The major regions where Kenyan Tea is grown are mountain slopes ranging from the east to west of the great rift valley. The places famous for Kenyan Tea Cultivation are Nandi, Nieri, Kakamega, and Kericho. Currently, there are almost 50 varieties of Kenyan Teas. Their beneficial properties are well known and scientifically proven too.
The Kenyan Tea is planted on acidic volcanic soil and it grows in warm tropical temperature with cool winds of the highlands. The temperature there ranges between 20-22 degrees and is ideal for them to blossom.
The leaves of Kenyan Tea are fleshier and larger. They contain flavonoids and juices that are responsible for their tart, rich and delicate aroma.
The unique taste of Kenyan Tea is its specialty. It is an antioxidant, aids in weight loss, helps in digestion, and has many more properties. Not only that being grown in high mountains Kenyan Tea doesn’t require many pesticides and is grown well with the help of organic fertilizers. There are a variety of Teas grown in Kenya known as White, Green, Yellow, Black, etc.
The Tea produced in the vast majority is Black Tea, almost 95 percent of the market is governed by it. It is a fully fermented tea thus it is not bitter as compared to green tea.
It is used to produce a wide variety of tea blends. There are also some best online tea stores in India that serve a variety of different teas from all parts of the world.
New Colours of Kenyan Teas:
Recently the segment of other teas has grown in Kenya apart from Black Tea. These “Special teas” are green and white. It has also introduced White Matcha as a new variety coming from Kenya, that is high in polyphenols and antioxidants.
The other special one coming from Kenya is Purple tea. Having high content of anthocyanins credits it with antioxidant properties. It’s also being studied to establish if it can help treat diabetes, cancer, gout, and other diseases. The Purple Tea also has a high yielding capacity and tolerance to temperature variations. Due to its uniqueness, purple tea is priced higher than other varieties.
How Kenyan Teas are classified?
To classify Kenyan Teas, the term used is Orange Pekoe. It’s just a way of classifying Black Teas. The varieties also depend upon the degree of curling, shoots, buds, and hair on the leaves.
The Big Tea Leaves are distinguished as -Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) and Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP). For FOP it’s the two of the first youngest and tender leaves that are picked along with the bud. For TGFOP, the leaf with claw-like bud is picked up. If the claw-like bud has golden hair the tea is Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (FTGFOP).
The Broken Tea Leaves and the Fines are also classified on basis of buds and the degree of curling.
Kenya is a big producer and exporter of Tea and has a special place in the Tea Industry. The technical nuances of checking and classifying teas are the job of the experts but as a tea lover, you must know that all said and done whichever variety of Kenyan Tea you choose to pour into your cup, will certainly be wholesome and aromatic. And who knows it may become a reason for you to try out the samples of other varieties. You can visit an online tea store to buy exquisite tea online from a generic store that serves the best quality tea at reasonable prices.
