Table of Contents
1. Definition
2. Introduction
3. A brief look at the History of Tea
3.1 Asia's Role
3.2 Britain's Role
3.3 Tea in the Western World
4. The World Tea Market
4.1 General Information
4.2 Prerequisites
4.3 The Supply Side - Major Cultivation Areas
4.4 The Production Process
4.5 Varieties
4.6 Tea Grades
4.7 The Purchasing Process
4.8 The Demand Side
5. Summary
6. Bibliography
Annex 1 - Tea Tasting Glossary
Annex 2 - List of terms used to describe black tea grades of leaf and broken teas
Table of Figures
Fig.1: World Tea Production 1973-2000
Fig.2: Production vs. Exports in 2000
Fig.3: Tea Grades
Fig.4: World Tea Consumption in 1000 metric tons in 1990
Fig.5: Per capita tea consumption 1993
Fig.6: European per capita tea consumption in kg in 2000
Fig.7: Terms for black tea grades
The World Tea Market Quotes
"Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world"1
T'ien Yiheng
"Better to be deprived of food for three days than of tea for one"2
Ancient Chinese Saying
1. Definition
Tea: Botanically the tea plant is referred to as Camellia sinensis or Camellia assamica, meaning Chinese tea and Assam tea. From a botanical point of view, herbal, fruit and other so called teas are not really tea, but infusions. However, all infusions are usually referred to as tea.
The three major categories of tea, which are green, black and oolong tea, are all made out of the same plants: Camellia sinensis or Camellia assamica, and whether the result is green, black or oolong tea depends only on the production process and the level of fermentation.
2. Introduction
What is the world's most consumed beverage after water? If you guessed tea you were right.3 Tea has become an ever more popular beverage in the Western world and especially green tea has come to fame with recent scientific findings on its disease fighting properties. In the following paper I will investigate how this beverage has made its way to the top, from its humble beginnings 5000 years ago up to today's sophisticated tea industry. Both the producer and the consumer side will be looked upon. I need to add that I will focus on tea in its botanical sense of the word (i.e. Camellia sinensis and assamica) when talking about the world tea market.
3. A brief look at the history of tea
3.1 Asia`s Role
China is said to be the birth place of tea: According to Chinese legend tea was discovered in 2737 b.C. when a gust of wind blew some tea leaves into a kettle of boiling water belonging to emperor Sheng Nung. 4 After having become a popular beverage in China, tea was spread to various Asian countries through travelling Buddhist monks. The 8th century marks the arrival of tea in Japan where its cultivation reached new levels of sophistication.5
3.2 Britain's Role
Whereas Asian countries were crucial to the early development of tea and the first 4700 years of tea history (3000 b.C. untill roughly 1700 a.d.) it must be stated that the Western world's tea consumption is built on British history. First of all it was the British who created the tea market from the 17th century on. They also have the merits of having invented black tea in the 18th century for reasons of preservation during the long journeys to Europe and other parts of their empire. Before that time all tea was green. Black tea became extremely popular in the Western world due to its strong taste and green tea virtually disappeared from international trade. Only in recent years has there been a tendency towards the consumption of green tea. Secondly in the 1840s the British broke the Chinese monopoly of the tea market by smuggling seedlings to India where they started their own plantations and spying on the Chinese's secrets of tea cultivation.6
3.3 Tea in the Western world
In 1610 tea finally arrived in Europe, imported to Amsterdam by Dutch merchants. In 1657 the East India Company began the public sale of tea in London. By 1669 the British had achieved a monopoly on tea by undercutting Dutch prices.7 Tea became a popular drink among the richer social classes. However, heavy import duties which were up to 500% of the actual sales price, encouraged widespread smuggling. By the end of the 17th century the English consumed mostly smuggled tea.8 The lowering of duties in 1784 made tea become a popular beverage at last. In 1839 the new fermented black tea was first sold in England. It was less astringent than green tea and quickly gained popularity.
