This is the tea garden on the University of North Bengal campus. I went there the other day and surreptitiously plucked a handful of leaves… I wanted to try to process them myself and make my own cup of tea! The aroma of the garden and of these leaves is quite heavenly — sweetly floral but subtle and not at all cloying. These are the freshly plucked leaves — only about 3/4 of a cup. Only the top three leaves of the sprig are supposed to be picked, but since I was stealing the leaves, I didn’t feel I could take the time to be quite so discriminating…The leaves are allowed to “wither” for a period of time to lose some of their moisture content. After withering, the leaves are “rolled,” to help break down the cellular structure and release the juices. I just rolled these with my hands. Then comes the “fermentation” or “oxidation” stage. The leaves are allowed to dry for a while; during this stage the enzymatic processes occur, releasing the various compounds in the leaf, including chlorophyll, tannins and caffeine. I left these sitting out overnight. In making green tea, this process is eliminated and the leaves go from the rolling stage to the fixation stage (see next photo). Oolong teas are partially fermented, that is, they are allowed to ferment or oxidize for a while, but not fully as with black tea. The last step is “fixation,” stopping the enzymatic processes by heating up the leaves. This can be done in a pan on the stove, or in a low-temperature oven. Here’s my cup of tea! My neighbor Sarbari stopped by and I gave her a sample. Her considered opinion: “Not good and not bad.”
I once ordered a tea plant (Camellia sinensis) from Raintree Nursery — I think the PNW climate is okay for tea plants, though probably a bit too cold in the winter. I don’t remember what happened to mine, but it died (my fault no doubt, not the plant’s). Anyway, I’d like to try to grow tea plants again. And I’m definitely going to keep trying to refine my tea-processing while I’m here — I have to also refine my tea-leaf stealing capabilities! (I don’t think anyone cares, actually, at least not on the campus tea garden.)
Actually no, they don’t. It’s kind of like you wouldn’t stroll through a patch of cauliflower that was growing commercially, even though it might be beautiful. I went and plucked some more leaves this morning — and so I was glad that no one was strolling! Apparently you have to watch for snakes though! As in — cobras and stuff!
A Northwesterner in North Bengal 
Interesting. I wonder if I could grow a tea plant in the northwest…
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I once ordered a tea plant (Camellia sinensis) from Raintree Nursery — I think the PNW climate is okay for tea plants, though probably a bit too cold in the winter. I don’t remember what happened to mine, but it died (my fault no doubt, not the plant’s). Anyway, I’d like to try to grow tea plants again. And I’m definitely going to keep trying to refine my tea-processing while I’m here — I have to also refine my tea-leaf stealing capabilities! (I don’t think anyone cares, actually, at least not on the campus tea garden.)
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Hey Hallie, you got me thinking — https://raintreenursery.com/ornamentals/blushing-maiden-camellia-sinensis-tea-l502
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What’s the tea garden at the university for? Do they offer coursework in tea-ology?
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Yes, they have a certificate program in tea garden management and maybe in tea production. I’m working on processing my second batch of tea right now.
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The garden looks quite beautiful! Do people stroll through it?
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Actually no, they don’t. It’s kind of like you wouldn’t stroll through a patch of cauliflower that was growing commercially, even though it might be beautiful. I went and plucked some more leaves this morning — and so I was glad that no one was strolling! Apparently you have to watch for snakes though! As in — cobras and stuff!
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Seriously??!!
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