A tea cultivar is a specific variety of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, cultivated for unique characteristics like flavor, aroma, leaf shape, and growth habits. Developed through selective breeding, these cultivars can vary significantly based on their geographic origin, cultivation methods, and processing techniques.
Just as there are different kinds of apples, each with its own taste, each tea cultivar has distinct flavors and aromas that contribute to the various types of tea we enjoy, such as black and green tea. Some well-known cultivars include Assam, Darjeeling, and Yunnan, each reflecting its specific growing conditions. In essence, a tea cultivar is simply a special type of tea plant!