The British tea monopoly was broken when the Americans entered the tea trade in 1834. The California gold rush of 1850, however, lead to American ship owners focusing on transporting people in the gold rush. This enabled British merchants to regain absolute control of the tea trade. That same year tea caught up with coffee in popularity among the British.
Cnstruction of the Suez Canal in 1869 cut the distance between Europe and Asia by 7000 km and further boosted tea trade by enabling lower prices.
The invention of the tea bag by U.S. tea merchant Thomas Sullivan in 19049 was a major step towards making tea an ever more popular beverage in the Western world because it could now be consumed in a time-saving and comfortable way - just by pouring hot water over the tea bag. That same year iced tea was first sold at the Saint Louis Fair. 1953 marks the ultimate milestone of product innovation with the invention of instant tea.10
4.The World Tea Market
4.1 General Information
World tea production reached 2.9 million tons11 in 2000 meaning a slight increase over 1999 but an overall stagnation as compared to peak production of 1998. Approximately 56% of this is consumed in the producing countries. The remaining 1.1 million tons are available for exportation.12
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 1, Author's own diagramme based onhttp://www.teacouncil.co.uk accessed 16.01.2002
Today tea is cultivated in approximately 36 countries13 and three major varieties: green (unfermented), black (fermented) and oolong (partially fermented).14 One could add a fourth category which would be white tea. Volume, however, is too low to be of economic importance.
The most important tea producing countries are India, China, Kenia and Sri Lanka, but tea is also cultivated in minor quantities in the following countries and regions: Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Guinea, Mexico, USA, Corsica, the Azores and Tuscany.15
4.2 Prerequisites
Tea is a natural plant, only differing in taste and character because of the area in which it is grown, the type of soil and the altitude and climatic conditions of the area.16 The tea plant is a demanding plant and only grows well where the following natural conditions are given:17
- acidic soil
- cool and moist climate: rainfall of at least 1600 liters per year and at least 4 hours of sun per day
- high grounds
- sloping terrain
4.3 The Supply Side - Major Cultivation Areas
Tea production is an important economic factor in the following countries:
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 2, Author's own diagramme based onhttp://www.teacouncil.co.uk accessed 16.01.2002
India has the highest production followed by China. However, Africa and Sri Lanka have the highest export ratios.18
India
India is the world's largest producer of tea19 with a total annual production of 870 million kilograms or 30% of world production in 2001.20 The story of how it got there is quite interesting: In the 1840s the British realized that a lot of their money spent on tea went to China. However, they wanted to redirect that money to one of their own colonies - India in this case. So spies were hired to steal tea plants from China and transport them to the northern Indian region of Assam. During the 1840s more than a million plants were transported from China to Assam and used to start today's huge plantations.21
Four Indian tea harvests can be distinguished according to the time of the year:22
- First flush: 4 to 6 weeks starting February/March
- In Between: April harvest in Darjeeling
- Second Flush: May/June
- Autumnals: October
Three tea growing areas can be distinguished:
- Assam, which is located in the Northeast of India to both sides of the Brahmaputra river, is the world's largest tea growing area. The approximately 200 tea gardens produce strong malty teas and account for 30% of Indian tea production.23
- Darjeeling is located in Northeast India. The world's most precious teas come from this area South of the Himalayas which offers excellent natural conditions for tea cultivation. Today there are 86 running gardens producing Darjeeling tea on a total area of 19,000 hectares.24 The total production ranges from 10 to 11 million kilograms annually. Darjeeling teas are produced in altitudes ranging from 800 to 2000 meters and are famous for their delicate muscatel flavor. Their high quality and rich bouquet have earned them the reputation of being the "champagne of tea".25
- Nilgiri is located in the South of India and has a reputation for the fragrance and full body of its teas.
The Indian tea industry is highly mechanized and industrialized due to labor costs which are above those of China. All categories of tea are produced: green, oolong, black and white. The focus of production, however, is clearly on black teas. Recent years have seen a trend towards organic farming.
