• Words for Tea Attributes

These words of tea should be noted in order to assign attributes to different varieties of tea.

Words
As with any other business, tea too has its own language. How words are used, when words are used and the proper pronunciations of the words are the basics that separate the expert from the novice. The language is learned through books, instruction and sometimes passed along from one generation to another.

Knowledge: the fact or condition of knowing something through experience or association
The kinds of words associated with tea tasting are those which describe the type of tea, the dry leaf, the infused tea leaf, and the tea liquor/brewThe terms generally relate to tea quality.

A Sampling of Tea Words to Start

Types
Black, Oolong (brown), Green, White and Yellow

The Dry Leaf
Desirable: Curly, wiry, neat, blackish, bloom, clean, leafy, nose, tip, well twisted
Undesirable: Mushy, ragged, grey, light, uneven

The Infused Leaf
Desirable: biscuity, bright, coppery, smooth, self drinking, full, rich, soothing, smokey
Undesirable: dull, dark, tarry

The Liquor/Brew
Desirable: body, bright, brisk, character, coloury, muscatel, point, pungent, quality, strength, thick, flavour, full, malty, mature, self-drinking, smokey
Undesirable:baggy, bakey, bitter, brassy, burned, coarse, common, dry, dull, musty, plain, raw, soft, stewed, sweaty, taint, weedy, thin, earthy, empty, fruity, hard, harsh, heavy, lacking, green (referring to black tea)

At first the words seem foreign, however, once you allow your senses to take over, the words for describing the magical leaf will seem logical and naturally flow from your lips.

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The perfect cup
If you’re looking for the perfect cup of tea, Garden Fresh Tea has done the hard work for you. Each Garden Fresh Tea blend uses only the finest quality ingredients so that, coupled with our blending expertise, you’re guaranteed a wonderful flavour, color and aroma every time.
Is there a perfect way to drink tea? At Garden Fresh Tea, we believe that it’s all about personal preference. But there are some key tricks in the preparation that will help you to get the very best from Garden Fresh Tea’ tea.

How should tea be stored?
Tea absorbs moisture and kitchen smells. To keep your tea fresh and avoid spoiling the flavour, keep loose tea or teabags in a sealed jar or tin.
Have you ever found the perfect tea and been disappointed a month later when that same great tea seemed disappointing or less satisfying? Proper storage of tea is essential, and if kept improperly, even the freshest and best tea on the market will lose its subtle nuances and become uninteresting. Tea should always be stored at a constant temperature in an airtight container, away from light, moisture, and strong odors. When exposed to air, delicate tea leaves rapidly lose flavor. If you buy in bulk, keep most of the tea in a large container and use a smaller one for everyday use to limit air contact with the tea leaves.

While fine tea leaves are stunning when displayed in a clear glass container, the effect on the resulting infusion is not quite as impressive. Light strips tea leaves of their color over time, but more importantly, the refined flavor in the leaves is also lost.

Moisture is equally detrimental to fragile tea leaves. Like any organic matter, tea, when wet, begins to mold and decay—a wholly undesirable effect. For this reason, we do not recommend storing tea in the refrigerator or freezer because continual opening and closing of the door causes rapid changes in humidity. Modern freezers cycle through different temperatures and often create an icing problem. Moisture seeps into the container and robs the tea leaves of flavor.

Strong odors will also permeate tea. Avoid storing your tea near spices or aromatic foods, or you might find that your best jasmine now tastes like yesterday’s roast turkey. Even when storing teas together, a spicy tea, such as chai, can often impart its flavor onto the others.

Overall, the best way to store tea is in a tea tin or caddy. Away from odors, moisture, light, and air, tea will remain fresh for months. If you reuse the tins, be sure to let them air out completely before refilling with a different tea to avoid transferring scent. When properly stored, your favorite loose-leaf teas can remain untainted, fresh, and enjoyable.

How do I make a good pot of tea?

These are the golden rules:

» Tea loves oxygen – it helps the flavour develop, so always      use freshly drawn cold water in the kettle.

»Make sure your pot is clean.

» Warm the pot by swirling a small amount of boiled water      in it.
»For black tea, only pour on freshly boiled water and do not      over-boil it.

» For green tea, always use the water just at the boil.

» One teaspoon of loose tea per person and one teaspoon      for the pot is about right, but add as much or as little to      make it to the strength you like.

» Some people believe that sugar masks the flavours in      tea. Why not try a fruit tea if you prefer a sweeter taste?

» A tea cosy extends the brewing time and can make the      tea bitter and stewed. A removable infuser or teabags      can help to get round this problem.

Brewing a good cup of loose tea is quite simple, and attention to a few crucial details will generally assure excellent results. Good water, the correct quantity of tea, accurate steeping time, and a proper teapot are important for success.

If your source of water is suspect, try using bottled spring water or purified water; many teas have a variety of subtle flavors that can be destroyed or masked by poor water that contains heavy concentrations of iron or other impurities. Correct water temperature is essential as well. Black teas should be brewed with water that has just come to a rolling boil. Oolongs are often best when steeped with water near the boiling point. For green and white teas, always use water that is less than boiling to avoid a bitter infusion.

Steeping instructions often advise the addition of a teaspoon of tea for each cup and "one for the pot." However, a small, preheated pot will generally not require this extra spoonful, especially if high quality tea is used. Begin with a teaspoonful per cup or use our brewing suggestions listed for each tea in the online catalog, but do not hesitate to adjust the amount until you find the right balance of flavors. Each tea is unique -- as is each tea drinker.

Steeping time depends on the type of leaf and its leaf grade. Many teas yield a pale liquor, so steep by time not color. If milk is to be added, the steeping time must be long enough for sufficient flavor elements and tannins to be extracted. Too short a steeping time will result in a thin, insipid tea. Conversely, over-steeping will yield a bitter tea with an overpowering imbalance of tannin.

The Chatsford Teapot makes the preparation of loose tea quick and easy for everyday use. Fitted with a convenient tab for effortless removal, the ample mesh infuser basket allows full infusion without restricting leaf expansion. Rinse the pot thoroughly with boiling water to warm it, and then pour this water off. Place the infuser basket with tea leaves into the pot and add the hot or boiling water. Cover with the lid, and a cosy if desired, and let the tea steep for the desired time. Once the infusion is complete, pull out the basket to halt infusion. Since dust-sized particles will inevitably pass through the infuser and continue to steep, serve the tea as soon as possible.

If you wish to steep the leaves loose in a pot or cup, be sure to pour the excess liquor into another pot to prevent over-steeping. A high-quality, metal strainer or nylon infuser will remove most particles of tea and result in a perfectly infused cup of tea.

Consideration of these few simple factors -- good water, the correct amount of tea, accurate steeping time, and a quality teapot -- will result in a great pot of tea.

How long should I allow a teabag to brew?
We recommend that you allow the teabag to brew for two and a half to three minutes. This allows the flavour to fully develop. Then add milk or lemon or enjoy it black, whatever your preference.
And how long should I allow loose tea to brew?
We recommend that you allow loose tea to brew in a teapot for up to seven minutes. The general rule is: the larger the leaf, the longer the brewing time. Earl Grey and Lady Grey need five minutes, while a smaller leaf tea will only need about four minutes.

Does loose tea make better tea than teabags?
Both have their benefits. For many people, the ritual of preparing loose tea is a pleasure in itself, so this contributes to the enjoyment, while teabags are more convenient. At Garden Fresh Tea, the teas used for teabags are blended to be similar to our loose tea products. The leaf size is different but the quality in the cup will be the same.

Should the milk go in first or second?
Historically, the 'milk in first' rule was to protect the fine bone china it was served in - it's a very individual thing.

Sometimes I get an oily residue around my cup and on the surface of my tea – what is it?
Because of the small leaf-size in a teabag, the tea can release some essential oils which can sometimes produce a residue. However, this brown residue occurs most often in areas with hard water, so a carbon water filter will reduce this considerably.

