All About Tea

Definition- Tea is a beverage made by steeping processed leaves, buds, or twigs of the tea bush (Camellia sinensis), in hot water for a few minutes

Origin - Tea arrived from China with a botanical name – Camellia sinensis

Varieties of Camellia sinensis

1. Assamese variety
2. Chinese variety
3. Cambodian variety

Types: There are four basic types (in order from most to least processed)

· Black tea · Oolong tea · Green tea · White tea

Tea Production

Gathering-Tea Cultivation is done in mainly tropical regions where high rainfall is expected with a minimum of at least 50 inches of rainfall a year. Tea plants can grow up to a tree level but are generally preferred to be till waist level for ease of plucking. Only the top 1-2 inches of the mature plant are picked. These buds and leaves are called flushes, and a plant will grow a new flush every seven to ten days during the growing season.

1. Withering - The tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize in a process that takes 2-4 weeks. Leaves are exposed to sunlight to soften and to reduce the water of the leaves to half. A current of warm air is made to circulate between them for 24 hours. Climate permitting, the air comes in through open windows, but often, it is circulated by the use of fans, while both temperature and humidity are closely controlled. To save space and time the most up to date manufacture sites use tunnels or vats, reducing withering to a 6 hour process.

2. Rolling – Leaves are given a curved appearance breaking their cell wall to release essential oils, provoking the complex chemical reaction of fermentation, indispensable for black tea. They are then separated by sifting and used for different grade teas: Broken, Fanning and Dust. (The Indian Tea Manufacturers also term these as Orthodox, CTC & Dust).The second sifting sorts them by size. Black tea can then be classified by grade: F.O.B., B.O.P., Fanning’s and so forth. Although sifting machines began to appear in well equipped plantations by the 1880s, sifting is still done by hand in some places.

3. Fermentation/Oxidation – Semi fermented and black teas are subject to fermentation. The fermented leaves are spread on broad slabs of cement, glass, or aluminium, and exposed to conditions of 90% humidity. The air must be kept at between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. A slight rise in temperature will give the tea a burnt taste; a slight drop will stop the fermentation. In this warm and humid environment, the leaves first heat up as the result of chemical interactions, then begin to cool down.

4. Dessication – Dessication is the last step in tea making. This essentially halts the fermentation of black tea. The leaves are dried to a water content of less than 12% to prevent molding, but with sufficient margin to avoid damage to the aromatic content by burning. Dessication takes place in a large machine combining the functions of dryer and conveyor belt. Temperature and time vary according to the leaves’ water content.

BREWING A CUP OF TEA

1. While the water is boiling in the kettle, the tea pot should be heated
2. Once the pot is warmed, tea leaves are added
3. A rule of thumb is two and a half grams of black tea per cup, or a Tea Bag per cup: the equivalent of one rounded tea spoon for whole or broken leaves and slightly less for crushed leaves.
4. The leaves should be left for a few moments in the warm teapot, to release their full aroma. Barely simmering water should then be poured in.
5. Water should never reach boiling point, since boiling destroys the quality of both the water and the tea leaves.
6. A whole leaf black tea should be steeped for about 5 minutes; broken-leaf tea 3 minutes, and crushed leaves 2 minutes. Semi-fermented teas steep for 7 minutes, and white tea 7 to 10 minutes depending on the strength on the infusion required
7. The tea leaves/bag should be removed after steeping.
8. A built-in strainer or a Tea bag holder would be convenient.
9. Stir well and serve immediately. Check for Milk & Sugar as per individual taste. Add both after the infusion is ready.
10. Your cup of tea is ready to drink.

Tea culture

In many cultures, tea is often drunk at social events, such as afternoon tea and the tea party. It may be drunk early in the day to heighten alertness. In many cultures such as Arab culture tea is a focal point for social gatherings. There are tea ceremonies which have arisen in different cultures, Japan's complex, formal and serene one being one of the most well known.