4 black tea producing countries, small scale but not allow to ignoring

One of the largest black tea producing countries – China

Although there are many black tea producing countries in the world, except for India, China, and Sri Lanka three major producing areas, the other region is mainly producing low-priced crushed tea or CTC tea, for providing tea bags manufacturing, in region characteristic, importance, and diversity, it is not worth mentioning. But there are still 4 small black tea producing countries are famous for its unique black tea:

CONTENT

• Kenya – One of the largest tea producing countries in Africa
• Nepal – Comparable to the black tea in India
• Indonesia – The first tea transfer station in the world
• Japan – Black tea is a minority hobby

Kenya – One of the largest tea producing countries in Africa

Into the 20th century, one of the colonies of western powers, Africa also became another large-scale development of black tea producing country after south Asian countries, mainly concentrated in the East African plateau. Although each country after 2 world war is independent in succession, black tea still is local important economy crop, cultivate dimensions and yield all extremely large. Among them, Kenya attracts the most attention.

Kenya Black Tea Garden

Black tea cultivation in Kenya began in 1902 during the British colonial period. After independence in 1963, small-scale tea plantations became popular. The main tea producing areas are located in the plateau and valley on the west side of Kenya mountains, with an altitude of 1000 ~ 2700 meters. It can be providing all the year, and the best seasons are January, February, and June.
Black tea produced in there more than 90% is CTC black tea, only a small part of the small characteristic tea garden produced orthodox black tea. High-quality black tea from Kenya is full with a refreshing aroma of fruits, cereals and spices, taste strong.

Nepal – Comparable to the black tea in India

Nilgiri Nepal Tea Garden

Nepal black tea is mainly planted in the Himalayan foothills, 900 ~ 2100 meters above sea level, close to Darjeeling and Sikkim in India. Not only the terrain, climate, but the season and soil conditions are also the same, and because the tea tree and tea planting method are derived from Darjeeling, the flavor is very similar to Darjeeling, full of elegant fragrance and fruit aroma, the taste is soft and clear.

Indonesia – The first tea transfer station in the world

Indonesia Bandung Black Tea Garden

Indonesia is the first tea transfer station in the world. Around 1610 AD, the Dutch East India company first used the Indonesian island of Java as a centralized and transshipment point to introduce tea and teawares from Japan and China, which played an important role in the early history of the tea trade. (Economic history of Indonesia)
In the early 19th century, the Dutch East India company first tried to grow tea trees on Java from Chinese seeds, but it was not very successful. It was not until the later introduction of Assam tea from India that it began to develop rapidly. The main planting areas are in central and western Java and northern Sumatra, where the climate is dry and warm. Tea is produced all the year round, but the best season is July, August, and September. Indonesian black tea is light and mild and is popular in the inexpensive tea market.

Japan – Black tea is a minority hobby

Japanese Ise Black Tea

Rarely mentioned in the black tea world, but Japan is also one of the black tea producing country; Although the production is small, from north Nagano to the south Okinawa have production, so in Japan, we can see the local black tea in the tea shop.

Black tea cultivation in Japan began in the early Meiji period of the 1870s. The world trend at that time, black tea has completely replaced green tea, become the focus of western tea drinking, the original green tea as the main export products in Japan, had to turn to black tea produced; With development, to 1955, Japan’s national black tea exports had reached more than 8,000 tons. After that, as the economy took off after World War ii, Japanese domestic black tea gradually lost its competitiveness in price, which was further aggravated by the severe blow of black tea trade liberalization in 1971.

In addition, there are temperate terroir limitations, Japan lacks suitable for the cultivation and production of black tea environment, which produced is entirely different grade from Japanese green tea. Until now, Japanese black tea has mainly circulated between black tea lovers and a small group of people who worship local ingredients.