History of tea
Since 1690, E. Kaempfer named the bush “Thea”
sinensis
In 1753, C. Linné named Camellia sinensis
Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze
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Countries grow tea plant
Tea growing areas of Bangladesh
Until the independence of the Bangladesh in 1971, tea
was cultivated in only two districts in Bangladesh, one in
Sylhet district which was known as 'Surma Valley' and the
other in Chittagong district which was known as 'Halda
Valley'.
At present the ‘Surma Valley’ of Greater Sylhet is divided
into six valleys namely: Laskarpur Valley, Balisera Valley,
Manu-Dalai Valley, Longla Valley and North Sylhet Valley.
‘Halda Valley’ has been made into ‘Chittagong Valley’.
Since 2002, the Tea cultivation was also introduced in
other parts of Bangladesh namely Panchagarh,
Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Dinajpur and
Bandarban in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
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Teas and health benefits
Tea as a panacea
Anti-carcinogenic activity
◼ Lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer; stomach, pancreatic, oesophageal,
and colon cancers
Anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties
◼ Dental and oral diseases
◼ AIDS
Cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties
◼ Heart disease
◼ Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases
Flavonoids and other components in tea
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Core stages
Plucking
Preservation
Processing
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Categories of tea
Based on fermentation level
Unfermented tea (Green tea)
Full fermented tea (Black tea)
Partly fermented tea
(Oolong tea, Pouchong tea)
Based on tea-shape
Loose, compressed form (tea brick),
and powder teas
Based on processing-method
Raw and scented teas
Courtesy: [Link]
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Tea extracts and their applications
Strong infusions
❖ Strong infusion are made by soaking tea leaves in alcohol/water mixtures (the
catechin content is about 2% w/v)
Soft extracts
❖ Soft extract are made by concentrating the strong infusion to a water content of
20-25% (the catechin content is about 20% w/w)
Dry extracts
❖ Dry extract are made by spray drying the strong infusion after they have been
concentrated to 40-50% solids (Catechin ~ 25% w/w)
Partly purified extracts
Purified catechins
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Steps in Tea Processing
1. Harvesting
Tea harvesting is the most delicate stage in tea processing. It is done twice a year
during early spring and early summer. Picking of tea leaves during autumn or
Withering times for different teas
winter is less common though it’s possible with a favorable climate.
➢ Yellow: 2-4 hours
When harvesting tea, pluckers harvest the leaves diligently to avoid damage. The
➢ White: 12-36 hours
majority of the tea leaves in the market are harvested by hand picking though ➢ Chinese green: 2-4 hours
some industries use mechanical pluckers. ➢ Japanese green: 30-60 mins
➢ Black: 4-18 hours
➢ Oolong: 30 mins- 2 hours
2. Withering
Withering is the first industrial process in the manufacture of tea. During the stage, tea markers prepare the tea
leaves for processing. This is done by softening the tea leaves and expelling the excess water in the leaves.
Harvested tea leaves contain between 74-83% of water which withering lowers down to around 70%.
After lowering water content in the tea leaves, the leaves become flaccid which makes it easier to twist and
curl them. Withering is a very delicate process in tea processing which tea makers describe its effect as one
that “makes or mars the tea”. Since water content in leaves vary with different seasons, a tea maker must set
the appropriate withering levels to ensure the production of high-quality tea. To control the withering level, a
tea maker usually adjusts the withering to a range of 3 hours- 18 hours.
Plucking and Weathering of Tea leaves
3. Rolling
The purpose of rolling is primarily to break up the leaf cells or compartments and to mix
up the chemical components of the leaves with the enzymes. Various types of rollers are
used to achieve this objective. The first roll is often very gentle and known as the ‘pre-
conditioning roll’ . The main action of the pre-conditioning roll has been found to be the
gentle expression of the leaf juice on to the surface of the twisted particles. These juices
dry up on the surface of the particles to contribute to the blackness of tea. Subsequent
rolling is programmed to achieve a thorough breakdown of the leaf cells. A considerable
amount of heat is generated by friction during the rolling process, but care must be
exercised to ensure that temperature does not exceed 35ºC (95ºF) because undesirable
chemical and enzyme reactions could occur at higher temperatures.
Purpose: To break up the leaf cells & mix up the chemical components of the leaf.
How it is done: In a Roller which applies pressure on the leaf in stages, using a rolling
motion.
4. Fermentation/Oxidisation
Once the leaf is sifted through the Roll Breaker, it is spread out on an even surface and left to allow oxidisation or what is
referred to as fermentation. The process of fermentation represents a series of complex chemical reactions which begin at the
moment when the leaf is broken in the roller. The breaking up of cells which causes the mixing up of the enzymes with the other
chemical compounds within the cell results in a number of reactions; the most important being the oxidation of polyphenols. An
additional reaction that occurs during fermentation is the formation of some
flavour compounds.
Purpose: To allow the macerated leaf to oxidise or ‘ferment’ which is where important chemical reactions take place.
