TEA RESERCH AND TRANING CENTER AT SUDUGHAHENA

TEA RESERCH AND TRANING CENTER AT SUDUGHAHENA

Objectives The object of the project were to introduce new concept to the sri Lankan team those who interesting to study international Tourist and researcher s. This will be the first research institute for Tourist in east Asia, we will provide accommodation training and facilities with modern research equipment.

HISTORY OF CEYLON TEA Tea is one of nature s most noble gifts to mankind. History records that Tea was consumed by, Han Dynasty Emperors in China as early as 2nd century BC. It was used as a medicinal beverage in ancient China. Its healing properties were discovered by the Chinese, and was then used as a frequent drink in order to prevent any common illnesses. It was then popularized around other large Asian countries such Japan, Korea and Vietnam before spreading to western nations such as England. Tea is a historic beverage, which has evolved both in technology and in the way it s consumed to fit the requirements of modern day. Ceylon tea is known for its superior quality, unmatched character and taste. Tea was first introduced to Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon by the British in the 1800 s. Ceylon at the time was under the British rule as a colony, and was introduced to many different industries new to the country. James Taylor was one of the pioneers who established the Ceylon tea industry in mid country also known as Kandy. Coffee was an already well established industry with many coffee plantations operating successfully in mid and up country areas. Coffee plantations were soon converted to tea, pioneered by Henry Randolph Trafford, who had extensive knowledge of tea cultivation. Technology and machinery were imported from England to process the tea leaves, to be sold commercially. Ceylon tea was auctioned to highest bidders at various prices and its popularity grew in a significantly short period of time. In 1893 one million packs of tea were sold at the Chicago World s Fair.

In the early coffee plantation years, many Indian immigrants were brought down to Ceylon to work in Coffee plantations and were then moved to the Tea plantations during transitions. These plantation workers were taught to meticulously hand pick two leaves and a bud from every tea bush, which is practiced to date. This manual method of plucking tea leaves ensures the tea leaves are carefully handled and delivered to the processing plants. The tea pickers are a majority of women who have perfected this type of picking leaves. Throughout the years the art of plucking tea has been handed over to every generation within the families of these communities. After much success over a long period of time it continued through to the post-colonial era. The government of Sri Lanka continued the tea industry as it began in the early years. In 1971 the government nationalized the tea estates owned by Sri Lankan and British companies. In 1980 Sri Lanka was the sole tea supplier to the Moscow Olympic games which was a milestone in the history of Ceylon tea. It then moved on to be a commodity, which depicted a strong symbol associated with Sri Lanka. Ceylon tea is considered a national pride in Sri Lanka and is regarded as a prized treasure which we share with the rest of the world. ORTHODOX TEA MANUFACTURING 1. Tea Plucking Only the young bud with 2-3 leaves are hand picked Leaves are plucked every 6-15 days, depending on the season/climatic conditions Each Kg will carry about 20,000 shoots Need 4kgs of fresh leaves to make 1kg of made tea Machine plucking is not done in Sri Lanka

2.Tea Withering The object is to evaporate from the moisture slowly over a period of 18 to 24 hours dependent on temperature and humidity. Approximately 65% of the water content in the green leaf is removed at this stage It becomes pliable and will withstand the subsequent process of rolling, without breaking up into flakes. 3. Tea Rolling The purpose of rolling is to achieve the final curved appearance and to break the leaf cell walls so as to release essential oils to start a chemical reaction of fermentation In this process the green color of the leaf is replaced by a brown coppery colored texture. When the leaf cells are ruptured, the enzymes in the leaf come in to contact with oxygen in the air which initiates chemical reactions that are necessary for the production of black tea.

