What's a Single Origin Tea?

31 August 2012

Keemun, Yunnan, Yunnan Green and Anhui Green tea

One of the great things about origin tea is that you get to experience the distinct flavours and aromas produced by a specific part of the world. The joy of a blend is that you get to tinker with the different teas to create new and exciting flavours.

Tea, glorious tea - origins and blends…

…And the difference between black and green tea.

We sell all sorts of tea from all over the world. Single origin tea, tea blends, black tea, green tea, white tea, yellow tea and flowering teas. But how do we tell the difference between them all? Let's take a closer look at origin, blends, black and green.

An origin tea is one that comes from a single region. This is usually a specific sub-region of a country, or, for smaller countries, the country itself. Assam, for example, is an origin tea because it's only grown in the Assam region of India. Yunnan Tea, Keemun Teaand Darjeeling teas are also origin teas because they're all grown in just one place.

darjeeling assam map
In contrast, we also make blends. And as you may imagine, these are made up of different teas from several regions. The joy of a blend is that you get to tinker with the different teas to create new and exciting flavours. Our Everyday tea is an example of a blend - it's made up of Yunnan, Assam and Kenyan leaves.One of the great things about origin tea is that you get to experience the distinct flavours and aromas produced by a specific part of the world.

It's a bit like whisky or coffee. You get a single malt whisky, which is made in just one distillery - and then you get a blend that's made up of whiskies from many different distilleries. And it's the same with coffee - you have single origins and blends too…

Yunnan and Keemun

Let's take a closer look at two regions - and two very popular teas. Yunnan is a region in South West China, the very place where it's believed tea making first began. It's a mountainous region with abundant rainfall, a mild climate and fertile land - all of which makes it an ideal place to grow tea. Yunnan black tea is full bodied and aromatic, with a distinctive toasted flavour. It has a warming dark caramel feel that lingers in the mouth and tastes particularly good with milk.

You can buy this single origin tea as black or green. And you'll also find it in a few of our blends like Everyday. Why not try it yourself? Buy black Yunnan tea

Keemun is also grown in China, but in the East, Qimen County. It's a spectacular, cloud-covered region where the Huangshan Mountains lie - again another climate with the perfect conditions for tea growing. The Chinese hold this tea in high regard, referring to it as 'the king of black teas'.

Keemun leaves are small and delicate, making a rich, uniquely smooth, velvety tasting, lightly scented tea. It has a clear golden syrup colour with a soft nutty aroma and subtle peppery undertones.

You can buy this tea as a single origin black tea or Green Anhui tea from the same area. We use Keemun in our Diamond Jubilee Blend. Why not try it yourself?Buy black Keemun tea

So what about green and black tea?

Not everyone knows that green tea and black tea both come from the same leaf. So why do two teas, that are essentially the same, have such different characteristics? Well, it's all down to the way they are processed.

A black tea is one that has oxidised - and a green tea is one that hasn't. With black tea, the leaves are cut and rolled, and allowed to wither. This allows the enzymes to oxidise with the oxygen in the air. You can see this happening when the leaves slowly change from green to brown. This process needs to be closely monitored as it changes the flavour of the tea. If you don't let it oxidise for long enough then the leaves can be too green and taste 'leafy'. And if they're left for too long, they can taste fermented, rather like wine or vinegar.

OOLONG TEA BLACK TEA oxidisation

With green tea, the leaves are heated after they are picked to kill off the enzymes. This is done by steaming or panning (this is when you apply a dry heat). Once the enzymes are killed off, they're no longer able to react with the oxygen in the air.

There's a huge difference in the way black and green tea tastes. Black tea is what is used in your classic British cuppa. It's got a strong, full-bodied flavour and is brown in colour. Whereas green tea is fresh, light and grassy - and a little sweet at times. Green tea is always drunk without milk because its delicate flavour would be drowned by it. However, black tea works really well with milk as it counterbalances the bitterness of the tannins.

Most people love a nice cup of black tea with milk - whether that's Everyday, English Breakfast, Earl Grey or a single origin. But not all of us have tasted green yet. If you're one of them, why not give green tea a go? You can compare the taste of green Yunnan and black Yunnan to see the effect oxidation has on the leaves.