Tea plant
The tea plant is a member of the Camellia family, growing to over 20ft but usually pruned to 3-4 ft for cultivation. The two leaves and bud at the end of each shoot are picked.
Tea gardens
The tea gardens that AlAmir buy from in India and Kenya have exotic names . These gardens are each approx. 2000 acres in size and have beautifully tended tea bushes that are flat topped and stretch out as far as the eye can see.
Region & climate
The Camellia Sinensis tea bush can be grown all over the world, wherever there is heat and moisture. However it particularly loves the fertile soil of India and Kenya, where the climate is humid, warm and with little risk of frost.
Picking
About 3000 pickers are required to pick a large estate. When sun and moisture are just right, a tea bush needs to be picked every week. Whilst automatic shearing has been tried, plucking by hand is preferred, as premature cutting open of the leaf allows the leaf juices to escape too early. This is not favoured as the leaf should remain intact until after the withering process.