Tea is one of the most relishing beverages in our country. Our star of the day is the tea-leaf, We will discuss the different stages, it undergoes inside the factory, to groom itself to be our milk’s companion and provide us with the instant dose of energy, the moment we drink a cup.
Mostly manual harvesting is preferred, sometimes mechanical harvesters may also be used.
Withering
Withering is done to remove moisture and to prepare the leaf for the next process, in this the green leaves are spread over the troughs and the air is blown from the bottom so that air passes through the leaves, either by air heater or exhaust. The temperature of withering is about 20-30 deg Celcius.
Rolling
Rolling twists the leaf and breaks the cell structure to release the juices for oxidation where many beneficial enzymes are released.
Fermentation
The rolling is followed by fermentation, which is a biochemical oxidation process, and this is where the desired flavor of the tea is produced.
Drying
The fermented particles are dried by passing hot air and the temperature is about 90 to 160-degree Celcius, which reduces the moisture content to about 3% in the final product.
Grading and packing
The tea is sorted into different grades by passing through different sieves that classify them by difference in the size of the tea particles and sent for packaging as per the need.
There are about five varieties of tea
Black tea
Green tea
White tea
Oolong tea
Pu-er tea
Around the world with food technology
Mechanical pressure pulse or shockwave technology is an innovative technology in food processing used for the tenderization of meat, and this is to be applied to tea processing, which would be a revolution in tea processing, according to food scientists.
Antioxidants for health
Ginger, cardamom, and all the Indian herbs, traditionally used while making tea, is a powerful package of antioxidants that can keep us healthy and strong.
Tea processing for life
To brew a lot of positivity and happiness, we need to clean up withered leaves in our garden of life. We should leave our past behind and keep going despite the ups and downs of life, with energy and enthusiasm.
An interesting piece of information
Red tea or rooibos tea is a caffeine-free, herbal tea that is most sorted when it comes to health benefits, and this is native to South Africa.