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FACTORY HYGIENE

Tea leaf in the field carries on its surface a large population of naturally occurring bacteria. So when the leaf is carried to the factory, a considerable number of bacteria are likely to be carried along with it. These bacteria under favourable conditions develop very rapidly. The long interval of 16-18 hours between plucking and processing followed by oxidation periods of about 1.5 hours for CTC and around 2.5 hours for orthodox manufacture allow the possibility of a considerable bacterial build-up. Adequate food, moisture and suitable temperature provide the necessary environment favourable for bacterial growth. During firing all the bacteria are destroyed, but moulds have been known to persist even after drying.

Bacteria produce taint and even maltiness and flatness in some teas are considered to be due to the bacterial action. Bacteria infected oxidized leaf can be tested in the following manner: Some oxidized leaf is taken and placed in a covered glazed dish to prevent loss of moisture due to evaporation. The sample is examined after 12 and 18 hours. The bacteria infected fermented leaf will give a soury and unpleasant nose, slimy and seaweed like feeling when handled, and the colour will be dull chocolate or black. The same leaf if infused will give dark liquor, sometimes with heavy brown sediment, and on milk test the liquor will be either coffee coloured or very dark. The possibilities of bacterial growth during various stages of tea processing are discussed below.

WITHERING
When the leaf brought from the field is dry, there is little increase in bacterial growth. But if the leaf brought to the factory is wet, as it happens during the rains, the conditions become favourable for bacterial growth. The food material required for bacterial growth is drawn from the leaf itself. The bacterial growth is checked with the removal of surface moisture. This is precisely why it is always advocated to remove the surface moisture immediately after leaf is received in the factory and spread in the troughs.

MACERATION
During rolling there is an immediate drop in the microbial population due to the antiseptic properties of oxidised polyphenols. But during this process the leaf juice is expressed which drips down to the floor with fragments of leaf and may become a source of bacterial growth. The juice and the fragments of leaf may also be found adhering to the roller caps, roller doors, ball breakers, CTC machines etc., and all these
may become very important sources of bacterial contamination. If not cleaned properly, this infection is carried over to the following day. It is a common experience to see plenty of leaf particles adhering to the inside cover of the CTC machine for a long period if not properly attended to. This makes the leaf over fermented and also provides the source for bacterial growth. Similar is the case with the roller-doors where juice and fragmented leaf particles may be the source of contamination.
The floor of the rolling room can be a dangerous source of infection in the factory. The juice expressed on the floor should be washed away immediately. The floor should have a steep slope from the rear to the front of the rollers to facilitate washing and removing the juice to the side drain. However, a rung trolley placed under the rolling table is always preferred.

LEAF TROLLEYS
The use of all metal leaf trolleys reduces the bacterial growth possibilities in this stage. But these are to be kept thoroughly clean.

GREEN LEAF SIFTERS
Green leaf sifters can infect leaf with bacteria very easily. A high-pressure hose is suitable for cleaning these sifters. Although precaution may be taken during the daily cleaning at the end of the day's manufacture, yet the infection tends to develop on sifters during the course of manufacture, as adequate cleaning is not possible unless the whole of the leaf has been rolled. It is, therefore, advisable to have more than one sifter so that one can be cleaned when the other is in use.

FERMENTING ROOM
When rolled leaf is spread on floor for oxidation, some juice adheres to the surface and, if not cleaned, the accumulated juice becomes a source of bacterial contamination. Rough cement surfaces, cracks and crevices are the sources for bacterial growth. The porousness or the roughness of the cement floor can be done away to a great extent with a coat of epoxy resin paint that keeps the floor shining white to facilitate proper cleaning. Glazed tiles, metal sheets etc. are also used as juice collected over these can be easily cleaned.
On badly cleaned "fermenting" surface the bacterial effect may arise in two ways. Bacteria present in the film of juice may penetrate the lower layers of the bed of leaf and
produce a direct infection. This process is of importance on wet floors, but under dry condition the leaf in actual contact with the floor is infected. The second effect is due to the bacteria attacking the juice deposits already present on the floor and the juice freshly deposited with each bed on leaf. The juice at first has an acid reaction, but bacterial action leads to formation of volatile compounds like ammonia. The rise of these volatile products of decomposition through the mass of the fermenting leaf reduces the acidity of the juice coating the leaf and thus leading to the formation of dark brown products. Evidently it is easier to remove the tea juice by washing than to maintain a sterile fermenting surface. For this purpose the fermenting room should be well drained and cleaned with an abrasive and good detergent. The water used for cleaning the fermenting floor should be clean and bacteria free.
Many of the present day factories use Continuous Fermenting Machine for oxidation. One of the biggest problems with these machines is to keep them hygienically clean. Whenever such machines are used, extreme care should be taken to keep them clean.

DRYING AND PACKING
Teas emerging out of a drier usually have a low microbial count as most of the bacteria are destroyed during firing. It may appear that after drying there will be lesser chances of microbial contamination. However, the work done at Tocklai shows that though the made teas have a lesser microbial count after drying and sorting, the microbes and moisture are picked up during storage in the bins. The high microbial count found in smaller grades in particular might be because of the larger surface area. These studies also showed that the teas gapped before packing had lesser microbial count.

SOURCES OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION
The possible sources of contamination of teas include the oxidized leaf, factory floor and air. The first part has already been discussed above. The factory floor up to the stage of fermentation can be kept clean by washing properly, but the same thing cannot be followed in the drying room and beyond. Drying and sorting rooms are not washed, and there the atmosphere is warmer and dusty. Under these conditions a different group of microorganisms viz. moulds predominate. These microbes affect adversely the tea quality. Warm, dusty atmosphere and moisture along with the changed substrate in the made tea provide ideal conditions for growth of the moulds.
A clean hygienically maintained factory, with favourable manufacturing conditions, limits
the microbial contamination to a great extent. Proper leaf handling in the field and the trough house, thorough washing of the green leaf processing machinery and floor by using clean water and right type of detergent, and keeping the dust load in the drying and sorting room as low as possible will be of great help in producing better quality teas.

TEA TASTING
Dry Leaf
The dry leaf is generally placed on a piece of white paper and the following points are recorded:
. Grade.
. Colour of the leaf.
. Make and style.
. Nose.
. Feel.
Grades
The teas have to be classified as per their grades.
Colour of the Leaf
Greyness in tea is not desirable as it denotes faulty manufacture; generally during sorting. The thin and varnish like coating on the dry leaf is rubbed off and results in a grey colour. This coating is soluble in water and plays an important part in liquoring properties. If absent, the tea must ne

cessarily have been deprived of its fullest liquoring capabilities. A brown appearance, on the other hand, is often unavoidable with very tippy tea. The reason for this is the hair growth down the shoot, which has been picked for manufacture. The second leaf may have a quantity of hair insufficient to produce a golden appearance known as tip but sufficient to discolour the leaf to that of a brownish colour. Also during rolling some hair may be rubbed off the bud and possibly the first leaf and deposited on the coarser leaf. During firing this hair is affixed to the leaf and results in a brownish leaf appearance.

Some teas produce a reddish appearance at certain times of the year. This is generally found during the autumnal period when growth is slow and the tea shoots become less
succulent tinged leaf throughout the year. A reddish appearance in dry leaf is undesirable if caused by coarse plucking. In this case the red appearance brought about by hard and coarse leaf is considerably emphasized by the presence of red stalk.

