Tea is the processed leaves of an evergreen shrub, Camellia sinensis, which is found in highland tropical regions. Specialty teas grow in higher elevations, yielding better quality as coolness and slower growth nurture the flavor content. Coffee Bouquet selects only from these rare varieties. Plants can take ten years to produce. Pruning has become an art as well as a necessity, as the process creates the new growth or ‘flush’ from which tea is made. Gatherers typically perform the gestures of leaf picking fifty times a day, plucking the uppermost leaves with expert gentleness. The leaves are tossed into large wicker baskets worn on their back. This plucking of only the new growth (two leaves and a bud), results in very low yield but premium taste. A typical bush produces over a thousand leaves each year, but it takes two to three thousand leaves to produce a single pound of processed tea. The type of tea produced from these leaves is driven by tradition and geography. There are basically 3 types of tea: green, oolong, and black. All come from the same plant; the difference is the result of the amount of fermentation. Black tea is fully fermented during manufacturing. Oolong is partially fermented and green tea has none. The first step in the fermentation process is called withering where moisture is removed. The tea is spread on racks allowing air circulation. Green tea is steamed to neutralize the enzymes which cause fermentation. Then the leaves are rolled by various means giving way to the characteristic shapes of each. During this period, the juices of the leaves are further exposed to air, and oxidize up to 3 hours. It is during this process that the black and oolong teas get their color and flavor characteristics. Next the tea is fired using hot air to halt the processing and fully dry the leaves. After this manufacturing process, the tea is sorted and graded. The grade refers to the size. For example, ‘broken’ indicates small leaves and ‘leaf’ is whole leaves. A myriad of teas are available. Besides the varietals of black, oolong, and green, there are many blends to choose from. There are tisanes, or herbal teas, as well. These are strictly herbs, roots, blossoms and berries; although infused in hot water, contain no ‘tea’. Most have no caffeine at all.