As we import our teas from Kenya where tea is mainly gronw in Kericho, Bomet, Nandi, Kiambu, Thika, Maragua, Muranga, Sotik, Kisii, Nyamira, Nyambene, Meru, Nyeri, Kerinyaga, Embu, Kakamega, and Nakuru. Going to the tea field is breath taking, in a day, an experienced tea picker can collect around 70 pounds of tea as it is a manual process to collect tea leaves in baskets.
Tea Plucking Method
There are two basic methods of plucking tea, handpicking and mechanical. The mechanical method in turn is conducted in two ways: with a shearer held by two men walking on the sides of the tea rows or with a power plucker set on two rails placed along the rows. We prefer tea leaves are picked by hand and with a great deal of skill and dexterity. This method not only retains the freshness, but also ensures a milder taste. With expert eyes, the workers only select the youngest shoots that are ripe for picking.
Labour Intensive Process
For a fine black or green tea, the pluckers will take the first two leaves and one new bud. For oolong teas, the bud along with three or four leaves are plucked. For white tea, just the bud will be plucked. Plucking is an extremely labour intensive process.
After plucking, the next process of rolling breaks the membranes of the leaves to release the natural juices, which then collect on the surface. After rolling, the leaves are brought into large humid rooms to ferment. The fermentation process creates essential oils from the natural juices.
Don’t pluck leaf at night for the plant might be sleeping after a long day in the sun, suggests new research that measured the changes in the shape of plants during the day and night cycle.