Make and Style
This covers the general appearance of a grade. Here the expert decides whether the tea has a well-rolled and tightly twisted leaf as compared to open and flaky. Flaky tea also tends to infuse more quickly with the result that a second application of boiling water will produce inferior liquor compared to the liquor after similar treatment of a well rolled and twisted leaf. Although tip in itself has limited liquoring properties, it is nevertheless an excellent indication that the grade in question has been made from the finer shoots of the tea bush. Tip should be golden in colour and not pale, silvery or dull. Pale or silvery tip is caused by over withering and is usually accompanied by the thin liquors consistent with high withers. Dull tip is often seen in teas with a grey leaf appearance; in this instance tip has been damaged together with the leaf. Incorrect rolling will tend to damage tip and at the same time leave the leaf black in appearance. Should stalk and fibre be present, coarse plucking will be mainly responsible. Stalk in tea is most undesirable and liquors are generally inferior unless stalk and fibre have been produced by a very severe manufacturing treatment such as the C.T.C. process. In this case stalk and fibre are often unavoidable even with fairly succulent tea shoots. Stalk is merely the woody portion of the stem and is noticeable by its red appearance in a black tea. Fibre consists of shreds of stalk. Size of leaf is also a major point and the desirability of a grade being the correct size, large or small will depend on the buyer's requirements.

Sorting
This should be regular, even and yield pieces of roughly equal size. A mixed tea containing a quantity of another grade, such as B.O.P. containing fannings, an O.P. containing dust etc., is most undesirable.

Nose
This is simply a matter of smelling the dry leaf and except for flavoury sorts is best done by burying the nose in the leaf, exhaling and smelling the aroma given off. The flavoury
teas can be more fully appreciated by nosing without warming the leaf previously with the breath.
A considerable amount of information is obtained from nosing the dry leaf. Taints picked up during transit can be easily recognized together with manufacturing faults producing liquors, which are "burnt", "smoky", etc. A tea, which is old or out of condition can also be spotted at this stage.

Feel
This merely informs the expert whether and to what degree a tea is spongy, i.e. lacking density. It also ensures that a tea is not damp. If properly fired and preserved, a tea should be crisp to the touch when containing approximately 4% moisture. Teas with high moisture content deteriorate rapidly and are avoided by most buyers.

Decoction
About 2 gm of tea per 100 ml of water is weighed into porcelain pots provided with lids. Water, which has just reached boiling point, is then poured into the pots as quickly as possible. Speed is necessary at this stage to ensure that even the last tea for examination receives water, which is still boiling. Fresh water and water heated to the precise point of boiling is essential. Water, which is stale or has been over or under, boiled, will have a marked effect on the tea liquors. Water used for tasting should have its pH as close to 7 as possible and should not have dissolved impurities, metallic salts, in particular. After the water has been added the tea should be allowed to infuse for five or six minutes. As in all cases of comparison, conditions must be the same and it is of little consequence whether the tea is allowed to infuse for exactly five or six minutes or whether exactly 2 gm of tea is added to each pot provided the conditions are the same.
The requisite time having been given for infusing the leaf, the liquid is poured through a lid between the pot and lid into the tasting cup or bowl. The infused leaf, which remains behind, is placed in a recess in the pot lid. This recess is on the underside of the lid in

order that the infused leaf may be visible to the Taster and lid is reversed on the pot
with the recess and infused leaf uppermost. In this way the dry leaf, infused leaf, and liquor remain visible and within easy reach of the examiner. Any number of teas
prepared from the same kettle of boiling water is called a batch.

Infused Leaf
During the examination of the infused leaf, the following need careful attention:

• Colour
• Nose.

Colour and appearance
The perfect colour of infused leaf is that of bright copper or red. Colour should be of an even shade throughout and all the leaves of approximately the same size. Although copper and red are the perfect colours, they are by no means a common feature but are generally reserved for tea produced during the quality period on estates in districts renowned for producing quality tea. It is, therefore, reasonably safe to assume that bright coppery or red infused leaf denotes quality liquor and with redness flavour may also be present. The following terms are used by Tasters to distinguish between degrees of variation:

• Bright greenish
• Mixed
• Dull
• Dark

Bright greenish This usually implies that a tea has been under oxidised. Greenness is caused by leaf, which has failed to oxidised fully. Liquors obtained from a bright greenish infused leaf are generally quite brisk but to the point of possessing an unpleasant astringency or greenness. Colour and strength in cup may be lacking and quality will not be at its maximum; flavour on the other hand may not have been suffered.
During the Autumnal period hard green leaf may result in bright green infused leaf but in this case it is unavoidable and is to be expected.

Mixed -This term is used when variation in colour between individual pieces of leaf is very marked. The term is usually coupled with another such as dull, and more especially green. Pieces of green leaf in infused leaf are simply portions, which have failed to oxidise and are usually caused by coarse plucking, low withers or inadequate rolling. Both coarse plucking and low withering affect rolling; instead of the leaves being twisted they are merely cracked and broken. In this way leaf cells are not ruptured and consequently oxidation does not begin. Daily variations in manufacture will also produce mixed infused leaf in the bulk. Liquor characters will depend on the adjectives accompanying the description "mixed" and may vary between extremes.

Dull - Common plains teas manufactured during the monsoon period are often dull due to extremes of heat and the ideal conditions for bacterial development. Over oxidation is also responsible for this dull appearance. Liquors are generally coloury but are plain to the palate and completely devoid of quality. A little briskness may be present but never pungency.

Dark - Dark infused leaf is brought about by badly burning the tea in the firing machines or by severe bacterial infection. In both cases the effect on the liquor is most unpleasant.
Some Tasters prefer to use the term "dull" to cover both the meaning of "dull" and "dark".
NOSE
This is the aroma obtained on smelling the wet infused leaf and is best tasted when the leaf is fairly hot. Delicate aromas as found in Darjeeling are clearly perceptible at this stage. Faulty manufacture causing fruity, burnt, smoky, sour liquors etc., can also be detected from the nose of the infused leaf together with any taints which are foreign to tea.

LIQUOR
The appreciation of tea liquor is determined by tasting. This is done by sucking in a quantity of liquid and air from a spoon or straight from the tasting cup. The liquid is allowed to roll on the palate while the air taken in with the tea is allowed to pass out slowly through the nose. If necessary, further quantities of air may be taken in through the mouth and ejected via the nose. In this way flavours of the tea become perceptible as well as tastes. Tea tasting is as much a matter of smell as of taste.
The liquid should be tasted at a comfortable temperature and with as much noise as will ensure the sucking of the tea well up on to the palate. After a few seconds the liquid is ejected into a mobile spittoon. During those seconds the tea has been tasted and most of the liquoring properties have been examined.
Milk added to dull liquors produces a grey and slatey colour effect. This dullness is generally linked up with bacterial infection during manufacture although damp and old teas will produce the same fault.

COLOUR
Depth of colour will vary between all grades from the same estate. Generally the smaller the grade the more coloury the liquor; in this way leaf grades are expected to have a lighter liquor than the Brokens, Brokens a lighter liquor than the Fannings, etc. Geographical location also plays an important part. Brightness is a very important factor. Tea liquors should never be dull to the eye and degree of brightness often corresponds closely to degree of quality. Common teas although possessing good depth of colour, are sometimes dull in appearance.

QUALITY
This is the essential characteristic of a good tea and is an impression derived from the palate when tea liquor is tasted. Although it is not possible to explain what quality in tea actually tastes like, it is possible to say that common, coarse and plain liquors are severely lacking in this quality.

STRENGTH
This denotes substance in liquor and is generally described by a qualifying adjective such as "some", "a little "or" good. Liquor colour is a good guide to strength; pale and light looking tea liquors generally have less strength than coloury liquors. This, however, should only be used as a rough guide as it is not uncommon to find coloury liquor, which is lacking in strength and a light looking liquor with good strength. Within grades from the same estate, strength normally follows colour and the colouriest grades, usually Dusts, are the strongest. Teas from North East India are renowned for their strength and this is most pronounced in Assam manufactured by the C.T.C. process.

