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Camellia sinensis - sinensis vs assamica, two varieties of one plant

Green, white, black, oolong, pu-erh - all the true teas of the world come from one single plant: Camellia sinensis. It is surprising, because it is hard to believe that a delicate Japanese green and a strong, astringent Assam black are the same plant. And yet. The secret lies in the fact that Camellia sinensis has two main botanical varieties, which differ so much that it is almost hard to consider them one species. Understanding the difference between the sinensis and assamica varieties is the foundation of understanding tea, because it, long before processing, sets the potential of the leaf. Where do these two varieties come from, how do they differ and why does one give delicate green and the other strong black tea? Here is a guide to Camellia sinensis and its two faces, based on facts: leaf size, climate, flavour and the purpose of each variety.

One plant, all teas

Let us start with a fact that surprises most people. All true teas - green, white, yellow, oolong, black and pu-erh - come from one species of plant: Camellia sinensis. It is not different plants that give different kinds of tea, but different ways of processing the same leaf. Green and black tea are the same leaf, just treated differently. The exception is herbal and fruit infusions, like chamomile or mint, which do not come from Camellia sinensis, so from a botanical point of view they are not tea. But within this one tea species there is a key division into two main varieties, which differ fundamentally. They set which leaf goes into processing, and therefore what potential it has. Understanding that all the world tea is one plant of two varieties is the starting point for a deeper understanding of this drink.

Two varieties of one species

Camellia sinensis splits into two main botanical varieties: variety sinensis and variety assamica. These are not two different species but two varieties within one, though they differ so much that, were it not for botany, one could take them for separate plants. The sinensis variety is the originally Chinese, small-leaved one, adapted to a cooler climate. The assamica variety is the one from Indian Assam, large-leaved, adapted to a warm, humid climate. From these two varieties, hundreds of cultivars were bred over time, that is local, cultivated variants tuned to specific regions and tea styles. But at the base of the whole tea world lie precisely these two varieties. Understanding their differences is the key, because it explains why teas from different parts of the world have such a different character already at the level of the leaf itself, before their processing even begins.

Leaf size - the most visible difference

The most easily noticeable difference between the varieties is leaf size, and it is enormous. The sinensis variety has narrow, sturdy leaves averaging from one to six centimetres in length and from one and a half to two centimetres in width. The assamica variety has much larger leaves, from eight to as much as thirty centimetres in length, with clear veins on each leaf. It is a difference of an order of magnitude: an assamica leaf can be five or more times longer than a sinensis leaf. This difference in leaf size is connected with differences in chemical composition, and therefore in flavour. The larger, more luxuriant assamica leaf accumulates more of the compounds responsible for strength and astringency, while the smaller sinensis leaf is subtler. The leaf size alone is therefore not only a botanical curiosity, but also the first signal of what to expect in the flavour. It is the most visible, naked-eye sign of which variety stands behind a given tea.

Plant form - bush versus tree

The difference between the varieties reaches far beyond the leaf - it concerns the whole plant. The sinensis variety is a large bush that grows to three or four metres tall. The assamica variety, in turn, is not a bush but a tree, which growing wild can reach as much as twenty metres in height. It is another enormous difference: one variety is a bush, the other a tall tree. In cultivation both are of course pruned to low bushes for the convenience of harvest, but their natural form is entirely different. From the assamica variety come, after all, the famous old tea trees of Yunnan, giving prized teas from the leaves of venerable specimens. This difference in form - bush versus tree - shows how deeply the varieties differ, even though they belong to one species. It is not a subtle nuance but a fundamental difference in the very structure of the plant, which is reflected in its climatic requirements and character.

Climate and origin - where each variety is from

Both varieties adapted to entirely different conditions, which explains their distribution around the world. The sinensis variety grows mainly in cooler, high-altitude regions and is most common in China and the Himalayas, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong. It likes cold, altitude and slower growth, which favours the accumulation of subtle aromas. The assamica variety comes from the Assam region of India and grows in warm, humid, almost jungle-like conditions at lower altitudes, with high humidity, annual rainfall of around two hundred and fifty centimetres and average temperatures of about thirty degrees. This explains the geography of tea: cooler, high-altitude regions, like Darjeeling, rest on sinensis, and hot, lowland ones, like Assam, on assamica. The climate and origin of each variety leave their mark on its character, connecting with the terroir of a specific region. Where and how a given variety grows is inseparably tied to what flavour it has.

Flavour - delicate versus strong

The most important difference for the drinker is of course flavour, and here the varieties diverge clearly. Sinensis has smaller leaves with more delicate and complex flavours, while assamica leaves give more bitterness and astringency. Teas from the sinensis variety tend to be more fragrant and refined than the average tea from other varieties, with subtle, floral and complex notes. The strong, bold flavours of assamica, in turn, suit pronounced teas better. In other words, sinensis is delicacy, finesse and aroma, and assamica is strength, body and astringency. That is why the same plant gives such extremely different teas: a subtle, floral green from sinensis and a strong, tannic black from assamica. The difference in flavour stems directly from the differences in leaf composition of the two varieties. Understanding this lets you predict the character of a tea by knowing its variety. Flavour is the final summary of all the botanical differences between sinensis and assamica.

Which teas each variety suits

From the differences in flavour comes a natural division: which variety suits which tea. The delicate, fragrant, complex character of sinensis makes it ideal for subtle teas: green, white, yellow and delicate oolongs, where finesse and aroma matter rather than strength. That is why Chinese and Japanese green and white teas rest on sinensis. The strong, astringent, full character of assamica, in turn, makes it better suited to strong black teas, like classic Assam, and to teas produced by the CTC method, giving an intense, full-bodied liquor ideal for milk. This explains why a strong, breakfast black tea is usually assamica, and a delicate green is sinensis. Each variety has its natural purpose, stemming from its character. We cover the kinds of tea themselves more in types of tea. Matching the variety to the tea style is the foundation on which the whole diversity of the tea world rests.

A comparison table of the varieties

Let us gather all the differences in one place, to see them at once:

This table shows how deeply the two varieties of one species differ and why the variety sets the potential of the leaf. It is the foundation on which processing and terroir only then build.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. All true teas come from one plant, Camellia sinensis, and the differences between kinds come mainly from processing. But the plant itself has two main varieties. Sinensis is a small-leaved bush (leaf 1-6 cm) from cool, high-altitude China and the Himalayas, of a delicate, fragrant, complex flavour - ideal for green, white and delicate teas. Assamica is a large-leaved tree (leaf 8-30 cm, wild up to 20 m) from warm, humid Assam, of a strong, astringent, full flavour - ideal for strong black teas and CTC. The differences include leaf size, plant form, climate, origin and flavour. It is the variety, long before processing, that sets the potential of the leaf. Now you know why the same plant gives a delicate green and a strong black tea, and you can point out which variety stands behind a given infusion.

Note every tea in GustoNote - the kind, origin and the character you sense. Over time you will start to recognise whether a delicate, floral infusion rests on sinensis, or a strong, astringent one on assamica, and understand the world of tea more deeply.