Tea: History, Manufacturing Process and Utilization

Americans consume over 84 billion servings of tea per year. Out of every five Americans, four will consume tea (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). All tea comes from the oxidized leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is native to Asia (Teasource, n.d.). The United States is the third largest importer of tea, followed by Russia and Pakistan. Although there are many different types of ‘tea’, technically speaking, tea can only come from the Camellia sinensis plant, and the differences seen amongst the six main types of tea are a result of different growing conditions, geography and processing conditions. In the US, anticipated CAGR growth for tea is about 1 to 3% and it’s been reported that 87% of millennials in the US drink tea (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). These statistics represent the current significance that tea plays in consumers lives. Consumers today are leaning towards more natural and healthy food products; this presents another opportunity for tea to grow in popularity in the future. I chose this topic because I personally love tea and because tea has potential to be a naturally flavoring agent in the future. As the health drive continues with consumers, tea will most likely become even more popular.

History of Tea

It has been said that tea was first discovered nearly 5,000 years ago (2737 BC), by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, who was a known herbalist in his day. While it is not entirely proven, one of the versions of the story is that leaves from a wild tree blew into his water that was boiling over an open fire. Tea containers have been found from the Han Dynasty (206BC – 22 AD), however, it was during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 906 AD) that tea became extremely popular in China to the point where it was recognized as China’s National Drink. Following this, tea was soon introduced to Japan when Japanese Buddhist monks visited China, discovered tea and brought it back home to Japan (UK Tea and Infusions Association, n.d.). In the 1600s, tea first became popular in Europe and the American colonies. While tea was first mentioned by the Portuguese, the Dutch were the first to ship tea as a commercial import in 1606. The first tea was sold in Britain in 1658, however, it truly became popular when Charles II married a Portuguese Princess, Catherine of Braganza, who loved tea and made it into a fashionable drink (UK Tea and Infusions Association, n.d.).

In the US, tea led to conflicts between the US and Britain. In 1767, the British government passed the Revenue Act to tax tea and a few other British products imported into America. In 1770, the law was repealed, and all taxes removed on products except for tea (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). In 1773, the Tea Act was passed which granted a monopoly to the British East India Company on all tea sales to the American colonies, which resulted in raised tea prices (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). On December 16th 1773, the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Native Americans, boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and threw more than 300 tea chests overboard into the sea in protest. This became known as the Boston Tea Party and this protest was said to be an act that led to the Revolutionary War (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). In 1904, the tea bag was invented by Americans and iced tea first became popular (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019).

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Manufacturing Process

Tea is mostly grown in mountainous areas 3000-7000 ft above sea level. The process of making tea leaves begins with plucking the leaves from the plant. From plucking there are 24 hours until leaves are packed. After plucking, the leaves are graded and sorted based off size and grouped accordingly. This is done because different sized tea leaves oxidize and brew at different rates. The leaves are then packed into foil lined paper bags or tea chests to prevent damage during transportation. There are two variations of the tea production method, namely the orthodox method and the CTC method (cut, tear and curl). The orthodox method begins with withering the leaves, where the water content is reduced to 60 – 70% by laying leaves in big troughs on wire mesh. Air is passed over the leaves to dry for about 12 – 17 hours. Following withering is rolling where a machine rolls leaves out on a rolling table, twisting and turning the leaves until they are thin and broken. This is followed by a very important step – oxidation, which determines the tea’s color, taste and strength. Leaves are left in troughs or laid on tables at about 78.8°F (26°C) for 30 minutes to 2 hours. During this time, enzymes inside the leaves react with the air around them. The color indicates how oxidized the tea is and how strong the tea’s flavor will be. Finally, after oxidation, drying is carried out to further reduce the water content to about 3%, where leaves are passed through air dryers. The variation in the CTC method is that after withering, the leaves are put through rollers with sharp teeth to produce tiny granules which are used in tea bags, after this the same process as above from oxidation onwards occurs.

Utilization

About 75 – 80% of tea consumed in America is iced tea. The six main types of tea are black, dark (including pu’er), oolong, yellow, green and white tea, and these different teas are made by adjusting the oxidation times of each. The darker the tea, the more oxidation the leaves have been through. In the US, about 84% of tea consumed is black tea, 15% green tea, and the remaining amount consisted of oolong, white and dark tea (Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc, 2019). Teas that do not come from the Camellia sinensis plant are called herbal teas, also known as tisanes, and are made from dried flowers, fruits or herbs (Tea Class, n.d.). Some examples of herbal teas are peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus and rooibos teas. Teas can be flavored through natural scenting, blending or artificial flavors (Red Blossom Tea Company, 2018). Natural scenting involves storing the tea leaves with a natural source of a specified scent to impart that scent into the tea leaves, after a given time, the source is removed. An example is storing tea leaves with jasmine to make jasmine tea. Blending involves mixing the tea leaves with herbs, spices or other products to improve flavor (Red Blossom Tea Company, 2018). An example is masala chai, which is mixed with spices and milk to produce a milder flavor. Artificial flavoring involves adding chemical flavor compounds to mimic flavors found naturally (Red Blossom Tea Company, 2018).

Today, the popularity of tea sommeliers and tea pairings is becoming more popular (NPR, 2015). Tea sommeliers are similar to wine sommeliers and are considered tea specialists who can give advice on how to prepare and consume tea, create tasting menus, recommend food and dessert pairings, and have specialized knowledge (NPR, 2015). Tea pairing is similar to wine pairing, where teas are paired with certain food and dessert items. In general, lighter teas like white and green tea are paired with lighter meals and desserts, such as fish and peach desserts. Teas somewhere in the middle of light and dark, such as oolong, are paired with chicken and fruit mousses. And darker teas, such as black tea, are paired with beef and rich desserts (Tea Association of Canada, n.d.).

Conclusion

To conclude, tea has major historical significance and continues to grow in popularity today.