BRISKNESS
A live taste in tea liquor as opposed to flat or soft. Fresh spring water may possibly be described as being brisk when compared with cold boiled water. The taste is perceived from the gums and the under side of the tongue.
The extremes of briskness are pungent and soft. While certain districts are well known for producing pungent liquors, e.g., those in Assam and South Indian teas during the quality periods in particular, others produce tea with only a little briskness. The majority of these teas are manufactured during the monsoon period on low elevation estates. While it is not possible to produce pungent teas from all estates, it is nevertheless possible to produce soft liquor by faulty manufacture. This is generally linked up with extreme heating of the green leaf, bacterial infection, over oxidation or the packing of made tea with a high moisture content.
Briskness in tea liquor is a most desirable feature

FLAVOUR
Flavour is a most apparent aroma, which is perceived through the mouth as distinct from via the nose. The most delicate flavours are found on estates at high elevations. Indian teas from Darjeeling and the Nilgiri Hills are renowned for their fine flavoury liquors. Other flavours which are not as delicate or "refined" may be found on high or low elevation estates in other parts of the world. The fineness of flavour produced from an estate will vary according to the time of year. For this reason the most valuable Darjeeling teas are manufactured during the Second Flush period.
The flavour of tea also varies from country to country and district to district. A Tea Taster for instance would have no difficulty in differentiating between the flavours of Darjeeling.

MANUFACTURING FAULTS
Faults in manufacture, which affect liquoring properties, are many and varied. Desirable liquor characters, such as quality, flavour, briskness, etc., may be completely lost due to faulty manufacture. Other manufacturing errors may leave a marked and most unpleasant taste in the tea liquors. Those most commonly encountered are caused by firing at incorrect temperatures producing either stewed or burnt liquors. The firing machine is also responsible for teas having a smoky taste in cup.
Bacterial infection during manufacture is far from uncommon and is borne out by the number of fruity and sour teas which is put up for sale in practically every auction. Bacteria are often the cause of much liquor failing which are far too frequently put down to other manufacturing errors.
Tea should be packed at maximum moisture content of 4 %. To pack with moisture content of less that 3 % would be uneconomical. Packing with more than 4 % moisture will affect the keeping properties of the tea and eventually result in liquors becoming tired, flat, mouldy, out of condition etc.

Taints
Tea in the green leaf stage as well as made tea is subject to picking up taints from any odoriferous source. The following taints and sources are the ones most frequently encountered in tea liquors.

Tea Cream
Clouding of tea is a result of the colloidal precipitate that is formed. This is called "tea cream". Tea creaming takes place when black tea is cooled below 40OC. A weak complexation is formed between caffeine and polyphenols (theaflavins and thearubigins). The tendency to cream down varies from tea to tea. In black tea without milk, complexation and subsequent precipitation that occurs is negligible due to low (just 4%) caffeine.
In tea with a similar association takes place between the milk protein casein and various polyphenols. Due to the availability of casein in milk-tea the complexation is greater resulting in larger precipitation.

Tea Scum
Tea scum or the dark skin on the top of the brewed tea is the results of the high molecular weight component, which are, formed due to the influence of calcium and bicarbonate ions at the water interface. Very little scum is formed on a cup of very strong tea as the acidic tea polyphenols themselves partly neutralize the bicarbonate ions.
Lemon Tea
While lemon is added to liquor pH of the liquor is reduced and liquor becomes lighter and thin. At the reduced pH all of TF and also parts of TR are converted into anionic form, which imparts more bright and intense colour. This ionization also hinders protein complexation and therefore the briskness cannot be sensed on taste buds.

THE RAW MATERIAL
Quality of the end product in any process industry depends mainly on the raw material and tea is no exception. Apart from plucking standard, age of bush, stage from previous pruning, plucking round etc. are some of the important factors that contribute to the quality of the tea shoots. Besides, in the same shoot, the chemical composition of 1st leaf, 2nd leaf, other leaves, stem, etc. vary widely.

Chemical composition in relation to plucking
Quality of tea depends to a large extent on the standard of plucking because, while the quantity of essential chemical constituents gradually decrease in the older leaf, fibre and other insoluble materials increase. Thus, the manufacture starts with heterogeneous raw materials having different levels of chemical constituents and physical characteristics. When such materials are subjected to subsequent steps of processing each category responds differently resulting in some over-processed and some under-processed mass. The large volume of harvested shoot limits the technology to separate two and a bud and three and a bud, otherwise it would be ideal to separate them to different bays and perform manufacture separately.

The membranes separate the chemical constituents in different components in a normal leaf and therefore these constituents cannot come in contact and react. During processing the increase in cell permeability facilitates the intermixing of the constituents, which intensifies during later part of processing through cell disruption. When the cells are macerated the chemical constituents come in contact and instant oxidation reaction takes place leading to formation of larger phenolic compounds called theaflavins (TF) and polymeric thearubigin (TR). Depending upon the extent of the reaction of the phenolic compounds in presence of enzymes Black tea, Oolong tea or Green tea are produced.
Inhibiting the interaction of the enzymes and the catechins produces green tea. Oolong tea on the other hand is produced through partial oxidation of catechins. In the case of orthodox teas the oxidation is prolonged, while, in case of CTC, the oxidation is more intense.
For manufacture of black teas, the shoots pass through the following six distinct phases of processing:

• Leaf harvest and transport to factory
• Withering - physical and chemical
• Cell maceration
• Oxidation
• Drying
• Sorting and Packing

CLIMATE
Tea requires a moderately hot and humid climate. Climate influences yield, crop distribution and quality. Therefore, before cultivating tea in a new area, the suitability of the climate is the first point to be considered. Tea grows best on well-drained fertile acid soil on high lands.

Climatic factors

(UA: Upper Assam, CA : Central Assam, NB : North Bank, BV : Barak valley)
Temperature and RH : Temperature affects tea yield by influencing rate of photosynthesis and controlling growth and dormancy. In general, the ambient temperature within 13°C and 28-32°C is conducive for growth of tea. Maximum ambient temperature above 32°C is unfavourable for optimum photosynthesis more so if it is accompanied by low humidity. In the tea belts of this region, the average winter minimum temperature (Dec-Feb) remains below 12°C and there is hardly any growth during this period. Flushing commences from March with the rise in temperature. Winter dormancy however is the result of interaction of short day length and low temperature. Low temperature causes slower growth and low yield in the hill district of Darjeeling in comparison to the plains of Dooars and Assam. A humid climate and high RH favours growth of tea.

(UA: Upper Assam, CA : Central Assam, NB : North Bank, BV : Barak valley)
Temperature and RH : Temperature affects tea yield by influencing rate of photosynthesis and controlling growth and dormancy. In general, the ambient temperature within 13°C and 28-32°C is conducive for growth of tea. Maximum ambient temperature above 32°C is unfavourable for optimum photosynthesis more so if it is accompanied by low humidity. In the tea belts of this region, the average winter minimum temperature (Dec-Feb) remains below 12°C and there is hardly any growth during this period. Flushing commences from March with the rise in temperature. Winter dormancy however is the result of interaction of short day length and low temperature. Low temperature causes slower growth and low yield in the hill district of Darjeeling in comparison to the plains of Dooars and Assam. A humid climate and high RH favours growth of tea.
Day length: Day length influences growth and dormancy in tea bushes. When days of less than 11hr 15 min duration last for at least six weeks tea bushes become dormant. Hence the length of growing season decreases with increasing distance from the equator. Seasonal dormancy appears from around 18° North and South latitudes. In the Northeast India (25°-27°N latitude), the teabushes remain dormant during the winter season for about 3 months on account of the combined effects of short days and low temperature.

SOIL
Tea grows well on high land well drained soils having a good depth, acidic pH in the range 4.5 to 5.5 and more than 2% organic matter. Shallow and compacted sub-soils limit root growth. Tea plants growinn on such soils are liable to suffer from draught during dry period and water logging during the rainy months. There should not be any hard pan or concretions in the subsoil within 2m depths. The depth of ground water table should not be less than 90 cm for good growth of tea. Catchment planning is required for improved soil and water management practices in a tea estate for which land survey designed to identify all major and minor topographical features needs to be carried out.

