The first step in tea production is the harvest. Most harvesting is still done by hand which is very labor-intensive. Some growers have had success using a machine that acts much like a vacuum cleaner, sucking the leaves off the branch. The latter method is used for the cheaper varieties of tea, as it is not capable of discriminating between the high-quality tip leaves and the coarser leaves toward the bottom of the branch. On an estate, each picker is credited with their own weights of tea for subsequent payment. A skilled picker can gather up to between 30-35 kilograms of plucked leaves in a day, sufficient to produce about 7.5 to 9 kg of processed black tea. As black tea has the major share of the tea market in terms of production, sales and amounts consumed, most tea factories produce black tea. On arrival at the factory, the plucked leaves are spread on vast trays or racks, normally placed at the top of the factory, and are left to wither in air at 80 – 90 degrees. The moisture in
The first step in tea production is to pick the leaves. Taiwan oolong can be harvested up to 6 times a year depending on the elevation and weather conditions. High mountain tea may only be harvested 3 times a year because the weather is much cooler and the tea grows more slowly. High mountain oolong is the most valued Taiwan oolong tea. The best quality oolong tea is hand-picked. Tea can also be machine cut, but this results in an excess of stems and damage to the leaves. All loose-leaf teas sold at Tea From Taiwan is hand-picked and hand-processed. The tea leaves are picked as they are budding. Two leaves along with the bud are plucked from the tea bush and placed in a large basket that the picker carries on her back. Most of the tea pickers are women. The fresh leaves are transported back to the facility for processing tea. They are spread on a flat surface and exposed to the sun for about an hour. Afterwards they are gathered and placed on drying racks in an air-conditioned drying h
The first step in tea production is the harvest. Most harvesting is still done by hand, which (as you can imagine) is very labor-intensive. Some growers have had success using a machine that acts much like a vacuum cleaner, sucking the leaves off the branch. The latter method is used for the cheaper varieties of tea, as it is not capable of discriminating between the high-quality tip leaves and the coarser leaves toward the bottom of the branch. The harvested leaves can be processed in two ways: CTC or orthodox. CTC, which stands for “crush, tear, curl,” is used primarily for lower-quality leaves. CTC processing is done by machine; its name is actually fairly descriptive. The machines rapidly compress withered tea leaves, forcing out most of their sap; they then tear the leaves and curl them tightly into balls that look something like instant coffee crystals. The leaves are then “fired,” or dehydrated. Most tea connoisseurs are not very interested in CTC tea, since this process does no
Black, white, green or red teas come from the same plant, the Camellia sinenses. However, what makes them differ in taste is the process they undergo: • White tea comes from the young plant leaves; these are then steamed and dried. • Green tea is made from the older leaf, and undergoes the least amount of processing; they are simply steamed quickly. • Black and red (oolong) teas also come from the older leaf; they are then partially dried, crushed and lastly fermented. Health benefits of tea Regardless of the processing method, all tea contains beneficial polyphenols, and it is these polyphenols that give tea its antioxidant properties. In fact, white tea has the highest level of antioxidants, followed by green, red and then black tea. Tea has been attributed to many health benefits, among which it is suggested to reduce the risk of stroke, some cancers and heart disease. The American Dietetic Association state that, “While research is still preliminary, studies show some benefit from
