Growing Tea in Hawaii

For nearly a decade now a small number of pioneering tea farmers have been propagating, growing and processing the true tea plant, Camellia sinensis, on Hawaii's 'Big Island'.  Worldwide all varities of green, black, white and oolong teas are made from this single genus/species.

The farms are small, most at elevations of 3000 to 4000 feet, and tea production is currently very limited but the quality of the teas produced is considered by experts to range from very-good to near excellent.  The tea leaves are hand-harvested and skillfully hand-processed into teas that can best be characterized as semi-oxidized oolongs.  

Learn More about Hawaii Tea Farming...  

It is well known that tea leaves readily absorb nearby aromas and flavor.  In China in ancient times it is recorded that tea bushes in Imperial Gardens were planted between fragrant fruit trees to allow the tea leaves to capture the desirable aromas. 

Today there are several ways to flavor tea leaves.  Learn more about flavored Tea . . .

Tea Tips: Two other tips regarding tropical flavored teas, (1) the fruit and/or nut flavors are noticeably stronger as the hot teas cool, and in fact this is why these teas make refreshing and tasty iced teas, and (2) the natural fruit flavors we use are unsweetened and adding a sweetener will significantly enhance the teas tropical flavor. (3) You always want to pour the hot water over the tea, instead of placing dry tea into hot water already poured. This is because the jolt of hot water on the tea leaf acts to open the cells quickly and release locked up flavor components.  Read More Tea Tips . . .