BENEFITS OF TEA ON HEALTH

A large body of scientific evidence indicates the benefits of tea drinking for its wide range of medicinal properties. Tea prevents coronary heart disease, hypertension, blood sugar and tooth decay. Tea has also been reported to have antiviral and germicidal activity.

The most important medicinal value of tea is that it is anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic. The anticarcin ogenic activity contributed by the antioxidant polyphenols in tea has been shown to be in very low concentration even in consumer dosages. Thus tea offers tremendous scope of emerging as practical chemipreventive included in a healthy diet for protection of the general consumers by lowering the risk of different types of cancer.

Tea Research Association (TRA), Tocklai in collaboration with Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata has carried out studies on health aspects of black tea. In these studies, the influence of tea in totality was examined rather than evaluating isolated fractions. Results indicated the following:

Regular administration of low dose of black tea extracts (0.002-0.2%) significantly reduced the total cholesterol levels in rats.
Normal rates of black tea extracts significantly reduced the trigycerides levels.
The level of HDL (high density lipids) was increased though not significantly.
The levels of VLDL (very high density lipids) and LDL (low density lipids) showed a slight decrease but the effect was not significant.

Thus the results indicated that chronic administration of black tea is capable of reducing the total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in healthy animals. The flavonoids in tea prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

In another study effect of black tea consumption on diabetes mellitus was evaluated. Consumption of black and green tea could not only prevent the experimentally induced diabetes but was also found to be effective in curing diabetes induced by streptozotocin in rats.

The effect of black tea consumption on liver function was examined by monitoring the levels of SGOT (serum glutamic oxolacetic transaminase) and SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) in experimental hepatoxicity induced rats. Results indicated that consumption of black or green tea had no adverse effect on liver function in the experimental animals.

The influence of tea on muscular function was studied by examining the effect of hot water brew of black or green tea on the mammalian skeletomotor apparatus. Black tea extract produced a concentration dependent facilitation of muscle contraction induced by nerve stimulation.

The effect of tea consumption on experimentally induced gastric ulcer in rats was also carried out. Tea extracts was most effective in preventing ulcers induced by aspirin, indomethacine, cold resistant stress and reserpine.

Further studies on health aspects of tea are in progress.

Principal Components of Black Tea Beverage

Catechins  3
Theaflavins 3
Thearubigins 12
Flavanols 6
Phenolic acids and Depsides 10
Amino acids 13
Methylxanthines  8
Carbohydrates 10
Protein 0.8
Mineral matter 8
Volatiles 0.05

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA
Written by Gloria Tsang R.D.

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. Whether it is black, green or red (oolong) tea, they all contain polyphenols which give tea its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants may help protect our body from free radical damage. Indeed, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score which measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

BENEFITS OF TEA
Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols. Some studies indeed suggested that tea's polyphenols may reduce risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. Other laboratory studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. A recent study published in December 2005 showed that just 2 cups of tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.

Tea: Black, green or red?
The more processing tea leaves undergo, the darker they will turn. Green tea is the least processed tea. They are simply steamed quickly. Black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. As we have mentioned before, regardless of the processing method, all teas contain polyphenols.

Tea: Caffeine content
According to the American Dietetic Association, a cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffeine, compared to 85mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

What about Herbal Tea?
Black, green and red teas derive their leaves from a warm-weather evergreen tree known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves from this tree contains polyphenols. Herbal tea is not derived from this leaf and so does not have this particular health-promoting properties. Indeed, most herbal teas in the market are NOT tea at all. They are only infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plants. The proper term for this type of beverage is "tisane". Therefore, read the labels properly. Although tisane does not contain as much polyphenols, it does promote other various health qualities such as relaxation and calming effects.

What about Decaf Tea?

THE MIRACLE OF GREEN TEA

 "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one." (Ancient Chinese Proverb) 

More of this Feature 
• The Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

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Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression.  In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. 

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:

cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
cariovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function

What makes green tea so special?

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.  The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed.  Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases. 

Other Benefits

New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters.   In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.  Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.

Harmful Effects?

To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine.   However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.   

"Mice which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of ageing than mice that were fed water, with oolong tea showing significantly better results than green tea."

If you are the type to fret over the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of growing old, oolong tea may be the answer to your worries.

Details of the study, conducted jointly by scientists from America, Taiwan and Tokushima University in Japan, were given at the 17th International Congress of Nutrition in Vienna, Austria late last month.

In the experiment, groups of six-month-old 'senescence-accelerated mice' (SAMs) were separately fed water, green tea and oolong tea over a 16-week period. SAMs age twice as quickly as ordinary laboratory mice.

Checking hair loss, age spots, the condition of skin around the eyes and other indicators of ageing, the scientists found that male SAMs which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of ageing than mice that were fed water, with oolong tea showing significantly better results than green tea.

Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes"

"Oolong tea is effective in lowering the plasma glucose levels of subjects who have type 2 diabetes and who take oral amihyperglycemic agents. Oolong tea, in conjunction with antihyperglycemic agents, was more effective in lowering plasma glucose than were the drugs alone."
Diabetes Care, June 2003

Keep Air and Light Out

ANTIOXIDANTS
Tea contains polyphenols, a group of naturally occurring antioxidants. Anti oxidants have special curative properties since they help in slowing the aging process and cell damage.

An anti oxidant is a substance that prevents oxidation. In the process of oxidation electron from one substance is transferred to another (called the oxidizing agent) and the transferee is called the oxidized substance. This oxidation creates free radicals which attack neighboring molecules taking up electrons from these substances and getting oxidized in the process. Cumulatively this process can lead to cell damage on a large scale. If a substance, an anti oxidant, is introduced which can neutralize the free radicals and get oxidized in the process then cell damage can be largely contained. It is therefore imperative that we supplement our diets with natural antioxidants. Green tea is also associated with anti cholesterol properties and dieticians use green tea for a healthy weight loss programs.

Further Reading:

Tea may lower the risk of ovarian cancer
http://www.healthcastle.com/tea-ovarian-cancer.shtml

Herbal Tea
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/h/herbal_tea.htm

Super Foods and Dietary Supplements
http://www.healthcastle.com/food_supplements.shtml

Top Five Healiest Food
http://www.healthcastle.com/best-healthiest-foods.shtml

Tea Tasting
Dry Leaf
The dry leaf is generally placed on a piece of white paper and the following points are recorded:
. Grade.
. Colour of the leaf.
. Make and style.
. Nose.
. Feel.
Grades
The teas have to be classified as per their grades.
Colour of the Leaf
Greyness in tea is not desirable as it denotes faulty manufacture; generally during sorting. The thin and varnish like coating on the dry leaf is rubbed off and results in a grey colour. This coating is soluble in water and plays an important part in liquoring properties. If absent, the tea must ne

