What is Tea? All teas are derived from plant Camellia Senensis. Even though green tea, white tea, black tea, and oolong tea all come from this same plant, they are processed in different ways to achieve different tastes and levels of anti-oxidants.
Camellia Sinensis originates from South or Southeast Asia. However, it is now grown all over the world. The tea plant can grow to 30 feet in hieght but it is kept below six feet in to make it easier to pick the leaves. It has a strong taproot and flowers that are yellow-white in color. Camellia Sinensis seeds can yield tea oil, which is used as seasoning and cooking oil. Tea oil is not to be confused with tea tree oil, which has medicinal and cosmetic applications.
The leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant are two to five centimeters wide and four to fifteen centimeters long. The younger leaves, which are light green in color, are preferred for tea production. Older leaves are deep green in color. The age of the leaves greatly affects the quality of the tea. Typically, the bud and the first two to three leaves are pulled by hand. Every one to two weeks this process is repeated.