Assam Tea

Tea gardens of Assam

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The state of Assam is the world's largest tea-growing region, lying on either side of the Brahmaputra River, and bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar. This part of India experiences high precipitation; during the monsoon period, as much as 10 to 12 inches (250–300 mm) of rain per day. The daytime temperature rises to about 96.8F (36 °C), creating greenhouse-like conditions of extreme humidity and heat. This tropical climate contributes to Assam's unique malty taste, a feature for which this tea is well known.

The state of Assam (name derived from ‘Asom’, meaning one without equals), which includes the northern Brahmaputra valley, the middle Karbi and Cachar hills and the southern Barak valley, is home to the single largest contiguous tea growing region in the world. The region goes through extremely humid summers and heavy rainfall from March to September. Assam is also home to India’s largest tea research center, which is located at Tocklai in Jorhat, and is managed by the Tea Research Association.

Tea plantations in Assam grow the Camelia Sinensis var Assamica variety of the tea plant. Assam is the only region globally where tea is grown in plains, and also the only other region apart from Southern China, which grows its own native tea plant. Tea from Assam has a rich, full-bodied, deep amber liquor with a brisk, strong and malty taste, making it ideal for the early morning cup. Second flush orthodox Assam teas are extremely popular for their distinctive taste and bright liquor. Orthodox Assam teas have been registered as a geographical indication (GI) in India.

Assam tea is a black tea named after the region of its production, Assam,  this tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavour, and strong, bright colour. Assam teas, or blends containing Assam, are often sold as "breakfast" teas. For instance, Irish breakfast tea, a maltier and stronger breakfast tea, consists of small-sized Assam tea leaves. 

According to a site called teabuddy.wordpress.com, there are two  kinds: Orthodox and CTC, both named after the manufacturing process used to create them. The leaf used from the bush (Camelia Sinesis) is the same in both cases.  Quality leaf is determined by the pedigree and health of the tea bush and by careful hand-plucking. But like wine, tea manufacture is a fine art involving years of experience, in-depth know-how and often closely guarded secrets. The crucial step in making black tea is to allow the juices in the rolled fresh leaves to darken from contact with the air. Tea makers call this process “fermentation,” although, technically, it is “oxidation.”  The dark substances that form while the tea leaves are exposed to the air is produced by the chemical reactions of the tannins in the tea.  The leaf is spread out and left to wilt, losing some moisture, stiffness and much of its weight. Then it’s rolled, exposing essential oils to the air and thus starting the oxidation process. When the leaves have transformed sufficiently,  they are “fired,” dried over heat to stop the oxidation process.

The four grades of Orthodox black tea are: 

1. Flowery Orange Pekoe (the small leaf next to the bud). 

2. Orange Pekoe (the second leaf next to the bud).  3. Pekoe (the third leaf next to the bud). 4.  Souchong (the fourth leaf next to the bud).

TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) is the highest grade of Orthodox Assam, hand-processed in small quantities at the finest plantations. TGFOB fetches top prices in the Arab world. It is drunk “pure” without milk. At the bottom of the barrel are the Fanning’s and Dust. This is the tea that go into tea bags. Tea Dust is also what is boiled in milk and spices to create Indian street chai.

CTC TEA: At the start of the 20th century when tea drinking caught on in the UK,  British tea companies started experiments in Assam and the CTC method invented and used to the increased volume of tea. CTC is the acronym for Crush, Tear & Curl.

It describes the factory process used to make the tea which is similar to that of orthodox tea manufacture but instead of the leaves being rolled as a final stage, they are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp “teeth” that Crush, Tear, and Curl the leaf into tiny little balls.

CTC tea gives double the cup page for the same weight as orthodox. For example one Kg. of CTC tea yields around 500 cups compared to 250 cups from Orthodox. The quality of Orthodox, however is better than CTC as the coarse leaf is discarded at the time of manufacture by shifting.

Pekoe simply denotes the size of the tea particle. The smaller the particle size the quicker and stronger the brew. Large whole leaf teas tend to brew slower and lighter and have more subtle flavors than small leaf teas.

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