cessarily have been deprived of its fullest liquoring capabilities. A brown appearance, on the other hand, is often unavoidable with very tippy tea. The reason for this is the hair growth down the shoot, which has been picked for manufacture. The second leaf may have a quantity of hair insufficient to produce a golden appearance known as tip but sufficient to discolour the leaf to that of a brownish colour. Also during rolling some hair may be rubbed off the bud and possibly the first leaf and deposited on the coarser leaf. During firing this hair is affixed to the leaf and results in a brownish leaf appearance.
Some teas produce a reddish appearance at certain times of the year. This is generally found during the autumnal period when growth is slow and the tea shoots become less succulent tinged leaf throughout the year. A reddish appearance in dry leaf is undesirable if caused by coarse plucking. In this case the red appearance brought about by hard and coarse leaf is considerably emphasized by the presence of red stalk.
Make and Style:
This covers the general appearance of a grade. Here the expert decides whether the tea has a well-rolled and tightly twisted leaf as compared to open and flaky. Flaky tea also tends to infuse more quickly with the result that a second application of boiling water will produce inferior liquor compared to the liquor after similar treatment of a well rolled and twisted leaf. Although tip in itself has limited liquoring properties, it is nevertheless an excellent indication that the grade in question has been made from the finer shoots of the tea bush. Tip should be golden in colour and not pale, silvery or dull. Pale or silvery tip is caused by over withering and is usually accompanied by the thin liquors consistent with high withers. Dull tip is often seen in teas with a grey leaf appearance; in this instance tip has been damaged together with the leaf. Incorrect rolling will tend to damage tip and at the same time leave the leaf black in appearance. Should stalk and fibre be present, coarse plucking will be mainly responsible. Stalk in tea is most undesirable and liquors are generally inferior unless stalk and fibre have been produced by a very severe manufacturing treatment such as the C.T.C. process. In this case stalk and fibre are often unavoidable even with fairly succulent tea shoots. Stalk is merely the woody portion of the stem and is noticeable by its red appearance in a black tea. Fibre consists of shreds of stalk. Size of leaf is also a major point and the desirability of a grade being the correct size, large or small will depend on the buyer's requirements.
Sorting
This should be regular, even and yield pieces of roughly equal size. A mixed tea containing a quantity of another grade, such as B.O.P. containing fannings, an O.P. containing dust etc., is most undesirable.
Nose
This is simply a matter of smelling the dry leaf and except for flavoury sorts is best done by burying the nose in the leaf, exhaling and smelling the aroma given off. The flavoury teas can be more fully appreciated by nosing without warming the leaf previously with the breath.
A considerable amount of information is obtained from nosing the dry leaf. Taints picked up during transit can be easily recognized together with manufacturing faults producing liquors, which are "burnt", "smoky", etc. A tea, which is old or out of condition can also be spotted at this stage.
Feel
This merely informs the expert whether and to what degree a tea is spongy, i.e. lacking density. It also ensures that a tea is not damp. If properly fired and preserved, a tea should be crisp to the touch when containing approximately 4% moisture. Teas with high moisture content deteriorate rapidly and are avoided by most buyers.
Decoction
About 2 gm of tea per 100 ml of water is weighed into porcelain pots provided with lids. Water, which has just reached boiling point, is then poured into the pots as quickly as possible. Speed is necessary at this stage to ensure that even the last tea for examination receives water, which is still boiling. Fresh water and water heated to the precise point of boiling is essential. Water, which is stale or has been over or under, boiled, will have a marked effect on the tea liquors. Water used for tasting should have its pH as close to 7 as possible and should not have dissolved impurities, metallic salts, in particular. After the water has been added the tea should be allowed to infuse for five or six minutes. As in all cases of comparison, conditions must be the same and it is of little consequence whether the tea is allowed to infuse for exactly five or six minutes or whether exactly 2 gm of tea is added to each pot provided the conditions are the same.
The requisite time having been given for infusing the leaf, the liquid is poured through a lid between the pot and lid into the tasting cup or bowl. The infused leaf, which remains behind, is placed in a recess in the pot lid. This recess is on the underside of the lid in order that the infused leaf may be visible to the Taster and lid is reversed on the pot with the recess and infused leaf uppermost. In this way the dry leaf, infused leaf, and liquor remain visible and within easy reach of the examiner. Any number of teas prepared from the same kettle of boiling water is called a batch.
Infused Leaf
During the examination of the infused leaf, the following need careful attention:

• Colour
• Nose.

Colour and appearance
The perfect colour of infused leaf is that of bright copper or red. Colour should be of an even shade throughout and all the leaves of approximately the same size. Although copper and red are the perfect colours, they are by no means a common feature but are generally reserved for tea produced during the quality period on estates in districts renowned for producing quality tea. It is, therefore, reasonably safe to assume that bright coppery or red infused leaf denotes quality liquor and with redness flavour may also be present. The following terms are used by Tasters to distinguish between degrees of variation:

• Bright greenish
• Mixed
• Dull
• Dark

Bright greenish: This usually implies that a tea has been under oxidised. Greenness is caused by leaf, which has failed to oxidised fully. Liquors obtained from a bright greenish infused leaf are generally quite brisk but to the point of possessing an unpleasant astringency or greenness. Colour and strength in cup may be lacking and quality will not be at its maximum; flavour on the other hand may not have been suffered.
During the Autumnal period hard green leaf may result in bright green infused leaf but in this case it is unavoidable and is to be expected.
Mixed: -This term is used when variation in colour between individual pieces of leaf is very marked. The term is usually coupled with another such as dull, and more especially green. Pieces of green leaf in infused leaf are simply portions, which have failed to oxidise and are usually caused by coarse plucking, low withers or inadequate rolling. Both coarse plucking and low withering affect rolling; instead of the leaves being twisted they are merely cracked and broken. In this way leaf cells are not ruptured and consequently oxidation does not begin. Daily variations in manufacture will also produce mixed infused leaf in the bulk. Liquor characters will depend on the adjectives accompanying the description "mixed" and may vary between extremes.
Dull: - Common plains teas manufactured during the monsoon period are often dull due to extremes of heat and the ideal conditions for bacterial development. Over oxidation is also responsible for this dull appearance. Liquors are generally coloury but are plain to the palate and completely devoid of quality. A little briskness may be present but never pungency.
Dark: - Dark infused leaf is brought about by badly burning the tea in the firing machines or by severe bacterial infection. In both cases the effect on the liquor is most unpleasant.
Some Tasters prefer to use the term "dull" to cover both the meaning of "dull" and "dark".
Nose
This is the aroma obtained on smelling the wet infused leaf and is best tasted when the leaf is fairly hot. Delicate aromas as found in Darjeeling are clearly perceptible at this stage. Faulty manufacture causing fruity, burnt, smoky, sour liquors etc., can also be detected from the nose of the infused leaf together with any taints which are foreign to tea.
Liquor
The appreciation of tea liquor is determined by tasting. This is done by sucking in a quantity of liquid and air from a spoon or straight from the tasting cup. The liquid is allowed to roll on the palate while the air taken in with the tea is allowed to pass out slowly through the nose. If necessary, further quantities of air may be taken in through the mouth and ejected via the nose. In this way flavours of the tea become perceptible as well as tastes. Tea tasting is as much a matter of smell as of taste.
The liquid should be tasted at a comfortable temperature and with as much noise as will ensure the sucking of the tea well up on to the palate. After a few seconds the liquid is ejected into a mobile spittoon. During those seconds the tea has been tasted and most of the liquoring properties have been examined.
Milk added to dull liquors produces a grey and slatey colour effect. This dullness is generally linked up with bacterial infection during manufacture although damp and old teas will produce the same fault.
Colour
Depth of colour will vary between all grades from the same estate. Generally the smaller the grade the more coloury the liquor; in this way leaf grades are expected to have a lighter liquor than the Brokens, Brokens a lighter liquor than the Fannings, etc. Geographical location also plays an important part. Brightness is a very important factor. Tea liquors should never be dull to the eye and degree of brightness often corresponds closely to degree of quality. Common teas although possessing good depth of colour, are sometimes dull in appearance.
Quality
This is the essential characteristic of a good tea and is an impression derived from the palate when tea liquor is tasted. Although it is not possible to explain what quality in tea actually tastes like, it is possible to say that common, coarse and plain liquors are severely lacking in this quality.
Strength
This denotes substance in liquor and is generally described by a qualifying adjective such as "some", "a little "or" good. Liquor colour is a good guide to strength; pale and light looking tea liquors generally have less strength than coloury liquors. This, however, should only be used as a rough guide as it is not uncommon to find coloury liquor, which is lacking in strength and a light looking liquor with good strength. Within grades from the same estate, strength normally follows colour and the colouriest grades, usually Dusts, are the strongest. Teas from North East India are renowned for their strength and this is most pronounced in Assam manufactured by the C.T.C. process.
Briskness
A live taste in tea liquor as opposed to flat or soft. Fresh spring water may possibly be described as being brisk when compared with cold boiled water. The taste is perceived from the gums and the under side of the tongue.
The extremes of briskness are pungent and soft. While certain districts are well known for producing pungent liquors, e.g., those in Assam and South Indian teas during the quality periods in particular, others produce tea with only a little briskness. The majority of these teas are manufactured during the monsoon period on low elevation estates. While it is not possible to produce pungent teas from all estates, it is nevertheless possible to produce soft liquor by faulty manufacture. This is generally linked up with extreme heating of the green leaf, bacterial infection, over oxidation or the packing of made tea with a high moisture content.
Briskness in tea liquor is a most desirable feature
Flavour
Flavour is a most apparent aroma, which is perceived through the mouth as distinct from via the nose. The most delicate flavours are found on estates at high elevations. Indian teas from Darjeeling and the Nilgiri Hills are renowned for their fine flavoury liquors. Other flavours which are not as delicate or "refined" may be found on high or low elevation estates in other parts of the world. The fineness of flavour produced from an estate will vary according to the time of year. For this reason the most valuable Darjeeling teas are manufactured during the Second Flush period.
The flavour of tea also varies from country to country and district to district. A Tea Taster for instance would have no difficulty in differentiating between the flavours of Darjeeling.
Manufacturing Faults
Faults in manufacture, which affect liquoring properties, are many and varied. Desirable liquor characters, such as quality, flavour, briskness, etc., may be completely lost due to faulty manufacture. Other manufacturing errors may leave a marked and most unpleasant taste in the tea liquors. Those most commonly encountered are caused by firing at incorrect temperatures producing either stewed or burnt liquors. The firing machine is also responsible for teas having a smoky taste in cup.
Bacterial infection during manufacture is far from uncommon and is borne out by the number of fruity and sour teas which is put up for sale in practically every auction. Bacteria are often the cause of much liquor failing which are far too frequently put down to other manufacturing errors.
Tea should be packed at maximum moisture content of 4 %. To pack with moisture content of less that 3 % would be uneconomical. Packing with more than 4 % moisture will affect the keeping properties of the tea and eventually result in liquors becoming tired, flat, mouldy, out of condition etc.
Taints