China
"Even though one studies the tea industry until old age, one can never learn all the names of types of teas."26 This Fujian saying illustrates the enormous variety of tea grown in China. A total of 138 distinct green teas with more than 12.500 subgroups are listed in the encyclopedia of Chinese teas.27
Most tea cultivation takes place in the South of China up to the 22nd parallel.
Black, green and oolong teas are produced, but more than 80% of the tea produced is green tea.28
The four most common Chinese teas exported world-wide are Jasmine Tea, Gunpowder, Lung Ching (Dragonwell) and Chun Mee (Precious Eyebrows).29
Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
First tea seedlings were introduced by Scotsman James Taylor in 1867. Since that time tea has become the major economic factor with more than 1000 estates producing around 600 million pounds of black tea a year (as of 2000).30 Tea accounts for 60% of exports, making it the country's most important export good.31 Sri Lanka's tea is still being sold under the country's former colonial name Ceylon. The three major cultivation areas are the districts of Uva, Nuwara Eliya and Dimbula, all of which are on high ground and produce dry, high quality teas.32
Three categories of Ceylon tea can be distinguished according to the altitude of the area where it is cultivated:
- Highgrowns: growing from 1300 to 2500 meters
- Mediums: growing between 650 and 1300 meters
- Lowgrowns: growing at less than 650 meters
Japan
"In the 15th century, Japan ennobled tea into a religion of estheticism - teaism." Wrote Kakuzo Okakura in The Book of Tea in 1906.33 This illustrates the importance of tea in Japanese culture: Tea can be just a beverage, but it can also be an object of art and an element of religion.
Although Japan is usually ranked sixth to eighth among the largest tea producers in the world, Japan consumes nearly all the tea it produces.34 Only green tea is produced in the typical production process which includes 3 steps: plucking, steaming and air drying. Important tea growing areas are the prefectures of Uji (Kyoto) and Shizuoka (at the foot of the Fujijama).
The most common Japanese teas available on the world market are: Bancha, Sencha, Matcha (powdered tea for the tea ceremony) and Gyokuro. A general rule regarding the quality of Japanese tea is that the darker the leaf, the better the tea.
Taiwan (Formosa)
Taiwan has been producing green and black teas since 1870. Like in the case of Sri Lanka /Ceylon its teas are being sold under the former colonial name of Formosa. There are about 100 small tea plantations which are especially famous for their oolong teas. These oolongs and pouchongs (a cross between green tea and oolong) are produced in very small quantities and sold world-wide for absolute premium prices.35
Indonesia
Indonesia has the advantage of being able to produce year round. Most plantations have focused on mass production. Therefore Indonesian tea is mostly used for blends.36
Africa
Africa, with Kenya as the most important producer, is relatively new to tea production, but already accounts for ca. 15% of world production. The African tea, which is mostly produced through the CTC-method (crushing, tearing, curling by machines), is almost exclusively produced for the British market.37
4.4 The Production Process
Green tea is produced by steaming fresh-picked leaves before heat-drying. Black tea is produced by allowing picked tea leaves to completely ferment before firing. Oolong teas are only partially fermented. Here is some in-depth information on the production of green and black tea:38
Green Tea
1. Harvesting: Only the top two leaves and the bud are plucked for their tenderness, their flavor and their ability to be rolled or twisted
2. Drying: Is necessary to destroy certain enzymes which would otherwise permit chemical reactions affecting colour and taste.
3. Pan firing: Stabilizes the fragrance and flavor.
4. Steaming: Is used to prevent oxidation and prepare the leaves for being put into shape.
5. Shaping: can be done by hand or machinery. Shaping is used to create a decorative look and to regulate the release of flavor when it is steeped in the cup.
Black Tea
Orthodox Method
Black tea distinguishes itself from its original green predecessor through a different production process involving withering, rolling, fermenting (oxidation) and firing. In order to start the oxidation process the tea leaves are spread out in the open for several hours, then rolled without breaking them, and finally slightly bruised to initiate the oxidation process.
