IhavearelativewhoownsateaplantationinthesouthernareaofTaiwan.OnceortwiceayearIgotovisitthemforaholiday,andsometimesIhelpthemcollecttealeaves.Apoundofteaismadeofhundredsofdriedtealeaves.
ThePlanttheycomefromisasmallevergreentree.Usuallymyrelativestrimthetreessothattheyareonlyaboutthreefeettall.Whentheyarethreeyearsold,thetreearereadyforthefirstpicking.
Onlythebudsandtheveryyoungleavesarepicked.Pickerscarrybasketsfortheleavesastheywalkalongtherows.Pickingisdoneseveraltimesaseason.Therearemanykindsoftea.Myrelativesarebusyalltheyearround.