Kericho

Kenya

Kericho in the Kenyan Highlands is the heartland of African tea production, where large multinational estates and smallholder farmers together produce some of the world's most consistent black teas. The equatorial location provides nearly 12 hours of daily sunlight year-round, with reliable afternoon rainfall that eliminates the need for irrigation. Kericho's high-altitude volcanic soils produce CTC black teas prized for their bright, brisk liquor and strong body that forms the base of many global tea blends. Kenya's TRFK research institute, based near Kericho, developed the Purple Tea cultivar (TRFK 306/1), rich in anthocyanins, which represents an innovative direction for specialty African tea.