Several parts of the shrub are harvested :

At the end of the branches is a whitish downy bud, the pekoe (‘white down’ in Chinese). Its name comes from the fact that it is covered with a whitish down. This is the most sought-after part of the shrub!

Then there are the youngest, light green leaves. These are the richest in substances (theine, tannins, etc.). They are also the ones that provide the tastiest and most refined drink.

Then, as you go down the branch, you find larger and larger leaves. These leaves give a less tasty drink.

Generally, teas are grown in plantations called ‘gardens’. But some rarities escape this label: in the mountains of North Vietnam, in the middle of the primary forest, there are wild tea plants that have grown there naturally and have never been pruned by man. These hard-to-reach tea bushes have to be climbed with bare hands to pick the buds and young shoots. They produce incredible great vintages with incomparable flavours.