How it is done: In a Roller which applies pressure on the leaf in stages, using a rolling motion.
5. Firing/Drying
The process of firing removes most of the leaf moisture and stops fermentation by destroying the enzymes. Further, the
flavour of the tea is ‘balanced’ during firing because some of the lesser desirable low boiling compounds are removed
thus accentuating the presence of more useful higher boiling compounds.
Purpose: To stop the fermentation and chemical reactions in the tea leaves.
How it is done: The fermented leaves are passed through the dryer which generates high heat.
6. Sorting & Grading
The fired tea leaves are sorted into particle sizes by sending them through sifters
that sift them through different meshes. This helps to categorise the teas into the
different grades – Dust, Pekoe, BOP etc.
Purpose: To sort the tea leaves into the desired grades.
How it is done: by sending the tea leaves through different sifters and mesh sizes.
7. Packaging
a. Tea bags: In 1907, American tea merchant Thomas Sullivan began distributing samples of his tea in
small bags of silk with a drawstring. The "pyramid tea bag" (or sachet), introduced by Lipton and PG
Tips/Scottish Blend in 1996, attempts to address one of the connoisseurs' arguments against paper tea
bags by way of its three-dimensional tetrahedron shape, which allows more room for tea leaves to
expand while steeping
a. Loose tea: The tea leaves are packaged loosely in a canister, paper bag, or other container such as a
tea chest. Some whole teas, such as rolled gunpowder tea leaves, which resist crumbling, are
vacuum-packed for freshness in aluminised packaging for storage and retail. The loose tea is
individually measured for use, allowing for flexibility and flavour control at the expense of
convenience.
a. Compressed tea: Compressed tea (such as pu-erh) is produced for convenience in transport, storage,
and ageing. It can usually be stored longer without spoilage than loose leaf tea. Compressed tea is
prepared by loosening leaves from the cake using a small knife, and steeping the extracted pieces in
water. During the Tang dynasty, as described by Lu Yu, compressed tea was ground into a powder,
combined with hot water, and ladled into bowls, resulting in a "frothy" mixture.[101] In the Song
dynasty, the tea powder would instead be whisked with hot water in the bowl.
Instant tea: "Instant tea", similar to freeze-dried instant coffee and an alternative to
brewed tea, can be consumed either hot or cold. Instant tea was developed in the
1930s, with Nestlé introducing the first commercial product in 1946, while Redi-Tea
debuted instant iced tea in 1953. Additives such as chai, vanilla, honey or fruit, are
popular, as is powdered milk.
Bottled and canned tea: Canned tea is sold prepared and ready to drink. It was
introduced in 1981 in Japan. The first bottled tea was introduced by an Indonesian tea
company, PT. Sinar Sosro in 1969 with the brand name Teh Botol Sosro (or Sosro
bottled tea).[107] In 1983, Swiss-based Bischofszell Food Ltd. was the first company to
bottle iced tea on an industrial scale.
Green tea processing
Tea leaves and flushes
Steaming/Panning Green tea product
Rolling Packaging
Drying Classification
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Oolong tea processing
Tea leaves and flushes Oolong tea product
Sunned withering Packaging
Indoor withering
Panning Special rolling
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Dried scented tea processing
Tea panning Additive preparing
(MC = 1.5 – 2%wb) (Drying, grinding)
Blending
(15 min.)
Scented incubation
(Temp. = 80 - 85 oC)
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OTD - Black tea processing
Tea leaves and flushes Black tea products
Withering Packaging
Rolling Classification
Fermentation Drying
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Tea blending with fresh flowers
Tea Flower
Mixing
Turning Screening
Natural cooling Drying
Flower mixing Flower screening
‘Fresh flower scented tea’
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Tea extracts and their applications
Strong infusions
❖ Strong infusion are made by soaking tea leaves in alcohol/water mixtures (the
catechin content is about 2% w/v)
Soft extracts
❖ Soft extract are made by concentrating the strong infusion to a water content of
20-25% (the catechin content is about 20% w/w)
Dry extracts
❖ Dry extract are made by spray drying the strong infusion after they have been
concentrated to 40-50% solids (Catechin ~ 25% w/w)
Partly purified extracts
Purified catechins
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T-preservation
Table 1. Relationship between equilibrium MC of tea and RH of air
RH of air (%) 30 45 60 62 70 80 85 96
EMC of tea
5,8 6,7 8,7 9,0 10,4 12,2 14,8 20,5
(%)
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T-PRESERVATION
Table 2. The effect of packaging vs. MC of tea
MC of tea (%)
Types of packaging
0 After 30 days
Glass flask with head-pin 7,5 7,5
Tin box 7,5 7,5
Wrap by hands, 2 layers of paper 7,5 12,8
Carton box with T-paper wrapping 7,5 13,8
Carton box with anti-humidity paper 7,5 12,7
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Control (T without-package) 7,5 14,0
Tea packaging
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