4. Tea Fermentation The finer particles collected after roll breaking, are fermented to bring about the changes necessary to make a tea liquor palatable. The leaf is thinly spread in a cool, well ventilated room to slowly oxidize (ferment). Flavones combine with oxygen in the air develops the flavor as well as changes the color from green to brown over a period ranging from 2 to 4 hours This is a fine art of the factory tea maker. 5. Tea drying The Tea Dryer is a chamber which exposes the fermented leaf to hot dry air at regulated, varying temperature within its parts, for a duration of 20 to 30 minutes. Once optimum fermentation has been achieved, the rolled leaf is taken for firing (or drying) to arrest further fermentation by deactivating the enzymes, and to remove almost all of the remaining moisture of the leaf.

6. Tea Sorting/Grading The separation of tea particles into grades (different shapes and sizes) is required so as to conform to trade standards. Dried tea is sorted into different grades by passing them over a series of vibrating screens of different mesh sizes. The various grades of tea only denote a certain size and appearance of leaf; it has no reference to quality. Broken grades normally give darker liquor and a stronger tea. Leaf grades on the hand, are lighter coloured and less strong. The quality of tea is unrelated to a grade.

TIPS A Cup of a day keeps the Doctor Away.. Did you know that a cup of tea, is a 100% NATURAL drink that contains NO Calories, Carbonates, Sodium or Fats? What s more, regular consumption of tea has proven to build a high density of bone minerals which in turn helps to keep your bones healthy and strong. Tea drinking has recently proven to be associated with cell-mediated immune function of the human body. Tea plays an important role in improving beneficial intestinal micro flora, as well as providing immunity against intestinal disorders and in protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. Both green and black tea infusions contain a number of antioxidants, mainly catech ins that have anticarcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-tumoric properties. In other words, tea prevents you from diseases like Cancer, High Blood Pressure and Heart Diseases in addition to fighting against allergies and infections. Tea has a magical power to preserve youthfulness in your complexion by reducing wrinkles and all other vexing signs of aging. Tea can enhance Energy & Endurance as it provide extra energy and delay fatigue, maximizing performance under stress. Tea can also enhance Longevity as it help stimulate production of natural viral-killer cells to enhance immune functioning and potentially guard against heart disease and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Apart from polyphenols, tea also contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to one s health. These include the anine (an amino acid unique to tea), vitamins, minerals, and methylxanthines. These are the components that are the source of the healthful properties of tea. These are known to:

Help fight against mutagenic agents Delay aging Help fight high blood pressure Help fight against viral and bacterial infection Help improve the functions of the digestive and excretory systems Tea reduce heart diseases Drinking green tea rapidly improves the health of the delicate cells lining the blood vessels and helps lower one s risk of heart disease. Specifically, green tea improves the function of endothelial cells. Black tea is linked to short- and long-term improvements in endothelial function. Powerful antioxidants in green tea called flavonoids can help protect the heart. Tea is known to be rich in antioxidants, which help keep down cholesterol levels in the blood.

Losing weight with Tea Tea can burn fats naturally while increasing the metabolism, effectively preventing you from gaining weight. And, new research has shown green tea may help our bodies burn more calories, faster, which is why it s showing up in more and more fat-loss formulas. Tea can enhance Fat Loss as it increases resting metabolic rate and increase the rate the body burns fat to support weight loss. In addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin polyphenols that raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned), and hence increases energy expenditure. Tea and Cancer There is direct evidence tea can protect against cancer in humans. The antioxidants in tea neutralize free radicals that damage the body. The rates of breast, colon, skin, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach cancer have been found to be lower among drinkers of green tea.

Good for Diabetes Tea may be a simple, inexpensive means of preventing or retarding human diabetes and the ensuing complications both kinds of tea Black and Green tea inhibited diabetic cataracts. The tea also has a blood-sugar-lowering effect. Drinking tea can improve insulin activity up to 15 times, and it can be black, green or oolong. Recent studies suggest that green tea catechins may reduce the amount of glucose that passes through the intestine and into the bloodstream. This will benefits diabetics by preventing bloodsugar spikes when tea is taken with meals.