The duration of the oxidation determines the color and flavor of the tea. Fermentation is brought to a halt trough firing. Finally the leaves are sorted by size to determine the tea's grade.39
CTC-Method
A popular and widespread method which is especially used for tea consumed on the British market is the CTC method, meaning crushing, tearing, and curling through machinery: This generates one standardized size of the tea leave and colorful tasty infusions. It also cuts production time and eliminates quality fluctuations. The CTC-method is widespread in African countries.40
LTP-Method
Another common production method for black tea is the LTP method, meaning Lawrie Tea Processor. The Lawrie machine keeps cutting leaves until they have reached fanning or dust grades/levels. This tea is mostly used for tea bags.41
4.5 Varieties
There are more than 3000 varieties of tea, each with its own distinct character and usually named for the area in which it is grown. For example, Assam from Assam in India, Formosa Oolong from Taiwan, Ceylon from Sri Lanka, Darjeeling from Darjeeling and so on.42
4.6 Tea Grades
Practically all black tea as well as a small number of varieties of green tea (especially those from India and Sri Lanka) is subject to a grading system. The two main grades are leaf and broken. Before being put on auction black tea (and some varieties of green tea) is sorted and then graded with the following terms:43
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 3, Author's own diagramme based onhttp://www.specialtea.com/blackaccessed 15.01.2002
4.7 The Purchasing Process
After the harvest tea samples and a tea catalogue are sent to all bidding firms. The tea catalogue contains information on all relevant characteristics such as origin, variety, volume, grades, and time of harvest. The tea trading houses have their professional tea tasters evaluate the samples and then inform their bidders on location on which offers are to be made in the tea auctions.44 Teas of mass consumption are usually put on auction in the big cities of Calcutta, Mombasa, Cochin, Djakarta, and Colombo whereas high quality teas are auctioned on the plantations themselves.45
Sold tea is then sent to its purchaser via ship (average quality teas) or airplane (high quality teas).
4.8 The Demand Side
The top producing countries of tea are also the top consumers: According to statistics dating back to 1990 India ranks first with a consumption of 0,6 m tons followed by China with 0,4 m tons. The third biggest consumer which is not in the group of producers is the UK with a total consumption of 0,15 m tons.46
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 4, Author's own diagramme based on statistics from http://www.teawebex.comaccessed 15.01.2002
Even though these numbers are more than a decade old the author of this paper has found evidence that this ranking has remained the same in positions one through four with consumption increasing in India and China.47
Things look different, however, when looking at per capita consumption: The Irish are the world's strongest tea consumers while nations strong in total leaf consumption such as India and China are not of importance due to their consumption being distributed between more than a billion people for each.
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 5, Author's own diagramme based on statistics from http://www.teawebex.comaccessed 15.01.2002
Per capita tea consumption in Europe in 2000:48
Ireland and the UK are Europe's leading tea nations followed by Eastern European countries Russia and Ukraine. Germany, except for its northern region of Eastfriesland, can still not be called a nation of tea drinkers with per capita consumption ranging at only 250g/year.
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Fig. 6, Author's own diagramme based on statistics from http://www.teawebex.comaccessed 15.01.2002 and http://www.barrystea.comaccessed 16.01.2002
Outlook on the Development of Demand in the Western world
In the Eastern world the health benefits of tea have been known for centuries. "Tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life. Anywhere a person cultivates tea, long life will follow," wrote Japanese Buddhist monk Eisai in his 13th century book on tea "Kitcha Yojoki".49
The past decade has seen a positive correla tion between tea consumption and a large number of diseases, and it is expected that tea will continue to benefit from the positive findings of industry research.
Especially green tea has gained international attention after several studies conducted by the Journal of the Japanese Society of Food Science and Technology, Tufts University, Harvard University, and the National Cancer Institute concurred on one point50: That green tea is an inexpensive and extremely healthy drink with benefits such as:
- lowering cholesterol and reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease51
- lowering the risk of cancer and inhibiting aging52
- lowering blood sugar levels, thus preventing diabetes53
- lowering blood pressure levels54
- fighting viral infections55
- anti-fungal properties56
- good for the teeth: Tea is a natural source of fluoride. Its chemical compounds kill of bacteria responsible for tooth decay, eliminate bad breath and fight gum disease.57
Given the increased health consciousness of our societies and the need to prevent disease instead of having to bear the cost of curing it, these findings have contributed to the rise of tea, especially green tea, in recent years and with more evidence showing up will further strengthen its position.
