TEA

All the tea that we drink comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, or the tea plant. Although one would come
across different varieties of tea in the world the three main varieties are the India tea, the China tea and the
hybrid tea. It is from these that the different types of tea like the green tea, the black tea, the white tea, the
herbal tea and oolong tea are prepared.
Green Tea: When tea leaves are picked, they generally whither and dry and when this occurs, oxidization
takes place. When green tea is manufactured, it is not allowed to oxidize. The leaves are dried very quickly
either in a pan or an oven to dehydrate them and then they are stored. This process retains the polyphenols
catechins and the flavanoids which make drinking green tea a healthy and beneficial option. However green
tea possesses a grassy taste and it loses its flavor within a year.
To brew a cup of green tea, water which is not more than 80 degrees Celsius should be poured over the tea
leaves. Let the leaves steep in the water for about two to three minutes. Some of the benefits of green tea are
its antioxidant properties which aids in preventing cancer, raising metabolism rate and cutting fat and even
reducing the probability of heart diseases. Due to its short brewing time, green tea is stimulating.
Black Tea: This tea is stronger than any other type of tea. The caffeine content is higher in black tea as
compared to the less oxidized varieties. It retains its flavor for many years. Black tea is the tea that enjoys the
maximumsales in the world.
To brew a cup of black tea we need a teaspoonful of tea leaves for a cup of tea. The tea leaves are steeped in
boiling water for at least three to four minutes before it is strained and served. Plain black tea without sugar
contains antioxidants and is beneficial in reducing cardiovascular diseases.
White Tea: This is the rarest variety of tea. The leaves are picked and harvested before they are fully open
and the buds still have a covering of white hairs on them. White tea undergoes the least processing and is also
not fermented. It has a light and sweet flavor and contains less caffeine and more antioxidants than any other
type of tea.
The ideal temperature of water for brewing white tea is 76 to 85 degrees Celsius. The leaves should be
steeped in water for at least seven to eight minutes.
Herbal Tea: Tisane or ptisan is an herbal infusion. Tisane is made with any part of the plant either dried or
fresh flowers, roots, seeds or leaves over which boiling water is poured. Flavored teas are prepared by adding
this to regular tea like the jasmine tea of China. There are different types of herbal tea which can be
consumed for medicinal purposes.
Oolong Tea: Being of Chinese origin, this tea is a cross between the popular black and healthy green
varieties and the two styles commonly associated with this tea are green and amber. The uniqueness of this
tea is attributed to the different manner in which its leaves are prepared and owing to this reason apart from
being bereft of the leafy flavor of the green tea its taste is distinct from other types of tea as well.
The traditional Oolong tea is brewed in a special type of pot known as Gaiwan and the final sip may vary
according to the length of brewing time.

Tea leaves
Tea isnt simply tea in India but it is like a staple beverage here and a day without it is impossible and incomplete.
Indians prefer their steaming cup of tea because for them it acts as an energy booster and is simply indispensable. This
popular beverage has a lot of health benefits too as its antioxidants help to eliminate toxins and free radicals from the
blood.
Originally tea is indigenous to the Eastern and Northern parts of India, but the tea industry has expanded and grown
tremendously over the years, making India the largest grower and producer of tea in the world. The tea production in
India was 979,000 tonnes as of 2009. In terms of consumption, export and production of tea, India is the world leader.
It accounts for 31% of the global production of tea. India has retained its leadership over the tea industry for the last
150 years. The total turnover of this industry is roughly Rs.10, 000 crores. Since 1947, the tea production in India has
increased by 250% and the land are used for production has increased by 40%.
Even the export sector of India has experienced an increase in the export of this commodity. The total net foreign
exchange in India is roughly Rs.1847 crores per annum. The tea industry in India is labor intensive, meaning it depends
heavily on human labor instead of machines. This industry provides employment to more than 1.1 million Indian
workers and almost half the workforce constitutes of women.

