Question

What are the two types of tea plucking? Explain each of them.

Answer 1

The two main commercial types of tea plucking are Fine Plucking and Coarse Plucking.

1. Fine Plucking: This highly selective method harvests only the top two leaves and a terminal bud from the plant. It is extremely labour-intensive, yet it yields premium, high-quality speciality teas with a smooth, sweet, and delicate flavour profile.
2. Coarse Plucking: In this less selective method, the terminal bud is harvested together with three, four, or more mature leaves down the stem. It dramatically increases overall harvest volume and is commonly used to mass-produce typical commercial tea blends.