Herb. No. 136 · Theaceae
Camellia of southwest China and neighboring hills. Planted in acid, misty belts worldwide.
Native · East Asia
Native Also grown
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Tea
Camellia sinensis
Medicinal herbsKitchenHarvestLookalikes
The camellia that filled the kettle — one shrub, a thousand names, and a caffeine cup older than the porcelain.
Tea is an East Asian evergreen camellia. The flush of young leaf is plucked, then withered, oxidized, or steamed into the colors of the cupboard. Traditional use is wakefulness, a bitter, and a social cup. Culinary amounts are food. This plate is the plant, not a gongfu argument.
Flavor
Green is grass and chestnut; black is malt and dried fruit; white is quieter. Overbrewed is tannin.
Parts used
Young leaf and bud
Helpful
- A true kitchen shrub in mild climates
- One plant, many cups
Cautions
- Caffeine
- Tannin on an empty stomach
- Iron absorption if you live in the pot