The Tea Harvest
In the tea cultivation countries, generally only the upper
leaf bud and the next two leaves, the youngest ones of a spout ("two leaves and
a bud") are plucked. Further, i.e. older leaves than these generally have a
negative influence on the quality of the finished tea.
In the higher up,
cooler regions, the tea naturally grows slower. This enables the particularly
fine, automatic character to enfold. The harvesting time also has a significant
influence on the quality of the tea. The plucking requires a large amount of
care as well as skill and is often done by women. The average plucking capacity
amounts to approximately 16 - 24 kg of green leaves per day. This amount yields
4 - 6 kg of finished tea. Two to three times a day, the green leaves are
transported to the factory on the plantation. The green, fresh leaves are still
entirely neutral in scent and first have to be treated in the tea factory,
passing through various production steps, in oder to create an aromatic
tea.
Processing
As opposed to coffee, which is imported as green coffee and receives its
final form in the country of consumption via sorting and roasting, tea is
already processed on the plantations in the country of orgin and then exported
in its final form. The most important phases of the treatment with respect to
orthodox tea production (which can be used for the production of any type of tea
desired as opposed to the later explained CTC production) are: withering,
rolling, fermenting, drying and sorting into leaf and broken grades, i.e. sizes.
1. Withering
When the fresh leaves reach the factory, they are weighed
and the amount is registered. Next, the withering process is commenced where the
humidy content of the leaves is reduced by about 30 % in order to make them soft
and flexible for the subsequent rolling. The withering takes place in special
withering throughs of a length of 25 - 30 m, which are stringed with a wire grid
and ventilated with large fans. The leaves are spread out on the grid. The air,
which moves through the ventilators, can also be heated if required due to
higher humidity content of the leaves. The withering process takes 12 - 18
hours.
2. Rolling
Subsequently, the withering green leaves are rolled in
large rolling machines. These generally conist of two large, heavy metal plates,
which are rotating against each other and are hereby breaking open the cells,
bringing the cell fluid into contact with the oxygen in the air. This introduces
the fermentation as well as the development of the essential oils, which then
determine the scent and the flvour of the teas. The rolled tea, which now
already starts to ferment, is brought into the fermentation room. Some tea
factories subsequently use a so-called "rotorvane" machine, a type of shredder,
which further processes the leaves. Here, the leaves are moved across a slowly
rotating screw conveyor through a cylinder into which oxygen is introduced in
order to accelerate the fermentation.
3. Fermentation
The fermentation is an oxidation and tanning process of the cell fluids,
which have been released during the rolling. For the fermentation, the leaves
are spread out on tables in layers of 10 cm. In modern factories, spraying water
from rotating ventilators humidifies the room in which the fermentation takes
place. During the fermentation - which takes 2 - 3 hours - the leaves change
their colour, which gradually becomes a copper-red. This colour is found again
in wet tealeaves of the infusion. The "tea maker" needs to constandly monitor
the degree of oxidation, particularly whith respect to the scent of the wet
leaves. The quality of the finished tea is very much dependent on the correct
fermentation.
4. Drying
The fermentation is finished when the desired grade of fermentation is
reached, i. e. as soon as the tea has developed its typical smell and the
copper-red colour is dried. For this, so-called tiered dryers are used which are
fuelled wiht wood or oil. The tea is moved through the dryer on a conveyor belt.
The starting temperature amounts to 90°C and binds the cell fluid firmly to the
leaves. Towards the end of the 20-minute long drying process, the temperature
decreases to 40°C and the humidity content to approximately 6%. Later, when the
tea is infused, the cell fluid, which stuck to the dried leaves, is solved in
the hot water and produces the aromatic and invigorating drink.
5. Sorting
The black tea, which is released by the dryer, is the so-called raw tea,
which is now sieved via a number of shaking, mechanical sieves wiht varying
sieve sizes with which the common leaf grades are separated from each other.
Depending on the sieve sizes, sorting generally yields the following
grades:
Leaf Tea - Broken Tea - Fannings -
Dust
Generally vaild: the smaller the leaft, the stronger the
infusion.
Tea is a natural product, which is made durable by reducing its
humidity content. It should be stored in a cool and dry place. The tea retains
ist original taste when kept in a tightly closed container, away from strongly
smelling foodstuff such as spices.
