India... The house of Teas

Assam tea

India is a land of culture, traditions, customs and religions. A place where god is omnipresent but still when a person that might be your friend, relative, colleague or even an enemy visits you, he is treated like god with respect and concern. This is because in Indian culture we believe in a simple phrase “Atithi Devo Bhava” which means Guest is God. We live in a culture where love is expressed in the form of food and beverage offerings. Many of you reading this will definitely agree with me. A typical Indian phrase says “Aadmi ke dil ka rasta uske pet se jaata hain” that means, the way to a man’s heart passes through his stomach. It sounds funny but it does exist. In a way yes everyone likes a wife who makes good food.

Tea Leaf

The first offering made to your guest is always tea apart from water. Indians love tea. It is the only beverage with which we begin our busy day and also love to end it once we are back at home. Offices account this as a break time or meal period. There is Breakfast, Lunch, Tea Break and Dinner. People love to talk over tea. Tea time is considered as relaxation and fun time out here. Some enjoy a light snack  like samosa, cutlet and such with their cup. Some take a booster dose of tannin by enjoying a cigarette along with it. Moral of the story. Everyone likes tea break. How did tea become so popular? How did it penetrate into the consumer market so well and developed such a strong hold over the same. Is it the stimulating effect of tannin present in every leaf of the tea (camellia sinesis)? I don’t think so that the story is restricted there.

India happens to be a largest producer and consumer of tea after China. So very less amount is exported.  There are five types of tea.  All are obtained from the plant of Camellia Sinesis

·         White tea: plucked within few days, lightly oxidised

·         Green tea; minimally oxidized tea leaves

Assam Tea garden

·         Yellow tea: usually implies a special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase, where the damp tea leaves are allowed to sit and yellow

·         Blue tea: Oolong tea less oxidation than Black tea , delicate and floral aroma, amber colored

·         Black tea: fully oxidized, strong aroma, full bodied, strong flavor

Oolong tea

Assam is the largest tea producing region in India. The story of tea in India goes back to the 18^th- 19^th century, the era of British Raj. The British were very fond of tea as a beverage. The black tea grown in India in Assam, Darjeeling or Nilgiri had a great shelf life unlike green tea in other parts of South Asia. Thus it stayed well while exporting it to England during that era. Hence it started becoming a part of their daily diet. The English prefer the English breakfast tea as a cup to be mandatory in their breakfast. The “Planter Raj” was the era which made tea as a national beverage for us. Through the biased and corrupt Wasteland Act significant portions of tea growing province were allowed to be transformed into tea gardens as tea was revenue making commodity for export.  Doesn’t it sound somewhat like what today’s politician (babus) are doing to the country.  Somebody did mention did this to me that History repeats itself.  Thus the supply of tea increased. Now, the British had to device a method where they could create a local market for it and start selling tea within India. That’s where the whole tea era went into complete action of creating not only a local market but a superb market for tea consumption. Several promotional campaigns began by then. Many small joints were set up on rail stations and such other public areas to make the local taste this warm cup of aromatic and relaxing beverage. A lot of factories commenced the practice of tea break Workers were encouraged to take a tea break. This is how slowly and steadily over several years, tea got revolutionized and became the national beverage of India. Green Teas are currently capturing a lot of attention due to their health benefits. However 90% of the population in India still believes in Black tea as a stimulating beverage.

The three famous teas from India are Assam Tea, Darjeeling Tea and Nilgiri Tea. Apart from this there are some blended variations of Black Tea also like the Earl grey tea, English breakfast tea, Irish breakfast tea and Masala chai. Assam tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color. A pure cup of Assam tea has a coppery crystal clear brew. It is generally consumed with milk. Assam Tea or its blends are often sold as Breakfast teas such as the English breakfast tea, Irish breakfast tea or the Scottish breakfast tea. Assam is the world’s largest tea growing region. The tea is harvested twice, the first flush and the second flush. The second flush is more prized due to the golden tips developed on it. This flush is more mellow, smooth and sweet cup of tea. 


Darjeeling tea named after the town of Darjeeling in West Bengal is also known as champagne of teas. Why it shouldn’t be?? The taste, the aroma, the color and the body of the cup is enchanting.Darjeeling TeaDarjeeling is technically not a black tea because the leaves are not100% oxidized. It’s in fact less than 88%. So it’s blue tea (another word for oolong) and not black. The brew is thin-bodied, light-colored infusion with a floral aroma. The flavor can include a tinge of astringent tannic characteristics, and a musky spiciness sometimes described as "muscatel". First flush is harvested in mid-March following spring rains, and has a gentle, very light color, aroma, and mild astringency. Second flush is harvested in June and produces an amber, full bodied, muscatel-flavored cup. Darjeeling has several estates like the Makaibari tea estate, Avongrove Arya and many more. There are 86 tea estates running in Darjeeling.

Darjeeling Second Flush leaves

Bergamot

Nilgiri Tea cultivated on the southern region of the Western Ghats. Its grown on the hills of Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu. Its expensive hand-sorted, full-leaf versions of the tea like the Orange Pekoe (O.P.) are highly sought after at international auctions thus making it unaffordable for most locals. In November 2006 a Nilgiri Tea achieved "Top Honors’" and fetched a world record price of $600 per kg. Nilgiri tea is generally described as being a dark, intensely aromatic, fragrant and flavored. The other blended black teas are earl grey, named after Charles Grey also known as the 2^nd Earl Grey, The British prime minister. Its black tea flavored with bergamot oil. Bergamot is a citrus fruit. Masala chai is the Indian way of flavoring this strong cup of tea with some flavorful and aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves and such others. Drinking black tea helps to reduce the production of LDL - the "bad" cholesterol that can lead to stroke and heart attacks. Theaflavin is the chemical compound present in tea which brings out this effect. A study of over 3,000 adults in Saudi Arabia - where black tea is favored over green - found that regular consumption of the dark brew can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by fifty percent.

Drink tea …live healthy.

Cheers!!!!

Asmi