What is Tea? – Origins and Categorization of Camellia Sinensis

All true tea is made with leaves harvested from a single plant species called Camellia sinensis. Colloquially, the word “tea” is often used to refer to many herbs and botanicals that are brewed with hot water, although these plants are not technically tea. So, where did tea actually originate?

The actual tea plant is an evergreen tree native to the part of Southeast Asia where China’s Yunnan Province meets India’s Nagaland region and the northern areas of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

From this one species stems two main varieties known as Camellia sinensis var. assamica, and a third lesser known variety called cambodiensis. The assamica, or “broadleaf”, variety most closely resembles the original tea plant, whereas the sinensis, or “small leaf”, variety evolved as the tea plant was carried from its subtropical homeland to more temperate climates. Under each of these varieties fall hundreds of sub-varieties known as cultivars (cultivated variety). 

New cultivars are developed when tea farmers selectively breed tea plants that demonstrate preferred qualities, such as a stellar aromatic complexity or the tenacity to thrive in periods of frost or drought. The continued cultivation and development of tea variants takes us from where tea originated to a diverse and widely cherished family of teas enjoyed by millions around the globe.

Left in its natural state, Camellia sinensis grows into a tree that reaches about six feet tall for small leaf varieties to more than 50 feet tall for the ancient broadleaf trees growing in Yunnan. Cultivated tea gardens are managed by pruning tea trees into bushy rows, making it easier to pick young leaves that sprout up on top of the “plucking table.” To this day, most tea is picked by hand.

In the northern hemisphere, the harvest season begins in late February or March and runs through September or October. Throughout the growing season, tea plants sprout tender new leaf buds in a series of growth surges called flushes. Most tea regions experience three or four distinct flushes within each crop year. During the winter months, the Camellia sinensis plants go dormant and their energy and nutrients are stored within the roots. In the springtime, these nutrients are drawn up and become concentrated in the new growth. For this reason, the spring harvest, or “first flush”, is typically the most prized of the year.

The Six Categories of Tea

When you ask where tea originated, remember that there was initially one type of tea leaf known to humans. However, the modern tea world now recognizes six categories of tea: green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and dark (Pu’er). 

The main attribute by which a tea is put into one of the six categories is its degree of polyphenolic oxidation. This natural oxidation is an enzymatic reaction that is similar to the browning of a sliced apple or freshly chopped basil leaves. For tea, it is the biochemical process that changes freshly picked leaves from green to yellow, amber to red, and finally brown. 

The art of making tea involves skillfully facilitating tea leaf oxidation and dehydration through a series of intricate steps to achieve a desired flavor and aroma. Within each of the six tea categories, there are hundreds of traditional styles of tea that are differentiated by factors including its growing region, cultivar, harvest time, and crafting techniques.

So while tea did originate in the southeastern parts of Asia, the astounding variety of teas available today and the vast geography where tea is grown are all the more amazing given tea’s early roots. Anthropological research indicates that Camellia sinensis leaves were originally wild-harvested and consumed as a bitter vegetable that was cooked into nourishing soups and as a folk medicine prepared as a vitality tonic. 

It is believed that these foundational uses of tea date back some four or five thousand years, making tea about as ancient as the primitive styles of wine and beer. It is humbling to reflect on that and realize that the more we learn about tea, the more we find there is yet to learn.

Tea is a journey that offers a lifetime of learning. Join us and start your adventure with Rishi Tea & Botanicals.

The Beginnings of Tea

They say tea has over 5,000 years of history, and perhaps even more than that. Where tea originated is particularly important, as its use as an herbal medicine and as a vegetable predates domesticated, organized agriculture. The use of Camellia sinensis tea leaves as an ingredient for making beverages is very old; however, the appreciation of “fine and pure” tea and its origin, season, method of processing, and vintage is not as ancient as we may think.

Until the 1st Renaissance of tea during the Tang Dynasty in China, tea was brewed and consumed with additives like herbs, salt, leeks, oil, onions, and countless other types of regional “brews” or “picked tea"-like concoctions. It was rare that any tea lover enjoyed tea in its pure form.

Lu Yu, the Patron Saint of Tea, helped change this. His revolutionary work was called the “tea classic” (Cha Jing), or what could be translated as the “tea bible” or “essential treatise of tea.”

Before Lu Yu’s encouragement and the writing of the Cha Jing, people did not drink tea in its pure leaf form. Camellia sinensis was more or less an ingredient for herbal medicine or was used by remote tribes as a vegetable, stimulating chew (like tobacco), or even a pickle, and there were hundreds of local concoctions and brews that used tea leaves or fermented tea leaves within their recipes.

In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu championed tea as a refined beverage and educated the people to drink tea in its pure form without any additives. Lu Yu revolutionized the way people thought about tea. His teachings, refined over 26 years of studying Camellia sinensis and traveling to document the various tea regions of China and Southeast Asia, led to the rise of tea as a major commodity. Soon after Lu Yu’s work and philosophy were distributed, tea became a favored beverage and daily habit of the Chinese — the very place where tea originated.

Lu Yu wrote the Cha Jing more than 1,000 years ago, but his concept to change people’s tastes is inspirational and still very relevant for the US tea trade, a market that is overly sweetened, concocted, flavored and far removed from tea’s original taste. In addition to the champions of the US wine and coffee markets that persuaded consumers to seek out and appreciate better quality, we also have to thank Lu Yu as an inspirational guide for our mission to get people to put down the tea flavored sugar water and appreciate the higher quality and pure flavor of single origin Camellia sinensis teas.

Lu Yu’s work, the Cha Jing, was the first book to teach about the brewing methods, processing, cultivation, regions, varietals, tasting notes, the best water for tea, and the harvest seasons of many teas. Through the work and teachings of Lu Yu, people in Asia began to appreciate tea along the same lines as Westerners appreciate wine.

Popular Tea Profiles

As you begin to discover your tea personality, consider the type of tea and its level of oxidation. We’ve included several recommendations for you to explore below.

FAQs

What is the difference between green tea and black tea?

Both green tea and black tea come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but the key difference lies in their processing. Green tea leaves are quickly steamed or pan-fired to prevent oxidation, preserving their color and fresh, vegetal flavor. Black tea leaves undergo full oxidation, which darkens the leaves and gives black tea its rich, robust flavor with more pronounced tannins. This difference in processing also affects the caffeine content and antioxidant profile of each tea.

Is tea from India and tea from China the same thing?

Tea from China is generally made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which has smaller leaves and a smoother, more delicate flavor. Tea from India has a bolder flavor and aroma and comes from the larger leaves of Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

How is tea powder made?

To make tea powder, high quality tea leaves are plucked, then pressed to remove their moisture. In some instances, the juices are fermented and freeze-dried, then crushed into powder. For other types of tea, the young leaves (without the stems) are dried and crushed into a powder with a stone mortar.

How does aging change the flavor of tea?

Aging can profoundly transform a tea’s flavor profile, just as time can enhance wine. As tea leaves age, they undergo chemical transformations that affect their taste. The impact of maturing tea leaves varies depending on the type of tea, but generally speaking, longer aging changes fresh, vibrant notes into richer, deeper flavors.