Tea can reduce Stroke A new research suggests that by drinking two or more cups of tea a day can reduce risk of stroke. Gallotannin, a substance found in green tea, is up to 100 times more powerful than comparable existing medicines in preventing brain damage after stroke. Stronger teeth with Tea

Tea has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally-sized cup of coffee. A JOURNEY ACROSS GLOBAL TEA CULTURES Tea is a celebrated beverage across continents around the world. Many countries across continents boasts of traditions and cultures associated with tea. With a history close to 5000 years, tea has been a treasured beverage and is to date widely consumed across the world.

Sri Lankan tea culture Sri Lanka is known for its superior tea which boasts of high quality. Sri Lankans begin their day with a cup of black tea mixed with milk and sugar. Every Sri Lankan household consumes tea at least two to three times a day. Evenings between 3 to 4pm are also considered tea times and traditional sweet meats, biscuits and cakes are usually served with tea when entertaining guests. Serving tea is a gesture of welcoming a guest to one s home. Sri Lanka is famous for its small road side vendors who serve Yard tea known as Yara tea in Sri Lanka. The name is due to the unique way in which it is made by mixing tea, sweetened condensed milk and pouring it from a higher angle (generally a yard away from the glass) to a glass which makes the tea form a froth. This technique adds a uniquely delicious taste and aroma to the tea. Sri Lankans are also famous for consuming black tea with Ginger and Jaggery. Jaggery is a type of Palm sugar used in Sri Lankan desserts. It s usually sold in solid form such as a block and small parts are broken out of the block and eaten while sipping on hot black ginger tea. Tea is served and consumed in every part of the country. Drinking tea is a joyful experience to all Sri Lankans.

What are the main tea grades? Orthodox manufacture OP : Orange Pekoe pronounced [PEE-koh]. Usually from Ceylon and also from much of southern India. These are the largest rolled leaves. Liquors are light or pale in color. A common misconception is that Orange Pekoe is a type of tea with an orange flavor, or that is otherwise somehow associated with the orange fruit. In fact, however, the word Orange has nothing at all to do with the tea s flavor. OPA : Orange Peko A Long bold leaf tea with fair twist. Larger than OP in size. Light in cup. BOP : Broken Orange Pekoe. Considerably large pieces of broken leaves, which need more time to infuse. This grade of tealeaves is slower to infuse than D and F. Many fine teas are available starting from this grade Pekoe : Shotty, curly or semi curly leaf of large size. Bigger than BOP. The liquors generally have more color than a leafy grade OP1 : Orange Pekoe 1 well made, wiry, twisted long leaf. Liquor light in cup. BOP1 : Broken Orange Pekoe 1 Wiry and twisted, shorter than OP1.

FBOPF1Sp : Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning 1 Special similar leaf to BOP1, has long bright tips. Light in cup. GFOP : Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Often referred to flowery orange pekoe with tips and flowers that are golden in color. TGFOP : Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe A larger ratio of golden tips would be included in this classification of flowery orange pekoe. B.O.P.F. : Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning It is much smaller than B.O.P. and its main virtues are quick brewing, with good color in the cup. Dust : The tiniest particles of the broken tea leaves left behind after sifting due to mechanical damage by transportation or processing. The relatively smallest particle size has the biggest surface area and contributes to rapidly steeping of tea. D grade tea is often used in tea bags. Fanning : Slightly larger than dust, this grade has the same rapid steeping property like D-grade and often used in tea bags. Unorthodox : ( CTC ) manufacture BP1 : Broken Pekoe1- Most common broken pekoe grade. Slightly larger than B.O.P., but granular. PF1 : Pekoe Fanning 1 Equivalent in size to grainy BOPF but granular. Heavy liquor, dark in cup mainly used in tea bags PD : Pekoe Dust Similar to Orthodox Dust, but granular. Heavy liquor, dark in cup mainly used in tea bags

