Orthodox Processing and High Quality Tea Go Together Like…well…Top Two Leaves and a Bud

At The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, we process all of our teas using the Orthodox method of manufacturing, which means hand-plucking only the delicate top two leaves and a bud from the tips of each tea plant. This is a very labor-intensive method, exclusively isolating and oxidizing the top quality leaves and buds to produce teas of supreme flavor and character. All three types of tea – Black, Oolang and Green – can be produced using the Orthodox method.

An alternative, cheaper and decidedly uncool method of tea production is CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl) processing – a mechanized process used often in mass tea production. CTC yields an inferior quality of tea, as the leaves, buds, and stems are all mixed together haphazardly and mechanically chopped into tiny pieces. Talk about clumsy!

So the next time you’re enjoying our teas, know that the complex, enchanting aromas in your cup is the end result of the hand-crafted Orthodox method. It’s what the top leaves and a bud, along with all that world-class cultivation, can offer. You can sum that up in two words: Tea Heaven.