Whole Leaf Tea

All tea is harvested from the Camellia Sinensis, whether it’s your regular Breakfast, an Earl Grey with friends or your to-go Green Tea – it is all derived from the Camellia Sinensis, sometimes called the ‘Tea Tree’ but not to be confused with the Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia), from which, tea tree oil is derived. Confused? Read On.

The varieties, wait… varieteas(?) of tea that we know and love are derived from the Camellia Sinensis, this includes Black, Oolong, Green and White teas. The type of tea is determined by where the tea leaves are grown, whether this is at altitude, the relative light exposure and the chemical composition of the soil; however, the single biggest factor that separates one tea type from another is determined by how it is processed, more specifically, when in its life cycle the tea is harvested and how it is oxidised.

Oxidation is a crucial process in tea production that significantly impacts the characteristics and flavours of different types of tea. It occurs when enzymes in the tea leaves react with oxygen, not dissimilar to when a banana becomes spotted and turns darker. The more oxidised a tea leaf, the higher the concentration of caffeine and the lower the concentration of antioxidants – a Green Tea for this reason, is low in caffeine and high in antioxidants.