How is tea produced?
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