5. Summary
The tea market's future development will depend on the relationship between supply and demand. Past years have seen weak prices due to supply exceeding demand.58 However, with populations and thus consumption growing in major producing countries such as China, India and Indonesia, a larger chunk of production will be consumed in these countries thus diminishing internationally available reserves and driving up prices.59
In the Western world there are two trends to be seen: a trend towards convenience and luxury and a trend to wellness.60 The first trend is reflected in the rise of overall tea consumption and the foundation of a whole series of specialty tea shops. The trend to wellness is the result of our stress-plagued societies. Drinking tea takes time and taking a few minutes a day to relax and stimulate all of one's senses through a cup of tea is becoming increasingly popular. Especially young professionals in their 20s and 30s are switching from coffee to high quality tea for its health benefits and harmonization effects. Besides tea has the great characteristic of stimulating softly, i.e. without making nervous, as opposed to coffee. Even soft-drink makers such as Coca Cola have discovered tea as a lifestyle product and are having big plans with bottled tea.61 Despite consumer confidence having been disturbed by reports on pesticides in tea, the major reason for predicting a bright future for tea in the Western world are its health benefits.
Therefore I have come to the overall conclusion that tea has all the opportunities to continue thriving world-wide.
6. Bibliography
Books
- Dannfeld, M (1996): Eine Einladung...Über die Kunst, Tee zu trinken, Pressebüro Bergstraße Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim
- Dolby, V (1998): All about green tea, Avery Publishing Group, New York
- Oguni, I (1990): Grüner Tee und die menschliche Gesundheit , Spinnrad
- Okakura, K (1959): Das Buch vom Tee, Insel-Verlag Zweigstelle Wiesbaden
- Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, Storey Books, Vermont
- Zittlau, J (1997): Grüner Tee für Gesundheit und Vitalität, Ludwig Buch Verlag, München
- No author (1999): Grüntee ist Leben, Der Teeladen, Meckenheim
Internet
- http://www.barrystea.com accessed 16.01.2002
- http://www.darjeelingtea.com/ accessed 25.12.2001
- http://www.der-teeladen.de accessed 09.11.2001
- http://www.dreamship.com accessed 15.01.2002
- http://www.expressindia.com accessed 15.01.2002
- http://hjem.get2net.dk/bnielsen/teachronology.html accessed 25.12.2001
- http://www.salzburger.com accessed 15.01.2002
- http://www.specialtea.com/black accessed 15.01.2002
- http://www.stashtea.com accessed 23.12.2001
- http://www.tea.com accessed 09.11.2001
- http://www.tea.co.uk accessed 16.01.2002
- http://www.teacouncil.co.uk accessed 16.01.2002
- http://www.teahealth.co.uk accessed 09.11.2001
- http://www.teatime.com accessed 16.01.2002
- http://www.teatrail.co.uk accessed 16.01.2002
- http://www.teawebex.com accessed 15.01.2002
- http://www.tee.de accessed 09.11.2001
- http://www.teekanne.de accessed 15.01.2002
- http://www.twinings.com accessed 09.11.2001
Others
- Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, Tee Gschwendner GmbH, Meckenheim
Annex 1 - Tea Tasting Glossary
Terms describing dry 62 leaf:
Black
A black appearance is desirable preferably with 'bloom'.
Blackish
A satisfactory appearance for CTC type teas. Denotes careful sorting.
Bloom
A sign of good manufacture and sorting (where reduction of leaf has taken place before firing) a 'sheen' that has not been lost through over-handling or over-sorting.
Bold
Particles of leaf which are too large for the particular grade.
Brown
A brown appearance in CTC type teas that normally indicates overly harsh treatment of leaf.
Chesty
Tea tainted by inferior or unseasoned packing materials.
