The Popularity of Assam Tea in India

Assam tea also referred to as black tea is produced and processed in Assam, a land rich in moisture that it receives straight from the snow that melts off from the water via the Brahmaputra river. While the Assam tea is referred to as ’red tea’ in China, the rest of the world knows it as ‘black tea’. With a distinct flavor and aroma, the Assam tea stands apart from the its non-fermented counterparts.

Processing Assam Tea

The process of churning out black tea is a long drawn one. It begins with the process of plucking the tea leaves in which the thin buds and young shoots are plucked. While the Assamese tea leaves of the black tea are large and rich in flavor, the Chinese black tea has smaller leaves and is rich in aroma.

Once the leave are plucked, these leaves can be processed in two ways namely, orthodox and CTC. While the latter is a machined process of processing these leaves, its yields almost as good a flavor as the orthodox way. The orthodox way of processing black tea which is a manual process, involves the following steps:

Withering, where the freshly plucked tea leaves are subjected to hot air helping vaporize some of the water present on them while also making them soft and ready for the next process.

Rolling, where these softened and blow dried leaves are then rolled, either manually or using a machine. This helps release the oils present in the leaves and evenly spread throughout that batch of tea.

Oxidation, which is a critical process. The level of oxidation that a batch of these tea leaves are subject to, determines their flavor, aroma and texture. Exercising precision at this stage helps attain the desired flavor and aroma.

Firing, where the oxidized leaves are then subject to a oven kiln or over a wooden fire where they acquire their distinct smoky aroma and black color.

Grading, where the leaves are separated in terms of their achieved quality and size and packed accordingly.

Features

Black tea, of both Chinese and Assam origin, are known to have a strong flavor. The liquid that is produced when the leaves are brewed is dark amber in color that’s full-bodied and robust with a rich smoky aroma. The flavor of the tea is slightly malty with an astringent-like aftertaste.

To mellow down such brisk flavors that the black tea produces, additives are used, mostly milk. Honey, sugar or lemon may also be used along with it. The flavor and aroma of black tea is very distinct from the common un-fermented teas although black tea is the most widely consumed tea in India. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s the time!

Had black tea? Do you prefer it over the un-fermented variants? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with us below. And to buy the best quality Assam tea in India, visit our online tea store in India at TE-A-ME TEAS.

About Author:

Sarika Negi is an expert writer and a professional marketing consultant having extensive knowledge in Chemical industry, Online business, Online tea store, Marketing research and many more. To get a complete information on Assam tea visit here https://www.teameteas.com/