Green Tea Production
Green Tea differs from black tea simply by it not being fermented, i.e.
not altered by oxidation. The production process is generally the same until
after the withering. During the green tea production, the tea tannins and
enzymes are destroyedvia steam treatment or roasting after the withering, before
the rolling starts - the tea is "steamed" or "pan-fried" and then rolled and
dried. This ensures that the leaves are not coloured copper-red like the black
tea leaves, but remain olive-green. The infusion varies depending on the
variety, cultivation area and plucking period and can be anything from light
yellow to dark green.
CTC-Production
This term means: Crushing - Tearing - Curling
This method starts by
withering the green leaves, then rolling them once before they are torn in the
CTC machine in between thorned rollers. This ensures that the cells are broken
up more thoroughly and quickly than in case using the orthodox tea production.
CTC tea is of a more intensive colour and is higher yielding. The stems and leaf
ribs are extracted to a large extent and only the cut "flesh" of the green
leaves is processed further. Afterwards, the tea is brought into the
fermentation room. Depending on the desired leaf siez, this process is repeated
several times.
During the CTC-Production, mainly fanning is produced, no
leaf teas and only very few broken teas. Therefore, CTC teas are very suitable
for tea bags. Nowadays, tea in India is already produced to 50% and tea in Kenya
almost to 100% using the CTC method. In Darjeeling, however, only orthodox tea
is produced.
The most important grades are:
BP = Broken
Pekoe, PF= Pekoe Fannings, PD = Pekoe Dust
The Different Grades
Differentiation According to Leaf Sizes
Generally it is differentiated between leaf teas and broken teas. The
small-leafed broken teas, which are cut during the repeated rolling, are
naturally very high yielding. The names of the grades are often very imaginative
and vary even from plantation to plantation. They are always an expression
referring to the leaf size and optic and only to a lesser extent do they address
the taste (e.g. flowery), never, though, can they inform about the general
quality of the tea. The quality judgement of the teas offered is always made
during the tasting.
Below the most important grades
for:
a) Leaf Tea
1. Flowery Orange Pekoe
= FOP
In Darjeeling also Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe = GFOP and
Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe = TGFOP. This refers to a thin, wiry leaf with
tips. Tips are the golden or silver-coloured, visible leaf tips (buds), which
contain less tannin and, hence, do not darken during the fermentation. They
indicate that young tealeaves were used; however this is not necessarily a
determinant of exceptional quality.
2. Orange Pekoe =
OP
A long, wiry leaf, larger than the FOP. The meaning of the
term is unknown. Orange refers to the Dutch "Oranje", which means "royal".
3. Pekoe = P and Flowery Pekoe = FP
This leaf is
shorter and larger than the Orange Pekoe, often also more open and not as finely
rolled. Ceylon "low-grown" Pekoes have a ball-shaped leaf. Pekoes are stronger
in the infusion than the Orange Pekoe, because the latter contains more leaf
ribs and less "flesh".
b) Broken Tea
1a. Flowery Broken
Orange Pekoe = FBOP
This grade refers to the larger and very
aromatic qualities of the small-leafed teas. A well-structured, well-rolled leaf
with many tips, which yield an attractive appearance.
1b. Golden
Broken Orange Pekoe = GBOP
A very fine and strong tea,
especially with respect to Assam.
2a. Broken Orange Pekoe =
BOP
A well-structured leaf, which has fewer, tips than the FBOP,
but is stronger and less flowery.
2b. Broken Orange Pekoe 1 =
BOP 1
On some plantations in India, this is the explanation for
the FBOP, in Ceylon it is, however, a "semi-leaf tea", a grade, which is between
the OP and the BOP.
3. Broken Pekoe =BP
With
respect to the CTC method, BP is a grade, which yields a very strong cup.
4. Fannings and Dust
The smallest parts of the leaf,
without the stem of ribs, which are collected during the sieving. Fannings and
Dust are high yielding, strong, colour the cup quickly and, hence, are preferred
for use in tea bags.
Explanation of the abbreaviations considering some
examples:
SFTGFOP - S (Super) F
(Finest) T (Tippy) G (Golden)
F (Flowery) O (Orange) P
(Pekoe)- large leaf
FP - F (Flowery) P
(Pekoe) - small leaf
GFBOP - G (Golden) F
(Flowery) B (Broken) O (Orange)
P (Pekoe) - fine broken
BOPF - B (Broken)
O (Orange) P (Pekoe) F (Fannings) -
fannings
CTC - C (Crushing) T
(Tearing) C (Curling) - round
leaf