All about tea you’d like to know with your morning cuppa

Mid-March, Springtime and a full moon night. A special night. Kimchi swiftly treads through the undulating, fog-covered tea garden slopes with a jute tea cart strapped on her shoulders, and torch-bearers lighting up the way to the designated ‘section’ for the plucking. Being part of this tradition, her pride shines radiantly on her face just like the moon shinning voluptuously in the sky. Yes, it is time to pluck the Spring or First Flush White tea - a prized, Speciality Tea, exclusive to the garden and a tea connoisseur’s delight.

Kimchi has been trained at the garden to skillfully pluck the tender, unfurled white tea buds accompanied by their first leaf. She has also learnt that a broken leaf downgrades the tea quality, its aroma and exclusivity. And being an experienced plucker now, she earns appropriately. Kimchi isn’t alone that night. She has cheered a few more women pluckers who deftly do the Plucking. The silvery cast of the moon on the garden’s inclines and aroma of the buds and nascent tea leaves steep in romance and mysticism.

After carefully emptying the tea leaves into tea wagons being carried to the factory, Kimchi knows that the workforce under expert supervision of their Tea garden Manager will ensure Weighing, Sorting and Packing is the moonlit night’s affair to qualify for its distinct aroma, flavour, whitish appearance of the leaf, and, of course, its exclusivity. Kimchi gathers her female friends and returns home before dawn to take rest. The regular batch of pluckers, mostly women, usually begin plucking ‘two leaves and a bud’ for the other varieties of the orthodox leaf at 7:30 am and end at 3:30 pm with an hour’s lunch break.

Kimchi will join them by 8:30 am after her daughter has gone to primary school at 7 am and she has dropped her infant son at the crèche, both within garden premises. The in-campus facilities have eased her life and other garden workers, especially the working womenfolk. Kimchi will come twice to meet her son, taking short breaks from work. The evening is well spent with family, or at the hobby centre on the campus followed by a delicious hot meal. It is nearly 10 years when Kimchi started working in this garden, following her mother. She fell in love with a fellow colleague, got married and is a mother of two children now. This tea garden is her life, her paradise.

Care and tenderness are intrinsic to women. The reason why most of the tea leaf pluckers in our country are women. They contribute significantly to the Indian Tea industry- one of the largest women employers in India, making it among the largest producers of tea world-over and exports close to USD 474.6 million (till Oct 2019).

A brief history of tea: There are many stories, facts and myths regarding its origin. A story goes it was accidentally discovered by the Chinese emperor Shen Nong while boiling water and tea leaves fell on it and he loved the infusion! And then began research on tea. Medicinal benefits were discovered eventually. China popularised the beverage most during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). It became their national drink.
The Japanese dried green tea leaves and powdered it to matcha tea. They took to tea more for its medicinal value.
Tea then entered Europe, Russia and other western nations through trade with China & Japan.
The British then fell in love with tea & eventually tea arrived India, Darjeeling & Assam precisely. Their love was more for the flavour and aroma of this beverage, and they introduced and popularised ‘tea-time’ and ‘high-tea’, a culture still followed in India.

Tea details: Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water. China and India are the largest producers of Tea followed by Kenya and Sri Lanka.
In India, Camellia Sinensis species of the tea is grown mostly. Darjeeling and Dooars, Assam, Nilgiris, Kangra, Munnar and Sikkim are the major tea growing regions in India with Assam producing nearly 52% of total production.
India produces the Orthodox variety- Green, Black, Oolong tea (whole leaf) and CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) tea in granular form; Orthodox and CTC being the processing techniques. Tea is graded based on its leaf appearance- Orange Pekoe (OP), Broken Orange Pekoe(BOP), Fannings and Dust grade, OP being the superior most quality of the whole leaf. Flavour, aroma and the tea liquor is Flush (growing season) specific, and processing-specific.

Production starts with Spring or First Flush (mid-March- early May), Summer Flush (June- mid Aug) and Autumn Flush(Oct- Nov). Monsoon flush (monsoon time) is an intermediate between Summer and Autumn flush. The bushes remain dormant during winters and the tea factories shut down operations during this time. It is the time to rejuvenate. The soil is prepared for the next harvest, tea bushes pruned, machines in the factories are overhauled, factory building are painted if required and the entire workforce too get a break from their 7 hours duty time. Leaves begin to appear in Spring, by mid –March.

Green tea is not fermented and forms a light liquor. Oolong is semi-fermented with a flavourful liquor and black tea is fully fermented which imparts a coppery-golden color to its liquor and is a strong, bodied tea. These orthodox varieties are mostly enjoyed without milk and sugar whereas CTC is enjoyed best with milk. These days several infusions and boutique teas are being prepared by infusing orthodox leaf with saffron, rose, jasmine, chamomile and whole spices. A popular variety, Earl Grey is the result of infusing black tea leaf with bergamot oil. I recently spotted mango tea, pineapple and coconut tea too. There’s no end to creativity as long as enthusiasts patronise enough.

Tea or Chai is an everyday affair for most, he be a commoner or a connoisseur.
Apart from flavour, consumers now have become much aware of the medicinal benefits of tea. Tea is rich in antioxidants. It helps fight free radicals in the body and several diseases. It strengthens the immune system.

A morning cuppa invigorates. Evening tea rejuvenates. Official alliances and matrimony happen over tea. A cup of tea is a very basic gesture to host a guest. A family gathers over tea. Tea is our tradition. Let’s cheer to good flavour & better health.

Last Sunday I spoke with Kimchi. She is preparing for the Annual Flower show and spending relaxed time with family.