Tea

 

Water is an essential component to keep us alive but not forgetting the derivative of water which s love of our lives. Yes, as we all know its everyone’s favourite ‘TEA’.

According to legend, tea has been known in China since about 2700 BCE. For millennia it was a medicinal beverage obtained by boiling fresh leaves in water, but around the 3rd century CE it became a daily drink, and tea cultivation and processing began. The first published account of methods of planting, processing, and drinking came in 350 CE. In 1824 tea plants were discovered in the hills along the frontier between Burma and the Indian state of Assam. The British introduced tea culture into India in 1836 and into Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1867. At first, they used seeds from China, but later seeds from the Assam plant were used.

After water, it is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some, like Chinese Greens and Darjeeling, have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans primarily due to its caffeine content.

Classification of Tea

Teas are classified according to region of origin, as in China, Ceylon, Japanese, Indonesian, and African tea, or by smaller district, as in Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgris from India, Uva and Dimbula from Sri Lanka, Keemun from Chi-men in China’s Anhwei Province, and Enshu from Japan.

Teas are also classified by the size of the processed leaf. Traditional operations result in larger leafy grades and smaller broken grades. The most important classification is by the manufacturing process, resulting in the three categories of fermented (black), unfermented (green), and semifermented (oolong or pouchong).

Brewing

A tea infusion is best made by pouring water just brought to the boil over dry tea in a warm teapot and steeping it from three to five minutes. The liquor is separated from the spent leaves and may be flavoured with milk, sugar, or lemon.

 

Types of Tea in India

India is one of the largest producers of tea in the world, especially from the regions of Assam, Nilgiri and Darjeeling. The major tea producing states in India are Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and other north-eastern states.

Assam Tea

Assam tea is a black tea, known for its bright colour and strong malty flavour. The tea plants are grown in the lowland region of Assam on either side of the Brahmaputra River.

Nilgiri Tea

Nilgiri Tea from the hills of the Nilgiris district and Munnar are fragrant and flavoured tea. Nilgiri tea is black tea comes from the picturesque tea estates of Munnar and Nilgiris of the Western Ghats mountains.

Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea available in black, green, white and oolong in colour, made from the small leaves. Tea planting in Darjeeling becomes the first Indian product to receive a GI tag.

Kangra Tea

Kangra Tea is a black tea and green tea from Himachal Pradesh produced in the Kangra Valley and got Geographical Indication status. Palampur and Dharamsala are popular tea estates in the region.

As Chai is the National Drink of India and also the State Drink of Assam, India is second largest producer of tea in the world as well as second largest exporter of tea after China. Indian tea culture consumed 70% of the tea within India itself and the trade, industries, exportation and production are controlled by the Tea Board of India. Most human beings love tea but not everyone has more information about tea. This is an attempt to spread more in-depth information about popular tea/chai across India. On this page tea lovers will get information about different varieties of tea across India. If you have come across any such variety of Tea then please do write to me in the comment section.

This page will have more updates coming soon. Do keep an eye to know more about Tea. Stay tuned!