A tea, a journey
Following in the footsteps of tea, this tasty vagabond
China is the world's oldest tea-exporting country, although it is no longer the only one. Some of its green and black teas are even considered to be great vintages. These include teas from Yunnan province, Keemun, Ching Woo and Szechwan. Other must-try teas include Chinese smoked teas, such as the famous Lapsang Souchong, and traditional scented teas such as jasmine, rose and chrysanthemum.
India is currently the world's second largest tea producer. Tea has been grown here since the 19th century, mainly in the Nilgiris hills in the west and in the Central Travancore region. In the north of the country, Assam and the Great Darjeeling Gardens at the gateway to the Himalayas are two major tea-growing regions.
Kenya is the only African country in the world's top 3 tea producers. In 2016, it accounted for 8% of international production. Tea-growing developed here in the 20th century. Today, most of Kenya's tea is produced using the crushing tearing curling (CTC) method, which produces pearl-like leaves packed in tea bags.
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is the 4th largest tea producer in the world. The island specialises in black tea. Almost all the country's production is exported. In fact, 50% of the black tea consumed in France comes from Ceylon.
Japan is the world's largest tea producer, producing only green tea. In fact, its production is second only to that of China. The most famous are undoubtedly Sencha, widely consumed in Japan, Genmaïcha, a blend of green tea, roasted rice and popcorn, and Matcha, a powder made from dried tea leaves.
