Tuesday 7 January 2014

Secrets of Tea manufacture revealed - in 7 steps!

As you sip the steaming, aromatic brew every morning, to clear the cobwebs in your brain and kick start the day; have you ever wondered, how did 'this' end up in my 'morning cuppa'? I guess not. Well that's fine, this post is not to make you feel guilty, but rather to let you all know, very briefly, the entire manufacturing process of Tea!

The successful plantation of tea (camellia sinensis) requires a temperate wet climate, with adequate rainfall and sunshine. It must be kept in mind that there is no water logging at the roots of the tea bushes. Once the tea bushes start maturing and sprouting leaves and buds, the process of taking the raw material from the bushes to our cup, starts!


  • Plucking: - The first step in collecting the raw material is the plucking process! The plucking season is divided into three stages or Flushes. The First Flush (March/April), Second Flush (May/June-July) and the Third Flush/Autumn Flush/Rainy Flush (September/November). This plucking cycle is maintained at about a weeks interval. The tea processed from the first and second flushes are considered to be of high quality! But there is a twist here. This is not a haphazard process of plucking any and every leaf that the tea bush has to offer! But rather a deft approach or a skillful way of plucking just two leaves and a bud. It is this approach of plucking only two leaves and a bud that accounts for the high quality of tea from the first two flushes! Care is taken by the labourers not to crush the delicate leaves and buds which are collected in bamboo baskets.
  • Withering: - The green leaves, after being brought from the tea gardens to the factory, is subjected to close scrutiny to remove any foreign matter that is not related to the leaf itself. After this, the green leaves are loosely spread across large 'withering troughs' to a depth of approximately 5-6 inches and air is blown over the green leaves by fans installed at strategic location. The whole purpose of withering is to get rid of the superficial moisture content of the green leaf and make it ready to withstand the strain of rolling without breaking up in the process. This process generally takes about 18 to 24 hours depending on the moisture content of the leaf. The green leaves, when properly withered, gives off a fragrant odour, suggesting its readiness for the next step!
  • Rolling: - The 'withered' leaves are then subjected to mild pressure between metal plates. This process ruptures the cells in the leaves and releases juices which moistens the rolled leaves, enhancing further the chemical changes that the leaf has to undergo.
  • Fermentation: - The 'rolled' leaves are then loosely spread in thickness of 1 to 2 inches across 'fermenting beds' and allowed to ferment for about 3 to 4 hours. Fermentation is a chemical process which allows the tea liquor to become palatable. Here the juices of the rolled leaves react with each other as well as the air (oxidation) to give off the characteristic aroma of tea and also a distinctive reddish brown colour. Optimum timing has to be maintained to stop the fermenting process, so that the leaves are ready to move onto the next step!
  • Drying: - The objective of this process is to arrest any further fermentation of the leaves. To achieve this, the fermented leaves are passed through a 'dryer' and remains there for approximately 20 minutes at a temperature of around 240 to 250 F. Care is taken not to totally dry out the leaves but to extract the moisture and at the same time preserve all the other characteristics to optimum levels!   
  • Sorting: - The penultimate step in the process of tea manufacture! Here, the 'dried' tea is passed over 'sorting machines' fitted with revolving or vibrating wire mesh trays of varying sizes. As the 'tea' passes over these trays, the whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings and dust grades fall at different places. This makes up the diffrent grades of tea!
  • Packageing: - Once the 'sorting' process is over, the different 'grades of tea' are packed in plywood chests or paper sacks with aluminium foil lining on the inside. After stamping the various statutory information on the outside of the packaged product, the finished 'tea' makes its way to the market to be consumed by the millions!

Although tea manufacturing has come a long way from the time the British started this industry in Assam, the 'plucking' process is still very much labour intensive. No machine can substitute the deft hand and eye co-ordination of the pluckers in the tea gardens! Barring this very crucial aspect in the manufacturing process, all other processes are automated and flow along a pre-determind path.

So, thats it! The secret of the 'two leaves and a bud' and its journey from the tea bushes to our cups, revealed in seven brief steps!!

Enjoy your next 'cuppa' !

Your comments would be appreciated!!





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