Terroir
Terroir is the combined effect of soil, altitude, climate, slope and local practice on how a tea tastes, the reason the same cultivar differs from place to place.
Definition
Terroir is a French wine term for the way a place shapes a crop. Applied to tea, it covers soil type and minerals, altitude, temperature range, rainfall, mist and cloud cover, sun exposure, slope and drainage. Local know-how and processing traditions are often included too, since they are tied to the same place. Tea has strong terroir effects. Altitude slows growth and concentrates aroma: Taiwanese gaoshan oolong is grown above 1,000 m, and Darjeeling gardens run from about 600 m to 2,000 m. In the Wuyi Mountains, teas from the zhengyan (正岩, core rock) area between cliffs and streams command several times the price of the same cultivar grown on the plain outside. In Yunnan, individual mountains such as Lao Banzhang and Yiwu sell under their own names. Terroir interacts with cultivar and processing, so it is rarely the only cause of a difference. A buyer comparing two teas should hold the other variables constant where possible: the same cultivar, the same harvest season, and the same processing style.
In Depth
Origin labeling is how terroir reaches the buyer. Darjeeling is a protected geographical indication covering 87 gardens. Japanese teas are labeled by prefecture or district, and Chinese pu'er by mountain or village. The narrower the named origin, the more the price usually reflects terroir.
To taste it, brew two teas of the same style side by side with identical parameters, for example 5 g in 100 ml at 95°C (203°F) for 15 seconds. High-elevation and core-area teas tend to show longer aftertaste and more aroma across later infusions.
Be cautious: famous origins are the most often faked. Lao Banzhang, Longjing from West Lake, and zhengyan yancha all sell far more tea under their names than those areas can produce. A modest price for a famous origin is a warning sign.
See Also
- Tea Growing Regions
- Altitude and Tea Flavor
- Geographical Indications