Tea Cream
Clouding of tea is a result of the colloidal precipitate that is formed. This is called "tea cream". Tea creaming takes place when black tea is cooled below 40OC. A weak complexation is formed between caffeine and polyphenols (theaflavins and thearubigins). The tendency to cream down varies from tea to tea. In black tea without milk, complexation and subsequent precipitation that occurs is negligible due to low (just 4%) caffeine.
In tea with a similar association takes place between the milk protein casein and various polyphenols. Due to the availability of casein in milk-tea the complexation is greater resulting in larger precipitation.
Tea Scum
Tea scum or the dark skin on the top of the brewed tea is the results of the high molecular weight component, which are, formed due to the influence of calcium and bicarbonate ions at the water interface. Very little scum is formed on a cup of very strong tea as the acidic tea polyphenols themselves partly neutralize the bicarbonate ions.
Lemon Tea
While lemon is added to liquor pH of the liquor is reduced and liquor becomes lighter and thin. At the reduced pH all of TF and also parts of TR are converted into anionic form, which imparts more bright and intense colour. This ionization also hinders protein complexation and therefore the briskness cannot be sensed on taste buds
The Raw Material
Quality of the end product in any process industry depends mainly on the raw material and tea is no exception. Apart from plucking standard, age of bush, stage from previous pruning, plucking round etc. are some of the important factors that contribute to the quality of the tea shoots. Besides, in the same shoot, the chemical composition of 1st leaf, 2nd leaf, other leaves, stem, etc. vary widely.
Chemical composition in relation to plucking
Quality of tea depends to a large extent on the standard of plucking because, while the quantity of essential chemical constituents gradually decrease in the older leaf, fibre and other insoluble materials increase. Thus, the manufacture starts with heterogeneous raw materials having different levels of chemical constituents and physical characteristics. When such materials are subjected to subsequent steps of processing each category responds differently resulting in some over-processed and some under-processed mass. The large volume of harvested shoot limits the technology to separate two and a bud and three and a bud, otherwise it would be ideal to separate them to different bays and perform manufacture separately.
The shoots of tea plants contain large range of chemicals of which the catechins are the most important characteristics for manufacture of black tea. The leaves also contain polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (PO), which are enzymes capable of oxidizing catechins. The overall constituents of the tealeaf as located in different cell compartments are as under:

The membranes separate the chemical constituents in different components in a normal leaf and therefore these constituents cannot come in contact and react. During processing the increase in cell permeability facilitates the intermixing of the constituents, which intensifies during later part of processing through cell disruption. When the cells are macerated the chemical constituents come in contact and instant oxidation reaction takes place leading to formation of larger phenolic compounds called theaflavins (TF) and polymeric thearubigin (TR). Depending upon the extent of the reaction of the phenolic compounds in presence of enzymes Black tea, Oolong tea or Green tea are produced.
Inhibiting the interaction of the enzymes and the catechins produces green tea. Oolong tea on the other hand is produced through partial oxidation of catechins. In the case of orthodox teas the oxidation is prolonged, while, in case of CTC, the oxidation is more intense.

Darjeeling Tea tasting is a refined art which necessarily encompasses a large number of variables. A taster’s palate and olfactory senses are finely sensitive and highly discriminatory.

An experienced taster can identify the garden, ambient conditions of the plucking day and can even suggest adjustments in the manufacturing process. A taster uses his sharp sense of sight, smell, touch and taste while judging the quality of the tea.

A taster must also have an in-depth knowledge about the prevailing market conditions, consumer preferences and manufacturing techniques while evaluating the tea. These are endowments of birth - it would be true to say that tasters are born and not made. These natural talents, however, have to be trained and developed through long years of practice before the palate is proficient enough to register the minute differences. This is particularly true for Darjeeling Tea Tasters as the quality of tea differs from invoice to invoice and being an exclusive tea, it has no yardstick to standardise against.

It is only an excellent cup that truly cheers and taste is perceptible only by the human palate - No wonder that this craft is viewed with a tinge of awe and wonderment.

Tasting Procedure:
In the tasting procedure, pots and cups made of the finest china, kept spotlessly clean, are used; 2.5 gm of each tea is weighed into pots and water which has just come to the boil is poured over it. The pots are then covered with a lid and the tea is infused for either 5 or 6 minutes, depending on the individual taster’s preference. The liquor is poured out into a cup and the tea is ready for tasting.
The colour and evenness of the infusion, as also its nose, are an index to the intrinsic value of the brew. This examination takes place in a well lit room away from direct sunlight, shade and shadow. Light from the north, which is steady and uniform, is ideal.
The scrutiny of the leaf and infusion over, the taster turns his attention to the liquor and takes a sip from the cup, rolls it in his mouth and spits it out. In that split second, the palate registers the taste - Flavour, briskness, strength and any faults and flaws are recorded and the taster is ready with his judgement.
The tea taster’s is a specialised function demanding talent cultivated during years of training and experience. The sense of taste is only one of the many faculties a taster must cultivate. Of the five human senses of smell, sight and touch areas essential in tasting tea as is the sense of taste. The term ‘tea tasting’ is therefore a part-nomer for what is a comprehensive examination of tea.