Beautiful tea fields

There is a wide variety of tea offered by India; from Green Tea to CTC tea to the aromatic Darjeeling tea and the strong
Assamese tea, the range of tea available in India is unparalleled. Indians take a lot of pride in their tea industry because
of the pre-eminence of the industry as a significant earner of foreign exchange and a significant contributor to Indias
GNP.
The three prominent tea-growing regions in India are Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiri. While Darjeeling and Assam are
located in the Northeast regions, Nilgiri is a part of the southern region of the country. A visit to these regions is made
truly memorable by the endless rolling carpets of green which are the tea gardens and one cannot but help feeling
enthralled and captivated at the sight of the huge tea estates. Majority of the tea factories are located within the
premises of the tea estates and this is what accounts for the freshness of the tea. The process of tea production has a
series of procedures and processes. The process starts with the plucking of tea leaves in the tea estates by women
employees carrying a basket over the head and ends with the production of the ultimate tea.
There are mainly two ways of producing tea in India namely the CTC production and Orthodox production. CTC is an
acronym for crush, tear and curl. The tea produced by this method is mostly used in tea bags. The orthodox production
method consists of five stages, namely withering, rolling, fermentation, drying and finally storing. It is not possible to
compare the two varieties because their quality depends on factors such as rainfall, soil, wind and the method of
plucking of tea leaves and both possess a unique charm of their own.
As the primary producer of an assortment of tea, India is the ideal destination for all tea enthusiasts.

The History of Tea Drinking In India

The documented evidence according to the history of tea drinking in India dates back to 750 BC. Tea in India
is generally grown in the North Eastern regions and the Nilgiri Hills. Having evolved since those early days,
tea drinking in India has now come a long way. Today this nation is proud to be one of the largest tea
producers in the world. Buddhist monks in India have used tea for its medicinal value since thousands of
years.
According to a very interesting legend, the history of tea drinking in India began with a saintly Buddhist
monk about almost 2000 years ago. It so happened that this monk who later became the founder of Zen
Buddhism, decided to spend seven sleepless years contemplating the life and teachings of Buddha. While he
was in the fifth year of his contemplation and prayer, he almost fell asleep. He took some leaves from a
nearby bush and began chewing them. These leaves revived him and enabled him to stay awake as he
chewed on them whenever he felt drowsy. Thus he was able to complete his penance for seven years. These
were the leaves of the wild tea plant.
This engraving of 1850 after Thomas Brown shows the processing of tea from seed to final drying.
As per the history of tea drinking in India, local people used to brew and drink tea using the leaves of the wild native
tea plants. Since that time, different varieties of tea have emerged; the most famous among them is the Darjeeling tea.
The commercial production of tea in India was started by the British East India Company and vast tracts of land have
been exclusively developed into tea estates which produce various types of tea.
In the 16th century, the people of India prepared a vegetable dish using tea leaves along with garlic and oil and the
boiled tea leaves were used to prepare a drink as well. The first Tea Garden was established by the British East India
Company by the end of the 19th century after the Company took over tea cultivation in Assam, a region in the North
Eastern part of India.
One of the most popular snippets related to the history of tea drinking in India dates back to the 19th century when an
Englishman noticed that the people of Assam drank a dark liquid which was a type of tea brewed from a local wild
plant. In the year 1823, a Singpho King offered an English Army Officer tea as a medicinal drink.
Tea drinking has evolved in different ways over the years in India and differs from region to region. First thought of as
the drink of the Royals, tea has now become the favorite of the common man as India leads the world in tea drinking.
From the humble roadside tea stalls and the railway platforms to the boardrooms of corporate India, tea is easily
available. The cup of sweet and refreshing chai available in teashops or train stations to the masala teas of North India,
the variety of brews available is numerous.
According to the records, Assam tea is named after the region from where the tea comes and has revolutionized the tea
drinking habits of the Indians. Most Indians drink tea with milk and sugar. Traditionally, a guest in any Indian home is
welcomed with a cup of tea.