High Grown, Low Grown and Teas in Between

/ / Published in Black Tea, Green Tea, Lessons on Tea, Production, Tea, Tea Growing Regions

Altitude, soil, rainfall and climate collectively referred to as ‘terroir’ in wine growing and tea production also determine the flavour, appearance and quality of the tea.

High grown teas generally have a distinctly lighter, subtle flavour and quality in comparison to the denser and more liquory low grown teas.

There are also mid grown teas which have their own flavour characteristics.

While high grown teas such as Darjeelings from India and Dimbulas from Sri Lanka are much sought after and therefore higher priced, low grown teas are popular in the heavy tea consuming areas of the middle east where tea consumption is an important staple of the diet.

Teas from various regions all play their part in the diversity of appearance, flavour and quality of this interesting beverage which is the second most consumed beverage in the world – next to water.

Three billion (think of it – three thousand million) cups of tea are drunk each day throughout the world.

Almost 40 years ago I realised that the quality of teas being imported into Australia were of poor quality. The proliferation of teabags and a pricing regime enforced by the major supermarket chains had led to a noticeable drop in quality. Elmstock Tea Company was born out of this background in 1979. I had started my working life at 17 in the Tea Plantation/Accounts Department of a large company in Colombo. My family had connections to the tea trade and prior to that coffee and sugar plantations in Ceylon since the 1840s – an unbroken and direct link of over six generations. Many of the plantations started by or managed by my great grandparents still produce some of the teas we buy today! After migrating to Australia in 1972 I graduated from Curtin University and qualified as an accountant (CPA). I worked and managed large public companies involved in the wool trade for many years and was also involved with the listing of public companies on the ASX. Elmstock have been wholesaling premium quality teas and herbal infusions sourced from the best plantations for almost 40 years. We decided over twenty five years ago not to deal with the major supermarket chains as we did not want to compromise tea quality and revert to the ‘mediocrity of the pack’ which is entirely price driven.

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