Chapter TEA COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI 1

TEA:- Chapter COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI 2 TEA is a hardy evergreen tropical plant that belongs to the camellia family. It comes from two main types of shrubs, one from India & one from China. Tea requires a tropical climate & a well drained acid type soil with an even rainfall of not less than 70 inches a year. The tea bush is kept to a height of 3-4 inc & made from the young leaves of the plant called the FLUSH usually only two small leaves & a bud from each shoot is picked. Picking is done every 07 to 14 days. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

PRODUCERS & EXPORTERS COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI 3 The main producers & exporters of tea are SOUTH ASIA- INDIA, SRILANKA. FAR EAST- CHINA, TAIWAN. AFRICA- KENYA, UGANDA, MOZAMBIQUE, TANZANIA. SOUTH AMERICA- PARAGUAY, ARGENTINA. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

CLASSIFICATIONS COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI 4 Tea may be classified as under By the country of origin eg- India, China. By the type eg- green tea, black tea. By the method of manufacture. By the grade. By the blend. By the catering use. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

MANUFACTURE 5 the manufacture of tea:- Withering the leaf:- The plucked on reaching the factory which usually is situated centrally to the plantation are first weighed, then spread out thinly & evenly on special racks. They loose by evaporation 50% of their moisture. This stage takes upto 24 hours depending on the temperature & humidity of the air. Rolling the leaf:- The leaves are now put through rolling machines, that break up the leaf cells thus releasing natural juices & bringing them in contact with the air. At this stage the finer leaves are seperated from the large coarser leaves. Each are then further seperately processed. Fermenting the leaf:- This is not true fermentation but actually, the oxidation stage.Tanin is oxidised & the development of odours, flavour & aroma takes place.The rolled leaves are spread out on racks in a cool but humid room for 03 hours during which time they turn bright coppery red in colour through the absorption of oxygen. Firing the leaf:- To stop the fermentation process, the leaves are fired in a current of hot dry air for minutes.The leaves are then black, dry & crisp. Sifting & grading:- The dry tea is next sifted, gradeg & packed into foil lined tea chests & sealed to protect the tea from moisture & odours whilst en route to the blenders. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

BLENDING 6 Blending:- Tea purchased by a tea merchant is first cleaned to remove dust, splinters, pieces of metal etc. Next, expert tea blenders would sample the tea by tasting & examining the leaf. The assessment is then compared to the cost of the tea. Most of the teas available are blends of teas. Blending is highly skilled job to ensure that a standard product in quality, flavour & appearance are available throughout the year at a standard price. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

Types of tea COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI 7 Tea blends are a mixture of two or more varieties of tea grown from various plantations For eg- Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, Darjeeling. Tea bags may contain upto 30 varieties of original tea blended together. The material used to produce tea bags must be such that they do not impart any foreign flavor; it should also have sufficient strength so that it does not burst. Although costlier, it does have certain advantages by aiding cost & portion control as well as a convenient way of disposing the used leaf. Catering packs- This is a comparatively new product which is still being developed. Spray drying, an infusion of tea is used & very minute amounts are required for eg-0.7gms for 2 cups of tea. Scented tea- Jasmine flowers, rose petals, cloves, orange zest, mint, are added to the leaves during the first stage. Later they may be seived out. Scented teas are now commonly available in tea bags. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

FIVE GOLDEN RULES FOR BREWING A GOOD CUP OF TEA ARE : 8 Use a good quality tea & follow a recipe. 1 teaspoon + 1 cup or 60 gms /4 litres of boiling water. Use fresh boiling water. Take the tea pot to the water so that it never goes off boil. Add tea leaves to the warm pot. Allow to stand for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI

BRAND NAMES OF TEA AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET BROOKE BOND TAJ MAHAL BROOKE BOND RED LABEL LIPTON SOCIETY TATA TATA TETLEY DUNCANS GOODRICKE PICKWICK YOGI WAGH BAKRI TAZZA 9 COMPILED BY CHEF REETU UDAY KUGAJI