Chunky
A very large broken-leaf tea.
Clean
Leaf that is free from fibber, dirt and all extraneous matter.
Crepy
Leaf with a crimped appearance common to larger grade broken-leaf teas such as BOP.
Curly
Leaf appearance of whole leaf grade teas such as OP, as distinct from 'wiry'.
Even
Teas true to their grade, consisting of pieces of leaf of fairly even size.
Flaky
Flat open pieces of leaf often light in texture.
Grey
Caused by too much abrasion during sorting.
Grainy
Describes primary grades of well-made CTC teas such as Pekoe dust.
Leafy
A tea in which the tea tends to be on the large or longish size.
Light
Teal light in weight of poor density and sometimes flaky.
Make
A term used to describe tea manufacture, in tea-taster's terms a make that means a well-made tea or not true to its grade.
Mushy
Tea that has been packed or stored with a high moisture content.
Neat
A grade of tea having good ìmakeî and size.
Nose
Smell of the dry leaf.
Powdery
Fine light dust as the tea people say meaning a very fine light leaf particle.
Ragged
An uneven badly manufactured and graded tea.
Stalk and Fibber
Bits of tea bush other than the leaf which should be minimal in superior grades but are unavoidable in lower-grade teas.
Tip
A sign of fine plucking apparent in top grades of tea.
Uneven and Mixed
'Uneven' pieces of leaf particles indicating poor sorting and resulting in a tea not true to a particular grade.
Well Twisted
Used to describe whole-leaf Orthodox tea grades, often referred to as well 'made' or 'rolled'.
Wiry
Leaf appearance of a well-twisted, thin, long leaf.
Terms Describing Infused Tea Leaf:
Aroma
Smell or scent denoting 'inherent character' usually in tea grown at high altitudes.
Biscuity
A pleasant aroma often found in well-fired Assam.
Bright
A lively bright appearance, which usually indicates that the tea will produce a bright liquor.
Coppery
Bright leaf that indicates a well manufactured or make of tea.
Dull
Lacks brightness and usually denotes poor tea. Can be due to faulty making (manufacture) and firing or a high moisture content.
Dark
A dark or dull color that usually indicates poorer leaf quality.
Green
When referring to black tea it means the leaf has been underfermented or alternatively it can be leaf plucked from immature bushes and will often , when liquored, result in a raw or light liquor. Can also be caused by poor rolling during making or manufacture.
Mixed or Uneven
Leaf of varying color.
Tarry
A smoky aroma unless a Lapsang Souchong tea which should not be there.
Terms describing Tea Liquor:
Baggy
An unpleasant taste, normally resulting from the tea being carried or wrapped in unlined hessian bags.
Bakey
An over-fired tea with the result that too much moisture has been driven off the leaf while drying.
Bitter
An unpleasant taste associated with raw teas.
Body
A liquor having both fullness and strength as opposed to being thin.
Brassy
Unpleasant metallic quality similar to brass. Usually associated with unwithered tea.
Bright
Denotes a lively fresh tea with good keeping quality.
Brisk
The most 'live' characteristic. Results from good manufacture.
Burned
Taint caused by extreme over drying during manufacture.
Character
An attractive taste, specific to growth origin describing teas grown at high altitude.
Coarse
A tea producing a harsh undesirable liquor with taste to match.
Coloury
Indicates useful depth of color and strength.
Common
A very plain light and thin liquor with no distinct flavor.
Cream
A natural precipitate obtained as the liquor cools down.
Dry
Indicates slight over-firing or drying during manufacture.
Dull
Not clear, lacking any brightness or briskness.
Earthy
Normally caused by damp storage of tea but can also describe a taste that is sometimes 'climatically inherent' in teas from certain regions.
Empty
A liquor lacking fullness. No substance.
Flat
Not fresh, usually due to age of the tea tends to lose its characteristics and taste with age, unlike some wines which age, unlike some wines which mature with age.
Flavor
A most desirable extension of character caused by slow growth at high altitudes. Relatively rare.
