Tea is a very familiar drink in our daily life. A cup of tea refreshes after waking up in the morning. Tea is popular in chatting with friends or entertaining guests. A cup of tea can be our companion in the break of a busy day. But we actually buy tea leaves and boil them in hot water to make tea, how the tea is actually made is unknown to many. Fresh leaves do not directly become our cup of tea after they are collected from the tree. The tea leaves are fit for our consumption only after following several important steps.
The scientific name of tea plant is camellia sinensis. The journey of making tea starts from the tea plant. Tea plants require moist weather and adequate rainfall for growth. Tea is cultivated in different regions of Bangladesh. Especially Sylhet and Chittagong are known as tea regions. Tender buds and small leaves grow on the top of the tea plant. These are collected to make high quality tea.
The first important step in making tea is to collect the tea leaves. The tea leaves are usually collected in two ways. Tea leaves are collected by hand and with the help of machines. Workers usually collect komalpuri and leaves by hand or with special tools. In many cases two leaves are collected with a twenty. These parts are considered suitable for making tea. Young leaves are usually collected to make tea. Using leaves that are too hard or too old can alter the quality and taste of the tea. These collected words are placed in baskets and then rushed to factories for processing.
After collecting the leaves, the withering or moisture reduction process begins. Fresh tea leaves have a lot of water. Therefore, after taking them to the factory, the leaves have to be thinly spread on large trays or specific withering beds. Air or air flow should be used if necessary to reduce excess leaf moisture. In this process the leaves gradually become soft and pliable. How much moisture the leaves lose depends on the type of tea and the factory process.The next step is rolling. The tea leaves are twisted with the help of a special machine. As a result of this process, the different cells of the leaves are broken. And the internal juices and various ingredients come out. Earlier, tea leaves were rolled by hand or machine in the traditional way. At present, various types of machines are used in modern tea factories. The method and time of steeping differs according to the type of tea. The subsequent stages of oxidation and the final characteristics of the tea depend a lot on the brewing method.
After rolling, an important step in making many types of tea is oxidation. This process is basically controlled oxidation. Sometimes it is wrongly called “fermentation”. Some of the elements inside the leaves undergo chemical changes in the air. As a result, the color of the leaves gradually changes from green to copper or brown in color. This creates the special aroma and taste of the tea. This step is especially important for making black tea. Oxidation is minimized in making green tea.
Then the tea leaves are taken to the drying step. The tea is dried to make it suitable for storage. The tea is dried using special dryers or hot air. Through this process, the moisture inside the tea is reduced a lot. If tea is not dried properly, it becomes difficult to store it for a long time. Again, chai satpa flavor may change when dried in excess heat. So it should be dried properly.
After drying the tea leaves are sorted. In this step the big leaves and small leaves are done. And the leaves are separated according to other characteristics. We see different types of tea in the market. Loose leaf tea, tea bag tea, broken leaf, dust, etc. The purpose of grading is not only to differentiate according to leaf size, but also to group teas of similar characteristics and maintain certain standards.After sorting, the leaves are cleaned and its quality checked. To make good quality tea, all the unwanted material has to be removed from the leaves. In various large factories, the quality is controlled by trained personnel as well as machinery. At this stage, it is ensured that the tea is suitable for the next stage of packaging.
Blending is then done. Not all types of tea are blended. However, different grades of tea can be mixed in certain proportions to create the desired taste and aroma. This is done to try to keep the same taste. Tea is basically a drink made from processed tea leaves. The tea is then packaged. It is important to protect tea leaves from various environmental influences. So the tea is packed in suitable packets or containers. After packing it is transported to different places – markets, shops, and finally to the consumer.
Finally begins the process of making our cup of tea. We first put hot water on the stove to make tea. After that, put the tea leaves in a bowl and bag in hot water. As it stays in the water for a while, the different elements of taste, color and smell get mixed in the water. After that, some people add milk and sugar again. Some people add lemon, ginger or other ingredients. You can make it as strong or mild as you like. This is how a small tea leaf ends a long journey. A cup of fragrant tea in our hands blends in.This is how your cup of tea is made from fresh leaves.
