'A HISTORY OF...'//'TEAS FROM AROUND THE WORLD'//OUGD504-SUMMER

TEAS FROM CHINA

Known as the birthplace of tea, for hundreds of years China produced the only teas known to the western world. Although consuming much of her own production, China still accounts for over 18% of world exports.  China has 1,431,300 hectares planted with tea.

As well as black teas, China produces five other principal types for which the country is famous: Green, Oolong, White, Flavoured and Compressed teas.  With some exceptions - such as Lapsang Souchong, Gunpowder and Keemun - most teas from China are not easily found in the general marketplace.

BLACK TEA

LAPSANG SOUCHONG

Perhaps the most famous china tea, the best coming from the hills in north Fujian. It is a unique large leaf tea distinguished by its smoky aroma and flavour.  The tarry taste is acquired through drying over pine wood fires.

The legend about the origin of Lapsang Souchong is that the smoking process was discovered by accident.  An army is said to have camped in a tea factory that was full of drying leaves which had to be moved to accommodate the soldiers. When the soldiers left, the leaves needed to be dried quickly, so the workers lit open fires of pinewood to speed up the drying. The tea reached the market on time and a new flavour had been created.

The real story about why these teas from Fujian province have a smoky flavour is that in the early 17th century when the Chinese tea producers began to export their teas to Europe and America, their traditional green teas did not travel well and quickly lost quality during the 15-18 month journey across land and sea.  The producers  developed a method of rolling, oxidising and drying their teas so that they would hold their quality for longer.  Once the teas had been oxidised, they were spread on bamboo baskets which were placed on racks in the drying room.  This was built over ovens that allowed the heat to rise up through vents in the ceiling and into the drying room above.  To fire the ovens, the tea manufacturers used the local pine wood from the forests that surrounded (and still surround) the factories, and as the wood slowly burned, it gave off a certain amount of smoke that was absorbed by the drying tea and gave it a lightly smoked, sappy, pine character.

The factories that made those lightly smoked black teas in Fujian province still manufacture lightly smoked Lapsangs in exactly the same way as they did 400 years ago.  The teas are often called Bohea Lapsangs - the term Bohea being a derivation of 'Wuyi', the name of the famous mountain area where these teas are made.  They also manufacture the much smokier Lapsang Souchongs that are popular today.

KEEMUN

A popular black tea from Anhui Province, this is a 'gonfu' tea - which means that it is made with disciplined skill to produce the thin tight strips of leaf without breaking the leaves.  The tight black leaves give a rich brown liquor, which has a lightly scented nutty flavour and delicate aroma.

YUNNAN

A black tea from the province of Yunnan in the south west of China.  It has a rich, earthy, malty flavour similar to Assam teas and is best drunk with milk.  It makes an excellent breakfast tea.

Other recommended China black teas are Keemun Mao Feng (Hair Point) and Szechwan Imperial.

GREEN TEAS

Many green China teas are still traditionally made by hand using methods that have been handed down from generation to generation.  However, more and more teas are now made in mechanised factories.  Green teas are totally unoxidised (compared to black teas which are fully oxidised) and so the first stage of the manufacturing process is to kill any enzymes that would otherwise cause oxidation to take place.  To de-enzyme them, the freshly plucked leaves are either steamed (to make 'sencha-type teas) or tumbled quickly in a wok or panning machine (to make pan-fired teas) and are then rolled by hand or machine to give the leaf a particular appearance - some teas are twisted, some curved, some rolled into pellets, etc.  To remove all but 2-3% of the remaining water, the tea is then dried in hot ovens or over charcoal stoves.

OOLONG

Traditionally from China's Fujian province and Taiwan, these are semi-oxidised teas that vary from greenish rolled oolongs (that give a light, floral liquor reminiscent of lily of the valley, narcissus, orchid or hyacinth) to dark brown leafed oolongs (that yield liquors with deeper, earthier flavours and lingering hints of peach and apricot).

These two distinct types of oolong are made by two very different processes.

To manufacture the darker leafed oolongs, the freshly plucked leaf is withered, then shaken or 'rattled' in bamboo baskets or in a bamboo tumbling machine to lightly bruise parts of the leaf, then oxidised for a short time so that the bruised parts of the leaf begin to oxidise.  When 60-70% oxidation has been reached, the leaf is dried.