Close Scrutiny
Before a taster Begins his work, sample of tea are infused or brewed. Each sample is infused in boiling water for six minutes. The liquor or liquid is then separated from the infused leaf. White porcelain cups and pots are use to ensure an authentic view of liquor colour.
When ready for tasting, the taster first examine two or three ounces of dry leaf tea. Good black tea should have a uniform black colour with a bloom or sheen. it should contain golden tips( the more the better) which come from the ‘buds’ and not from two leafs. Brown stalk and fibre are unwelcome as they represent the hard stem between leaves. The taster checks the size and evenness of the leaves. The style of the tea is just as important; a well twisted heavy leaf is desirable while a flaky style is not. His sense of touch helps him verify whether the tea is crisp and well-dried. A spongy feel indicates that the tea contains a high percentage of moisture and therefore will not ‘Keep’ well deteriorate early.
Decisive factor
Then tea taster’s eye turn to the infused leaf to see its colour, its uniformity and brightness. The infused leaf gives a cross-section view of the tea and therefore a look of sniff are helpful.
Until now the taster has not used his palate which is of course, the most decisive factor in the examination of tea, but before he tastes, he carefully looks at the colour of liquor to see how bright and golden it is.He then proceeds to taste by sipping about a spoonful of the liquor and rolling it in his mouth for a few second
before spitting it out. In the course of the few second that the liquor in his mouth, the taster registers how strong and brisk it is. Strength is thickness while briskness (life or pungency which spring water has but water from a lake does not) is a property of a good tea which will ‘keep’ well.
In these same few seconds, the taster also judges the final aspects of the liquor. Character is the distinctive taste which depends upon the area in which tea is grown.
Quality is aroma which is found in abundance only during certain seasons of the year when leaf growth is slow. flavor or bouquet is the ultimate in tea liquor and, being rare, is much sought after. a Darjeeling tea with an outstanding flavor can be worth Rs. 1600 per Kg or More.

Palate Memory
Trained sensitive taste buds and a keen sense of smell are essential to detect so much in such a short time, but they are not all.An encyclopedic palate memory is must for a successful tea taster. No tea can be tasted and valued in abstract. The taster must be able to compare it with a number of teas he have tasted over years and which are no longer available. Without experience and a long association with a wide range of teas, a taster can not do justice to his work.

The taster is often called upon to assist the producer in improving quality. He must be intimately familiar with the various process of tea manufacture. Otherwise he cannot relate a shortcoming in the tea with a particular fault in manufacture.

Darjeeling tea tasting is a refined art which confines to the professional tea tasters. This technique conforms to a standard procedure that ensures the valid comparisons between the tea samples. For this purpose tea samples are laid out in batches and liquor is prepared from each one. Tea tasting accessories comprise of porcelain tea pots of 100 ml, sand watch of 5 minutes and stainless steel kettle. For tasting, 2 percent tea brew is prepared for which 2 g made tea is infused for 5 minutes in just boiled 100 ml of distilled water. The liquors are poured off into porcelain bowl and the infused leaf is shaken on to the lid by inverting the cup. The inverted lid with infused leaf is replaced on the cup. For valuation purposes these liquors are tasted without milk and sugar while a blender prefers to taste the liquor with milk in little larger cups. In organoleptic assessment of tea quality, tea taster first examines the dry tea for colour, uniformity, tips and aroma and then passes on to the infused leaf which ideally should be devoid of green tinge and full size unfold leaf bearing copper colour. A quality cup is judged by bright, clear and less coloury liquors with maked greenish -pinkish tinges meniscus where the liquor touches the bowl. During tasting the liquors are sipped into mouth with inward breath. This brings the liquor into intimate contact with the tongue, palate and the buccal cavity of the mouth which are physiologically sensitive to the flavour, strength and astringency. The sipped liquor is not swallowed but expectorated into the spittoon. A tea taster’s report relate to the leaf style, brightness, colour, astringency, flavour and order of preference of tea samples. With the whole process he also describes manufacturing disorders/mishandling of leaf in the factory with appropriate suggestions for rectification.
Tea quality and Seasons Nestling in the foothills of the snow covered Himalayan range, Darjeeling grows this exclusive tea at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2000 metres. The cool moist climate, the soil, the rainfall and the sloping terrain, all combine to give Darjeeling its unique ‘Muscatel’ flavour and exquisite bouquet. The exquisite qualities of Darjeeling tea manifest themselves distinctly during the growing season from March to November each year. Tea quality is assessed by subjective judgement of the tea taster. So far, no chemical index is established for the quality. In general, quality of Darjeeling tea is characterized by the presence of higher level of monoterpenes and differs significantly with Assam and south Indian teas on this parameter. The later teas are, however, rich in non-terpenoids. A quantitative change in the level of terpenoids and non-terpenoids bring about the changes in the quantity of flavour of these teas. To date around 600 volatile flavoury compounds are known to exist. Characteristic “muscatel flavour” of Darjeeling teas are reported to be associated mainly to comply with viz. 2, 6-dimethyl-3, 7-octadiene-2, 6-diol and 3, 7- dimethyl-1, 5, 7-octatriene-3-ol.
After a period of dormancy in the winter months, in March and April the bushes offer delicate new shoots which provide a grey-green glazed leaf appearance, a light clear liquor, fresh bright and lively character with a pleasant hint of mild astringency to the palate. The infused leaf has a prominent lime greenish brightness and a floral scent. These are the “Spring teas”.
The famed Darjeeling “Summer teas” are produced from May onwards. The succulent leaves result in a very attractive tea with a purplish bloom and a sprinkling of silvery tips (buds). The liquor characteristics show a change, tasting round, mellow, mature, sometimes with a pronounced muscatel flavour and more colour in the cup than in spring. During this period, the infused leaf turns a bright copper / purple colour, expressing a rich and full bodied aroma.
“Monsoon teas” have more colour, and are stronger produced from mid-July to September. These form the bulk of the “breakfast’ blends.
“Autumnal quality” makes its presence felt during the months of October and November. The appearance of the tea takes on a light copper / brownish tinge and liquors have a delicate yet sparkling character, a delightful flavour distinctly different from both spring and summer teas. The infused leaf has a coppery gold brightness with a sweet, fresh ‘nose’.
Even within this broad categorisation of quality changes over the seasons, individual estates consistently assert their personalities as distinctly recognizable individual entities. This complexity gives Darjeeling tea a part of its legendary appeal.

Brewing
:: Put one heaped teaspoon of Darjeeling tea per cup in a pre-wormed tea pot and pour boiling water. This may be varied to suit taste and local water. Brew for 3 minutes. Add milk and sugar to taste.
:: For a cool long drink in summer - pour a pot of brewed tea, double strength, through a sieve into a jug full of ice cubes. Serve chilled.

It is the taster who describes and values tea. His description of the liquor is based on taste. In its widest sense, which includes aroma, taste is a very complex property that has so far not been assessed chemically. A taster may deal with several hundred tea samples in a day. In making his evaluation, he brings his knowledge and experience of the outturn of a particular estate to bear upon his conclusions.
Principles of Tasting
Tea tasting has its own distinct routines. The taster takes the tea into his mouth with a loud sucking noise. He swirls the liquor round his tongue and gums, drawing the aroma back into his mouth and up into the olfactory nerves. The taster, thereby, tastes feels and smells the liquid.
While it is mainly the tongue that experiences taste, other surfaces of the mouth also play a role here. There are four kinds of tastes - salt, sour, sweet and bitter. Sweetness is tasted at the tip of the tongue, and bitterness at the back. Saltines too are tasted at the tip, but also at the sides of the front of the tongue. Sourness is experienced at the back edges. A stringency or pungency is a sensation, not a taste, that is felt on the gums and part of the cheek. When the liquor is swirled round the mouth, the thickness, body or viscosity is felt and judged.
Tea tasting is a precise skill and one that can be performed only with a good natural palate and active olfactory nerve. Apart from tasting and describing tea, the ability to value a tea calls for long experience and knowledge.

The Taster’s Infusion

to the inverted lid, which is placed on top of the mug.
For tasters, “infused” leaf refers to the wet leaf left over after the liquor is drained out; “infusion” refers to the liquor.
A number of mugs are set up at a time. When the taster steps up to a table with a number of such mugs, set behind each will be set a sample of the dry tea leaf too.