TEA VOCABULARY Terms used to describe Dry Leaf : Black: A black appearance is desirable. Blackish: A satisfactory appearance. Bold: Particles of leaf which are too large for the particular grade. Brown: A brown appearance in teas that normally indicates overly harsh treatment of the leaf. Clean: Leaf that is free from fibre, dust and all extraneous matter. Curly: The leaf appearance of whole leaf grade teas such as O.P., as distinct from wiry. Even: True to the grade, consisting of pieces of leaf of fairly even size. Flaky: Flat, open and often light in texture. Gray: 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 leaves tend to be on the large or long side. Musty: A tea affected by mildew. Neat: A grade having good make and size. Powdery: Fine light dust. Ragged: An uneven, badly manufactured and graded tea. Stalk & Fibre: Should be minimal in superior grades, but is generally unavoidable in lower-grade teas.

Shotty: well-made Gunpowder or Pekoe. Bold in appearance, curly.shotty: well-made Gunpowder or Pekoe. Bold in appearance, curly.tip: A sign of fine plucking, apparent in top grades of orthodox Low Grown Type Teas. Uneven & Mixed: Uneven pieces of leaf usually indicative of poor sorting and not true to the particular grade. Well Twisted: Used for describing whole-leaf grades, often referred to as well-made or rolled. OP, OP1 grades. Wiry: Leaf appearance of a well-twisted, thin-leaf tea. OP, OP1grades. Terms used to describe Infused Leaf : Bright: A lively bright appearance. Usually indicates bright liquors. Coppery: Bright leaf that indicates a well-manufactured tea. Dull: Lacks brightness and usually denotes poor tea. Can be due to faulty manufacture and firing, or a high moisture content. Dark: A dark or dull colour that usually indicates poorer leaf. Green: When referring to black tea, refers to under-fermentation or to leaves from immature bushes (liquors often raw or light). Can also be caused by poor rolling. Mixed or Uneven: Leaf of varying colour. Terms used to describe Liquors: Aroma: Smell or scent denoting inherent character, usually in tea grown at high altitudes. Bakey: An over-fired liquor. Tea in which too much moisture has been driven off. Body: A liquor having both fullness and strength, as opposed to being thin. Bright: Denotes a lively fresh tea with good keeping quality. Brisk: The most live characteristic. Results from good manufacture. Burnt: Extreme over-firing.

Character: An attractive taste, specific to origin, describing teas grown at high altitudes. Coarse: Describes a harsh, undesirable liquor. Coloury: Indicates useful depth of colour and strength. Cream: A precipitate obtained after cooling in well-made low grown teas. Dull: Not clear, and lacking any brightness or briskness. Earthy: Normally caused by damp storage, but can also describe a taste that is sometimes climatically inherent in teas from certain regions. Empty: Describes a liquor lacking fullness. No substance. Flat: Not fresh (usually due to age). Flavour: A most desirable extension of character, caused by slow growth at high elevations. Relatively rare. Fruity: Can be due to over-fermentation and/or bacterial infection before firing. An overripe taste. Full: A good combination of strength and colour. Gone off: A flat or old tea. Often denotes a high moisture content. Green: An immature, raw character. Often due to under fermentation (Sometimes under withering). Harsh: A taste generally due to under withered leaf. Very rough. Heavy: A thick, strong and coloury liquor with limited briskness. High-Fried: Over-fired but not bakey or burnt Lacking: Describes a neutral liquor. No body or pronounced characteristics. Light: Lacking strength and depth of colour. Malty: A full, bright tea with a taste of malt. Mature: Not bitter or flat. Metallic: A sharp Metallic taste. Muddy: A dull liquor. Musty: Suspicion of mould.

Plain: A liquor that is clean but lacking in desirable characteristics. 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. Raw: A bitter, unpleasant flavour. Soft: The opposite of briskness. Lacking any live characteristic. Caused by inefficient fermentation and/or firing. Strength: Substance in cup. Taint: Characteristic or taste that is foreign to tea, such as oil, garlic, etc. Often due to being stored next to other commodities with strong characteristics of their own. Thick: Liquor with good colour and strength. Thin: An insipid light liquor that lacks desirable characteristics.