Fruity
Can be due to overfermenting during manufacture and/or bacterial infection before firing or drying, which gives the tea an over ripe taste. Unlike wines this is not a desirable taste in tea.
Full
A good combination of strength and color.
Gone off
A flat or old tea. Often denotes a high moisture content.
Green
When referring to black tea liquor denotes an immature 'raw' character. This is mostly due to under fermenting and sometimes to under withering during manufacture.
Hard
A very pungent liquor, a desirable quality in tea.
Harsh
A taste generally due to the leaf being under withered during manufacture resulting in a very rough taste.
Heavy
A thick, strong and color liquor with limited briskness.
High-fired
Over fired or dried, but not bakey or burned.
Lacking
Describes a neutral liquor with no body or pronounced characteristics.
Light
Lacking strength and depth of color.
Malty
Desirable character in some Assam teas. A full, bright tea with a malty taste.
Mature
Not bitter or flat.
Metallic
A sharp coppery taste.
Muddy
A dull, opaque liquor.
Muscate
Desirable character in Darjeeling teas. A grapey taste.
Musty
A suspicion of mold.
Plain
A liquor that is 'clean' but lacking in desirable characteristics.
Point
A bright, acidic and penetrating characteristic.
Pungent
Astringent with a good combination of briskness, brightness and strength.
Quality
Refers to 'cup quality' and denotes a combination of the most desirable liquoring qualities.
Rasping
A very coarse and harsh liquor.
Raw
A bitter, unpleasant taste.
Soft
The opposite of briskness. Tea lacking any 'live' characteristics and is caused by inefficient fermentation and/or drying.
Stewed
A soft liquor with undesirable taste that lacks point. Caused by faulty firing, or drying, at low temperatures and often with insufficient airflow through the oven during tea manufacture or making.
Strength
Substance in cup
Sweaty
Disagreeable taste. Poor tea.
Taint
Characteristic or taste that is foreign to tea such as oil, garlic etc. Often due to the tea being stored next to other commodities with strong characteristics of their own.
Thick
Liquor with good color and strength.
Thin
An insipid light liquor that lacks desirable characteristics.
Weedy
A grass or hay taste associated with teas that have been under withered during manufacture and sometimes referred to as 'woody'.
Annex 2 - List of terms used to describe black tea grades of leaf and broken teas
Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten63
Fig. 7, Author's own diagramme based onhttp://www.specialtea.com/blackaccessed 15.01.2002
[...]
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27 Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, p. 33
28 Zittlau, J (1997): Grüner Tee für Gesundheit und Vitalität, p.20
29 http://www.stashtea.com accessed 23.12.2001
30 Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, p. 65
31 Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, p.17
32 http://www.specialtea.com/black accessed 15.01.2002
33 Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, p. 16
34 Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, p. 54
35 Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, p.18
36 Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, p.19
37 Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, p.23
38 Rosen, D (1998): The Book of Green Tea, p. 24-28 and http://www.stashtea.com accessed 25.12.2001
39 http://www.dreamship.com accessed 15.01.2002
40 http://www.teekanne.de accessed 15.01.2002
41 http://www.teekanne.de accessed 15.01.2002
42 http://www.stashtea.com accessed 25.12.2001 This is a list of the most common terms used to grade teas. A complete list of terms used to grade leaf and broken teas can be found in Annex 3.
43 http://www.dreamship.com accessed 15.01.2002.
44 A list of terms used by tea tasters to assess tea can be found in Annex 1, p.18
45 Tee Gschwendner (2001): Teeliste Ausgabe 29, p.6, 10
46 http://www.teatime.com accessed 16.01.2002
47 http://www.stashtea.com accessed 23.12.2001
48 http://www.barrystea.com accessed 16.01.2002 and http://www.teawebex.com accessed 15.01.2002
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50 http://www.stashtea.com accessed 23.12.2001
51 http://www.teahealth.co.uk accessed 09.11.2001
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54 http://www.stashtea.com accessed 23.12.2001
55 http://www.teahealth.co.uk accessed 09.11.2001
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Frequently Asked Questions about The World Tea Market Language Preview
What is the definition of tea according to this document?