To manufacture the greener oolongs, the leaf is withered and then wrapped inside a large cloth and rolled in a special machine.  The bag is then opened and the leaf is spread out briefly to oxidise lightly.  The leaf is repeatedly wrapped, rolled and oxidised until approximately 30% oxidation has been achieved.  The tea is then dried to remove all but 2-3% of the remaining water.  The most famous of these greener, light, fragrant oolongs is Tie Kuan YIn which has a hyacinth or narcissus character.

All oolongs are better drunk without milk.

WHITE TEAS

White teas traditionally come from China's Fujian province and are made from leaf buds and leaves of the Da Bai (Big White) tea varietal by the simplest process of all teas.  Very young new leaf buds and baby leaves are simply gathered and dried - often in the sun.  The manufacturing process includes no withering, no steaming, no rolling, no oxidising and no shaping.  The best known white teas are Pai Mu Tan (White Peony) which is made using new leaf buds and a few very young leaves, and Yin Zhen (Silver Needles) which is made from just the new leaf buds.

PUERH TEA

The official Chinese definition for Puerh tea is "Products fermented from green tea of big leaves picked within Yunnan province".  However, even Chinese specialists cannot agree on the true definition but, in general terms, Puerh teas are teas from Yunnan that are aged for up to 50 years in humidity- and temperature-controlled conditions to produce teas that have a typically earthy, mature, smooth flavour and aroma.

There are two types of Puerh tea made by two different methods of manufacture:  Naturally Fermented Puerh tea (also known as Raw Tea or Sheng Tea) and Artificially Fermented Puerh tea (also known as Ripe Tea or Shou Tea).

To make Naturally Fermented Puerh tea, fresh leaves from the bush are withered, de-enzymed in a large wok, twisted and rolled by hand, dried in the sun, steamed to soften them and then left loose or compressed into flat cakes or blocks of various shapes.  The tea is then stored in controlled conditions to age and acquire its typically earthy character.

To make Artificially Fermented Puerh tea, fresh tea leaves are withered, de-enzymed in a large wok, twisted and rolled by hand, dried in the sun and then mixed with a fixed quantity of water, piled, covered with large 'blankets' made from hide and left to ferment.  The tea is stirred at intervals and the whole process takes several weeks.   When the teas have fermented to a suitable level, they are steamed and then left loose or compressed in the same way as Naturally Fermented Puerh teas.

The teas are then stored in damp, cool conditions to age.  Naturally Fermented Puerh teas are left for at least 15 and up to 50 years; Artificially Fermented Puerh teas are aged for only a few weeks or months.  When ready, each cake of Puerh tea is wrapped in tissue paper or dried bamboo leaves.

The reason for manufacturing Puerh teas by artificial fermentation is to allow the tea producers to make more Puerh in a shorter time.  50 years is a long time to wait for a good Puerh so the more modern artificial method was developed to meet a growing demand for these teas.

Puerh tea is named after Puerh city in Yunnan province which was once the main trading centre for teas made in the area.

TEAS FROM INDIA AND SRI LANKA

India is one of the main tea growers, exporting more than 12% of the world's tea and with 523,000 hectares under cultivation. Although indigenous to the Assam region, the first commercially produced teas were raised from seeds brought from China.

By the 1840s, India was producing regular shipments for sale at auction in London, and gradually the planting of estates grew throughout the country from Nilgiri in the south to Darjeeling in the north.

The plantations range from low-grown areas (sea level up to 2000ft) to high-grown (more than 4000 ft high). Generally plucked from March to October, each area produces teas of distinctive character. The Tea Board of India has endorsed several speciality blends so that their quality and consistency is assured.

Although India produces mostly black teas, a small amount of green tea (1% of total production) is produced mainly for the Afghanistan market.

