Camellia sinensis var. sinensis vs var. assamica
The one botanical distinction that genuinely explains flavour across the whole catalogue. These are varieties rather than cultivars — the level above cultivar in tea botany — and almost every named cultivar descends from one or the other.
cultivar
What is being compared
Why these get confused
The names imply nationality — ‘the China bush’ and ‘the Assam bush’ — and the ranges overlap. Yunnan’s pu-erh stock is assamica, which surprises people who have learned assamica as an Indian plant.
Point by point
| Aspect | Camellia sinensis var. sinensis | Camellia sinensis var. assamica |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf | Small, narrow and serrated, on a shrubby bush. | Large, broad and glossy, on a plant that grows to a tree if unpruned. |
| Native range | The mountainous border areas of south-west China and adjacent regions. | Wild in Assam and across upper south-east Asia, including Yunnan. |
| Cold tolerance | Good, which is why it dominates in Japan, Darjeeling and northern China. | Intolerant of frost; suited to heat and humidity. |
| Yield and vigour | Slower-growing and lower-yielding. | Vigorous and high-yielding. |
| Associated character | More aromatic and less tannic, which is why it dominates where aroma matters most. | Higher in the compounds associated with body and briskness, which suits full oxidation and milk. |
| Categories it dominates | Green, white, oolong and yellow tea. | Black tea by volume, and pu-erh. |
| Historical significance | Cultivated in China long before it was carried elsewhere. | Its recognition in the 1820s and 1830s is what allowed an industry to be built in India rather than importing from China. |
The short answer
Most of what people attribute to processing or origin is downstream of this one botanical split. A malty, brisk tea that takes milk is almost always assamica; an aromatic, delicate one almost always sinensis.
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