale commercial tea production began to flourish beyond these borders. The island of Formosa is famous for its outstanding Oolong teas.  Tea is an integral part of Taiwanese life and culture, and, to this day, tea houses where one can enjoy Oolong teas prepared in the Gong Fu Cha style are still widespread. The most refined include the floral Bao Zhong, thanks to a low level of oxidation, the Jin Xuan, with its creamy and buttery notes, the fragrant high-mountain Gao Shan, and, with a higher level of oxidation, the Dong Ding and Bai Hao (Oriental Beauty).

In this journey through the world’s primary tea-growing regions, we can’t neglect to mention Vietnam, Indonesia, Turkey, Argentina, South Korea, Nepal, and Georgia, to name just a few. Keep following us, because this world tour has only just begun!