ASSAM

Assam is a major growing area covering the Brahmaputra valley, stretching from the Himalayas down to the Bay of Bengal. There are 655 estates covering some 407,000 hectares. Assam tea has distinctive flecked brown and gold leaves known as "orange" when dried. In flavour it is robust, bright with a smooth, malt pungency and is perfect as the first cup of tea of the day. Such teas are used in everyday popular blends because of the full-bodied richness. There is also an Assam Green tea with an unusual light, almost sweet liquor.
FIRST FLUSH ASSAM
Assam tea bushes start growing in March and the first flush is picked for 8 to 10 weeks, first flush Assams e.g. Bamonpookri, an excellent quality tea with a strong fresh flavour; are rarely marketed in the Europe, unlike first flush Darjeelings.
SECOND FLUSH ASSAM
The plucking of the second flush begins in June with most of the production taking place from July to September. The second flush Assam is the best of the season and when brewed give a rich aroma, a clear dark read liquor and a strong malty taste. Good examples of second flush assams are, Napuk, displaying all the qualities of a well made Assam and Thowra, which has a strong spicy liquor and lots of body.
DARJEELING
Regarded as the "Champagne of Teas," Darjeeling is grown on 100 estates on the foothills of the Himalayas, on over 18,000 hectares at about 7000 ft. Light and delicate in flavour and aroma, and with undertones of muscatel, Darjeeling is an ideal complement to dinner or afternoon tea. The first "flushes" (pluckings) are thought to produce the best Darjeeling vintage but all crops are of very high quality. Darjeeling Green is rare tea similar to Japanese Sencha with an exquisite aroma and delicate taste.
FIRST FLUSH DARJEELING
The Darjeeling bushes' first new shoots - the first flush - are picked in April. These first teas of the season are the finest and are much in demand, fetching incredibly high prices at auction. Castleton First Flush, has a perfect green-brown leaf and is from one of the most prestigious gardens in the area. It gives an exquisite perfume and taste of green muscatel. Bloomfield First Flush is again from a recognised garden and its subtle astringent flavour is typical of Darjeeling first flush.
SECOND FLUSH DARJEELING
Second flush Darjeelings are picked between May and June and produce excellent quality teas that are considered by some to be better than the first flush as they have a fruitier, less astringent flavour than the earlier teas. The leaves are darker brown and contain plenty of silvery tip. Again good examples of second flush Darjeelings are, Puttabong, which is one of the better second flush Darjeelings available, with a discernible muscatel flavour and Namring, a fruity balanced taste perfect for afternoon tea.

TEAS FROM SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has over 188,0000 hectares under tea cultivation yielding about 298,000 tonnes of "made" tea, and accounting for over 19% of world exports. In 1972, the island then known as Ceylon reverted to the traditional name of Sri Lanka, but retained the name of Ceylon for the marketing of teas.

Tea from Sri Lanka falls into three categories: low-grown (on estates up to 2000 ft high); medium grown (between 2000 and 4000 ft); and high grown (over 4000 ft). Each level produces teas of unique character. By blending teas from different areas of the island, Sri Lanka can offer a very wide range of flavour and colour. Some are full-bodied, others light and delicate, but all Ceylon blends will have brisk full flavours and bright golden colour.

Because of the geographical location, tea can be plucked in Sri Lanka all year round: the west and east of the island are divided by central mountains so that as each region's season ends, the other begins.

TEAS FROM KENYA, MALAWI AND ZIMBABWE

As the most recent of the tea producing countries, African countries have been able to build on the experience of other producers. As a result, Africa is now a major force in world tea, producing teas of high quality and good bright colour which are used for blending all over the world. Tea producing countries in Africa include Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa producing about 32% of world exports amounting to some 424,000 tonnes.

KENYA

One of the oldest of the African producers, Kenya has a history of tea dating back to 1903, when tea seeds from India were first planted on a two acre farm. Today, Kenya has 69000 hectares under cultivation by smallholders (shambas), under the protection of the Kenya Tea Development Authority, and tea producing companies in the public and private sector. Kenya exports over 349,000 tonnes of tea per year (22% of world exports). Kenya's equatorial climate allows tea growing all year round.

The teas are very bright, colourful, with a reddish coppery tint and a pleasant brisk flavour. Kenya speciality tea is ideal as a drink for any time of day or night and is particularly ideal with beef and horseraddish or ham sandwiches and rich chocolate cake.  In the after dinner slot Kenya tea will enhance the flavour of a smoked cheese taken with Drambuie.  Kenya teas are also blended into many famous British brands.

MALAWI
Malawi is the pioneer of tea growing in Africa, with production first starting commercially in the 1880s in Mulanje. Now exporting over 43,000 tonnes annually, Malawi has a 3% share of world exports and is mainly responsible for the spread of tea cultivation in Africa. Malawi was the first African country to adopt the cloning method of estate refurbishment. Although Malawi teas are not so well known as speciality teas, their superb colour and brightness means they are used in the blending of leading British tea brands.

ZIMBABWE

Tea production in Zimbabwe could begin commercially only after the successful establishment of irrigated tea estates. With an average annual rainfall of not more than 26 inches per annum, as opposed to the 50 plus inches per annum usually required, irrigation is essential to continuous growth. Zimbabwe now exports over 15,000 tonnes of tea per year. Today, tea is a "controlled" commodity in Zimbabwe so that its quality and industry growth are protected.