Tea Facts
The three main categories of tea – green, black and oolong come from the same plant species – Camellia Sinensis. They are differentiated by their oxidation levels as a result of the different processing methods. Black teas are the most oxidized, Oolong less and Green teas are not oxidized at all.
Tea is known to help reduce stress and protects against heart disease. It is also one of the greatest sources of antioxidants.
The unique characteristics of flavour, aroma, and color of Ceylon tea is due to the magnificent climatic conditions, the varying altitudes and soil setting found in Sri Lanka’s tea gardens.
Withering:
The objective of withering is to reduce the moisture in the tealeaf by up to 70%. Tea is laid out on a wire mesh in troughs. Air is then passed through the tea removing the moisture in a uniform way. This process takes around 12 to 17 hours. At the end of this time the leaf is limp and pliable and so will roll well.
Rolling:
Tea is placed into a rolling machine, which rotates horizontally on the rolling table. This action creates the twisted wiry looking tealeaves. During the rolling process the leaves are also broken open, which starts the third process.
Oxidation:
Once rolling is complete, the tea is either put into troughs or laid out on tables whereby the enzymes inside the tealeaf come in to contact with the air and start to oxidise. This creates the flavour, colour and strength of the tea.
It is during this process that the tealeaf changes from green, through light brown, to a deep brown, and happens at about 80°F. This stage is critical to the final flavour of the tea, if left too long the flavour will be spoilt.
Firing:
To stop the oxidation process the tea is passed through hot air dryers. This reduces the total moisture content down to about 3% and stops the enzymes. The oxidation will be stopped by this process, and now the dried tea is ready to be sorted into grades before packing.
The three main categories of tea – green, black and oolong come from the same plant species – Camellia Sinensis. They are differentiated by their oxidation levels as a result of the different processing methods. Black teas are the most oxidized, Oolong less and Green teas are not oxidized at all.
Tea is known to help reduce stress and protects against heart disease. It is also one of the greatest sources of antioxidants.
Tea is known to help reduce stress and protects against heart disease. It is also one of the greatest sources of antioxidants.
The unique characteristics of flavour, aroma, and color of Ceylon tea is due to the magnificent climatic conditions, the varying altitudes and soil setting found in Sri Lanka’s tea gardens.
Withering:
The objective of withering is to reduce the moisture in the tealeaf by up to 70%. Tea is laid out on a wire mesh in troughs. Air is then passed through the tea removing the moisture in a uniform way. This process takes around 12 to 17 hours. At the end of this time the leaf is limp and pliable and so will roll well.
Rolling:
Tea is placed into a rolling machine, which rotates horizontally on the rolling table. This action creates the twisted wiry looking tealeaves. During the rolling process the leaves are also broken open, which starts the third process.
Oxidation:
Once rolling is complete, the tea is either put into troughs or laid out on tables whereby the enzymes inside the tealeaf come in to contact with the air and start to oxidise. This creates the flavour, colour and strength of the tea.
It is during this process that the tealeaf changes from green, through light brown, to a deep brown, and happens at about 80°F. This stage is critical to the final flavour of the tea, if left too long the flavour will be spoilt.
Firing:
To stop the oxidation process the tea is passed through hot air dryers. This reduces the total moisture content down to about 3% and stops the enzymes. The oxidation will be stopped by this process, and now the dried tea is ready to be sorted into grades before packing.