Botanically, tea refers to Camellia sinensis or Camellia assamica. Herbal, fruit, and other infusions are technically not tea, but all infusions are commonly referred to as tea.
What are the three major categories of tea, and how are they differentiated?
The three major categories are green, black, and oolong tea. They are all made from the same plants (Camellia sinensis or Camellia assamica), and the differences depend on the production process and level of fermentation.
Where does tea originate from, according to the document?
China is considered the birthplace of tea, with a legend tracing its discovery back to 2737 b.C. when tea leaves fell into Emperor Sheng Nung's boiling water.
What role did Britain play in the history of tea?
The British significantly shaped the tea market starting in the 17th century. They invented black tea for preservation during long journeys and broke China's tea monopoly by establishing plantations in India.
When did tea arrive in Europe?
Tea arrived in Europe in 1610, imported to Amsterdam by Dutch merchants. The East India Company began selling tea in London in 1657.
What are the prerequisites for tea cultivation?
Tea plants require acidic soil, a cool and moist climate with at least 1600 liters of rainfall per year and at least 4 hours of sun per day, high grounds, and sloping terrain.
Which countries are the major tea producers?
The most important tea-producing countries are India, China, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
What are the main tea-growing areas in India?
The main tea-growing areas in India are Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri.
What is special about Darjeeling tea?
Darjeeling teas, grown in the Himalayas, are known for their delicate muscatel flavor and are often called the "champagne of tea."
What are the main types of Chinese tea?
The four most common Chinese teas exported worldwide are Jasmine Tea, Gunpowder, Lung Ching (Dragonwell), and Chun Mee (Precious Eyebrows).
How is Ceylon tea categorized?
Ceylon tea is categorized based on the altitude of the growing area: Highgrowns (1300-2500 meters), Mediums (650-1300 meters), and Lowgrowns (less than 650 meters).
What is the typical production process for green tea?
Green tea production involves plucking, drying, pan firing, steaming, and shaping.
What are the steps involved in the Orthodox method of black tea production?
The Orthodox method involves withering, rolling, fermenting (oxidation), and firing.
What is the CTC method of black tea production?
The CTC (crushing, tearing, and curling) method uses machinery to generate standardized tea leaf sizes, colorful infusions, and to cut down the time and quality.
What are the main tea grades?
The two main grades are leaf and broken. Other grades include Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP), Orange Pekoe (OP), Pekoe (P), Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP), Broken Pekoe (BP), Fannings, and Dust.
How does the purchasing process for tea typically work?
Tea samples and catalogs are sent to bidding firms. Professional tea tasters evaluate the samples and inform bidders on location on which offers are to be made in the tea auctions.
Which countries are the top tea consumers?
According to 1990 statistics, the top tea consumers are India, China, and the UK.
Which countries have the highest per capita tea consumption?
The Irish have the world's strongest per capita tea consumption. The UK also has high consumption levels.
What are some of the health benefits associated with tea consumption?
Studies suggest that tea, especially green tea, can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of cancer, lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels, fight viral infections, and has anti-fungal properties. It is also a natural source of fluoride.
What future trends are predicted for the tea market?
The tea market is expected to see growing consumption in producing countries, rising prices, and increasing demand for convenience and luxury teas, as well as wellness teas in the Western world due to growing health consciousness.
Can you explain how tea tasters use these terms to asses tea?
The "Annex 1 - Tea Tasting Glossary" and "Annex 2 - List of terms used to describe black tea grades of leaf and broken teas" lists terms used to describe the tea. Tea tasters use smell to asses a dry leaf. A infused tea leaf also uses scent. Terms include "Aroma", "Biscuity" and "Tarry". When tasting liquor, many terms are used that are used to describe the taste, smell and look of the tea. "Bitter" is a type of harsh, unpleasant taste. Bright denotes a lively fresh taste, while "Earthy" is caused by damp tea storage.
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- Christian Walker (Author), 2002, The World Tea Market, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/105943
