New Zealand Tea

While tea has been enjoyed as the beverage of choice in New Zealand since the late 18th century, it wasn’t until the late 20th century that it was grown there commercially. The first New Zealand-grown tea, a Taiwanese-style Oolong, was successfully introduced to the international market in 1996. High-quality leaves are handpicked by experienced tea pickers from Taiwan, as well as specially trained local workers, during the harvest seasons. The freshly picked leaves are processed in a modern tea factory, under the guidance of a Taiwanese tea master. The emergence of specialty tea shops as well as better educated tea consumers in New Zealand have helped this burgeoning industry.