Introduction:
Tea is an aromatic beverage basically done by adding shrubs to boiled water. It belongs to East Asia. Its most widely consumed after water in world.
Tea has many different forms. It varies according to different regions. Tea also has many different flavours.
Producers of Tea:
Following areas in the world produce tea:
- Small leaf tea is produced in China
- Western Yunnan Assam (large leaf) tea is produced in China and Assam
- Chinese Southern Yunnan Assam (large leaf) tea
22,000 years ago first tea was discovered. It was first used as a medicinal herb. It has very good effects relevant to medical.
Cultivation and harvesting:
It grows in tropical and subtropical climatic areas.
Marine Climates can also tolerate it.
It’s also growing in Australian fields and Southern Hemisphere.
Mature plants of 1-2 inch are picked. They are known as buds of tea.
Origin:
Tea plants basically belong to East Asia. Southwestern China is mainly the producer of it.
Classification:
Tea types are based on how it is processed. Six types of tea are as under:
- White
- Yellow
- Green
- Black
- Oolong
- Post fermented
Additional Processing:
These three things are done for the additional processing of tea:
- Milk: First in Europe milk was added in tea. Kings and queens started this trend and then it shifted to other parts of the world.
- Blending: To make the quality and price of tea good its blended with different food items/chemicals.
- Flavouring: There is a vast variety of tea available in the market having different flavours. These have developed due to the specific area and in this way a new flavour is developed or created.
Examples:
- Elaichi
- Mint leaves
- Vanilla
- Ginger
- Spearmint
Conclusion:
So tea is now basically more a culture of different areas. Subcontinent is marked by milk tea. This is considered famous among masses. In social gatherings and weddings tea is an essential element. It’s also referred to as the evening meal in many families.