|
Teas of Africa Part I
The history of tea production in Africa follows that of European colonial settlement and expansion on the continent. After colonies were established by England, Portugal, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France and others, the governments began to establish tea estates in order to support the expansive European thirst for tea. Tea was first planted in South Africa in the mid-19th Century, followed by Malawi in the 1870s; however, it was not until the early 20th Century that tea really took off.
Africa is a major producer of tea. Most of the tea estates are located in the eastern Rift area on the high-elevation plateaus; however, there are several in the western part and on the islands off the eastern coast. The rich, volcanic soil and subtropical climate on the plateaus is ideal for growing tea. Over the past one hundred years, tea production has focused primarily on CTC (crush, tear, curl) black teas destined for the commodity market. These teas are generally included in blends that are known for their strength and full body and ability to hold up to the addition of milk. However, in recent years, some estates have begun experimenting in the production of artisanal orthodox-produced teas for the specialty tea market, of which I have particular interest. African tea-production is an interesting combination of small-scale farmers and large corporations, with the farmers growing much of the leaf material and the corporations handling a majority of the processing.
The first country on our African tour is Kenya. Even though tea production was established in Kenya by the British only in the early 1900's, it is by far the largest producer of tea in Africa and the third largest producer of tea in the world at 8% of total global production. The climate of Kenya is ideal for the Camellia sinensis assamica tea bushes that were predominantly transplanted there and the majority of the tea gardens are situated at higher elevations between 4,900 to 8,900 feet. There are more than 500,000 small-holder tea farmers and 100 factories that process the raw leaf material. They are located throughout the western part of the country in the main growing areas of the Kericho Highlands, Kisii Highlands, Nandi Hills, Mount Kenya, and the Aberdares. Kenyan teas historically have been known more for the strength they add to the cup than for being refined or complex. These teas are predominantly processed as CTC (crush, tear, curl) teas and used in blends in teabags, although a very limited amount of good quality orthodox and experimental teas are produced. These teas include black, green, wulong, and white. Several notable gardens producing good quality teas include Tinderet, Milima, Kangaita and Kaproret, a black tea from the latter of which I offer in the online shop. Kaproret's black tea is unique in that it is crafted from Camellia sinensis sinensis plants, instead of the more prevalent assamica plants, which yields a more refined experience in the cup.
Malawi is one of the oldest producers of tea and it ranks fourth in total African production. I have an extensive offering of teas from the Satemwa Estate, which I wrote about in the June 2026 Newsletter. It is important to note that rooibos and honeybush from South Africa are tisanes, not true teas, and I wrote about these wonderful caffeine-free herbs in the November 2022 Newsletter. There are detailed descriptions for the Kaproret Estate Kenyan Black Tea and the teas from the Satemwa Estate in Malawi in the online shop https://www.pleasuresoftea.com. Join next month as we finish up our exploration of African teas :)
| 
