The Tea Plant and Its Leaves The best tea is
made from the plant’s small young shoots and
unopened leaf buds, which are the most tender
and vulnerable and contain the highest
concentrations of chemical defenses and
related enzymes. The choice “pluck” is the
terminal bud and two adjacent leaves. Most
tea is now harvested by machine, and
therefore contains a large proportion of older
and less flavorful leaves.
Tea Manufacturing The production of tea
involves several different steps, some
standard and some optional.
The newly harvested leaves may be
allowed to “wither,” or sit and wilt for
minutes or hours. Withering causes them
to shift their metabolism in ways that
change their flavor, and to become
physically more fragile. The longer the
withering, the deeper the flavor and color
of the leaves and the brew they make.