Tea gardens in India

Tea is a plant that is consumed on a daily basis in India. India in Asia is one of the largest producers and most of the produce is consumed locally and the rest is exported. Since tea is one of the products that are consumed throughout India, the different tea companies are trying to expand their base.

Many tea companies that India own large numbers of tea gardens and its predominance is seen in states like Assam, west Bengal, Karnataka, all north eastern states, states have tropical conditions and hill slopes. The hilly areas in the country are being utilized to a great extent by cutting terraces on them and using them for  cultivation. The owners of the major tea processing companies in India are acquiring more and more land. All the hilly areas that were once abandoned are now being converted into tea gardens in the country.

Tea garden owning in India are also responsible for the increase in employment in the private sector. With the increase in the number of tea gardens, the labor required also increases and hence employment and income both is generated.

The tea garden owning industries have to be very careful with the location of the gardens. Owning a tea garden a proper place matters. The climatic factor is the most essential factor when it comes to plantation of tea. Then comes the soil. The tea gardens are established  on the hill slopes. Since the land is inclined there is no water logging when the  plantation is done.

Tea companies that do not own gardens keep buying raw leaves from other estates. The processing time is very little since the leaf might lose its essence and flavor hence timely procurement is important. Many companies own large tea gardens some are working towards acquiring more of them. With this the prediction of tea production to rise steadily is definitely going to come true in the near future.

Most of the tea estates are established in the Indian State of Assam, Darjeeling Hills in West Bengal and the Nilgiris in the South. Tea estate companies do not necessarily own major brands many are just processors and suppliers of the leaf.   

Major tea producing centers have become destinations for tourism. There are many tour companies organizing tours to tea estates. This is a unique experience of local culture with insight into cultivation, processing amd packaging of tea. The salubrious climate and picturesque settings are instrumental in attracting many inbound tourists. 

Major tea processing companies in the world.

Tea is a shrub that is grown in areas with high humidity i.e. tropical or sub tropical areas, which are found all over the world. Teas whether green, blue, black, yellow, blue or white all the types find their origin in that one plant called Camellia Sinensis.

That one recreational drink that the whole world consumes is the hot beverage tea. The production and consumption is what is found throughout the world. And it wasn’t today that tea was found to be a drink that nearly the whole world consumes now the habit dates back to centuries. This is coming down the line from ages in the Oriental Realm. Since tea is such a good beverage, it is obvious that the market is expanded worldwide and has without any doubt increased over the years.

In today’s date, tea is grown in Asia and Africa on nearly 2.5 million hectares of land. China and India by far are the largest producers of tea, and most of the produce is consumed locally. Kenya this year was the largest exporter of tea. And all these continents and countries are said to have the best processing units. According to a website, all over the world, there are 7 large and successful corporations that dominate 90% of the global market.

As mentioned above the sector is actually dominated by a few major companies all over the world, and the international trade in this commodity follows a pattern. It lets the highest bidder in the International fair trade buy the choice product.

Tea cultivation depends on a number of factors and is the main base that determines that existence of the processing industry. It requires division of labor, proper climate and soil. Therefore Internationally there are some standards that the processing and packaging companies in the world have to follow. They are known as ‘standards for tea plantations’.

They are as follows-
1)    When working in a plantation estate of a company workers health and safety is a must.
2)    Child labor or forced labor is prohibited
3)    Workers have the rights to form unions and place their reasonable demands when required.
4)    The salaries should follow the rule of minimum wage effect.

Over the years the tea production has grown, and the major companies see that in near future this will grow even more. And hence all of them are working towards expanding their horizons and working towards acquiring more and more land so that the production from their company is the largest.

Even according to the stock market, it is predicted, that the tea production, consumption and processing will increase. This will happen if money in the hand of the common man increases so that he is willing to spend a greater amount on his health than what he currently spends.

The major tea processing companies in the world are continuously working towards acquiring the status of being the largest producers of the leaf. But this race continues as amongst the 7 companies, each is better than the other, and is continuously striving to be better, day by day.

Some of the Tea Majors are:


Lipton

Wagh Bakri

Tata Tetley

Dilmah

Twining Teas

Unilever

Kenya Tea Packers

The above companies are global while there are  many local concern nevertheless giants in their own rights.

The significance of flavor additives in tea blends

Tea is said to be the world’s oldest among the popular beverages since a long period of time. People have been drinking tea since many centuries in Asian countries. Recently they have also realized the fact that the tea can also be made better by adding various kinds of flavors and spices to it. This imagination been made to come true by the regular drinkers. Nowadays tea is available in every possible flavor from far and wide.

The best way of adding the fragrance to make tea more delicious is by adding various herbs and essential oils which are edible aromatic compounds. The Masala Chai or Spiced tea  is getting popular among the customers all over the world thanks to unique aroma and taste. .

