Lewis Perin wrote:
> You've hit on a very interesting point. Probably none of us, except
> Nigel, could convincingly pose as an agronomist, but I do know that
> this isn't as simple as it seems. Sure, tea plants subjected to
> environmental stresses, e.g. poor nutrition, will yield less leaf, but
> for high quality, there are cases where we demand that the trees or
> shrubs be tortured:
>
> - Yan cha, which doesn't get much sunlight and, in the case of the
> really old trees, probably has depleted soil, too;
>
> - Darjeeling, where it's cold and dim lots of the time, and even the
> plants that are genetically identical to Assam shrubs yield far
> better tasting (though less plentiful) leaf;
>
> - Frost tea from Nilgiri, obviously;
>
> - Oriental Beauty attacked by leafhoppers.
>
> I don't doubt there are other examples.
>
> /Lew

Gyokuro, where they are kept in shade to produce the light-green color
and inhibit the production of chlorophyl.

I have been growing bonsai for many years now, and that is about as
much torture as you can bring upon a poor defenseless plant... and you
are correct. Nature is all about struggle and survival, they don't get
endless supplies of fertilizer and care and watering, and I do believe
that it is a positive thing for tea. I'm growing my own tea trees from
seeds and have been experimenting with each one. One in rocky soil, one
in regular soil, one being fertilized, one not, and one bonsai. I'm
hoping to eventually see (and possibly taste) the effects first-hand in
a few years.

Not that care will not produce more leaf and even more quality leaf,
but I prefer the real thing. Wild, fairly au natural, and then produced
with care and minimal processing. I don't mind if taste and quality
vary year to year, to me that is the fun of it. Of the puerh I have
bought, I tend to go toward the wild tree/old tree stuff (real or not
who knows) but it does have a different quality than the other puerh I
have bought and I like it.

Similar to my love for Canadian Ice Wine. The grapes are left on the
vine to be exposed to frosting. It concentrates the flavor and then
turned into an amazing wine. I'll take that over some hotsy-totsy thin
skin grape coddled and fawned over until it hits my glass. I like that
natural and "real" aspect.

- Dominic