The terroir makes the tea
Tea is defined by its environment. The earth it grows on, the location of the garden, and the flora and fauna that surrounds it are essential factors for the tea plant Camellia sinensis, influencing its leaves’ growth and the development of their flavor.
These variables are called Terroir: This complex interplay of temperature, humidity, light, and altitude is responsible for the unique character of each tea. It is often said that a tea crafted in one specific place cannot be recreated anywhere else. Even within a single garden, different plots can produce slightly different expressions of the same tea. Terroir can describe broad areas with shared traits, but it can also refer to very small places that create remarkably specific aromatics and flavors.
For a good tea, what happens before the harvest is just as important as what happens after: A good harvest can be turned into good and bad tea, but even the most expert tea maker cannot save a bad harvest.
Stressed plants, good tea
Many famous tea regions across the globe are located on mountainous terrain. Altitude has a surprising correlation to quality: Technically, the tea plant is most comfortable in low altitudes and warm and humid surroundings. In these circumstances, leaves grow fast and abundant. However, quantity does not necessarily correspond to quality, as this means that less nutrients and energy are invested into the individual leaf, causing simpler flavor profiles. In higher altitudes, temperatures are cooler and the air is dryer. This puts the plant under stress, slows its growth and produces fewer leaves. However, this allows more time for complex chemical compounds to accumulate in the leaf, leading to greater concentration and complexity in their flavor. That said, tea plants are exceptionally resilient: Once temperatures drop below about 12°C, the plant will go into a resting state, ready to wake up again once warmer weather returns. With such adaptability and strength, the oldest tea plants in the world have been growing for more than a thousand years.
Spring, Summer, Autumn: A tea for every season
Just like altitude, weather influences the growth of tea. Seasonality is one of the most crucial factors for tea makers: Harvests occur at multiple points throughout the year and are sometimes referred to as “flushes”. A first flush is the first harvest of the year, followed by second (summer) and autumn flushes.
The first spring harvest after the winter captures the moment when the first rays of sun awaken the plant from its dormancy. All the saved-up energy from the previous months is distilled into the leaves, producing grassy and floral aromas with a distinctive freshness.
Leaves grow fastest in summer, even in the mountains, where growth is normally much slower compared to lower altitudes. Because of this, summer teas are often bolder than spring varieties. Grown at high elevation, they become balanced and slightly sweet with a subtle hint of spice.
In the fall, intensity slowly subsides as growth is past its peak and aromatics are less concentrated. The last tea leaves of the year often require bolder methods, like drying at higher temperatures, to accentuate their flavors.
Even within a single season, different harvests make different teas: whether leaves are picked in early, mid, or late summer significantly changes the outcome. Just a few days of unusual weather are significant, so timing is sensitive. For a true expert, the appearance and smell of the leaves will determine the next steps. Drawing on experience, precision, and intuition, tea makers will adjust the processing, drying, and oxidation to bring out the best potential in every harvest.
Every tea encapsulates a particular season in a particular year, a unique moment in time never to be recreated, captured and brought to life in your tea cup.