Deep knowledge of flavors

Understanding flavoring materials, spices and herbs is essential for creating spicy blends. Though this is the task of the experts amateurs can also create magical blends.  For gaining information on flavored tea people must first get to know the information about the processing of the leaf at estates and plants. As the matter of the fact the processing plays a very important role in the production of the various kinds of leaves. This kind of the processing consists of various steps. The tea companies do not make any kind of the compromise with the quality. In the gardens they only choose the topmost buds and the leaves from the plants. All of the plucked leaves are taken to wither and then crushed for twenty four hours. The withered leaves are crushed in between the metal rollers. The additives are added to the blend for increasing the flavor, taste and aroma.

Different flavored tea

The idea of the flavored tea started in China. This place has been the birthplace of the flavored tea drinking. Since ages different types of flavors are in use creating a wide varieties of blends. Some of the notable varieties are masala chai, herb flavored blends and those containing essential oils.  The leaf is fermented during the process and is exposed to various degree of sunshine.

After the plucking of the leaves they are fermented in order to accord a strong flavor and bigger size. The black tea itself possesses the strong and heavy flavor this is quite evident whence we consume strong teas available in the market. Hence flavoring black teas is a greater challenge than the lighter versions like green and Oolong leaf. Some plants are cultivated in the vicinity of plums and cinnamon trees. This accords a distinct flavor to the leaves which is preferred by the connoisseurs.

Spices in packet tea give a kick start

From a long period of time tea has been used as a beverage and medicinal product in all over South Asia. The British introduced the tea into their  colonies and the inhabitants started loving it. The tea can be said as the most commonly found and the oldest beverages in the world.

In South Asia especially India and China the spice tea or chai tea has become very popular. The masala tea or the masala chai  varies in the taste from place to place. It has been universally accepted and the usage and popularity is increasing day by day. The tea companies are promoting spice tea to people all over the world. They are getting to know the real taste of the masala tea because of awareness.

Best quality and taste

The Spices in packet tea can provide the latest and the best in the longer tradition of the brilliance in the quality and the taste. The Spice Chai and the masala Tea has reached to a lot of people living in the subcontinent and the whole of Asian countries. Slowly and slowly the Spices in the packet tea is developing into a huge hit among all of the countries and it is being spreading fast. The tea shops and the coffee bar centers are also adopting the spices tea and are offering the wonderful experience of the tea beverage to the potential customers who can consume it at homes or any other places.

Flavorful tea

Various spices such as the elaichi, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon are being mixed in tea. Many companies producing the spicy tea are blending the best mix of traditional flavors with the new flavors. The spic tea has a powerful punch and rich flavor as compared to coffee.

The flavorful tea must be kept in packaging using flexible materials. The plastic packing as well as laminated cartons are perfect for storage with increased self life. These are also water proof, grease proof and vapor proof materials. Therefore these are  used in various industrial sectors like the pharmacy industry, tea  and the spice industry.  The  and herbs also make popular tea flavors along with traditional cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

Tea Consumption a changing paradigm

Globally tea consumption is a recent phenomenon. Well the brew was quite popular since ages in countries like China, some parts of India and rest of Asia. The habit started with consumption for health as a medicine in China.With the rising popularity it entered the domain of Chinese culture. Following greater consumption the beverage became a consumer product. 

This happened in India as well whence the British popularized it and spread its consumption all over their territory. In most of the Asian countries tea has become part of daily lifestyle. For masses it has become a daily habit and addiction. The beverage has become a ritualistic aspect of daily living an inseparable part of life.   

In spite of its popularity the brew faces tough competition from coffee as well as fancy cocktails that have recently flooded the market. Coffee rules the roost globally but tea consumption is rising as well. It is  making in roads into the adversaries domain. 

With maddening varieties reaching the average drinker thanks to trendy packaging, tea is slowly making in roads as a lifestyle product. The trendy packaging with infusion of technology and modern blending methods has changed the paradigm. From a regular house hold product to lifestyle product the change has been brought about by innovative approach of tea houses. The gastronomic intervention introduced new recipes on lines of fancy coffee being sold in the shops. 

The advent of tea lounge in the footstep of coffee houses has brought in instant popularity amongst the younger generation.Tea drinking has suddenly become an "In Thing". The modern lounges have revolutionized rest and recreation concept amongst the younger lot and office goers as well as the business class. The one stop joint for business meets, social gatherings, for hot tea beverages and yummy snacks with offerings of jet set ambiance...what more does one wish for. The drink that cheers now offers much more, not ignoring the health benefits that far surpass coffee. 

Major tea companies in India.

In India every household is a consumer of tea. Not only on daily basis, it is a part of everyone’s life because it is actually consumed more than one time during a day. Tea more than choice is a necessity for hundreds of people in India now. Even though we Indians as daily consumers of this hot beverage hardly have any idea about the way it came out of its shell and started playing a major role in our lives. Not only that, we hardly have any idea about its origin or its current processing methods in our country. Despite of all this one thing we have to be sure of is that since India is one of the largest consumers of tea in the world. The country has major tea processing industries located in the North East and South.


Tea was introduced to the Indian consumers during the advent of the British. It was then that our country men started converting the lands for tea cultivation and most probably it was in the 1950s that the plant was introduced and accepted as a recreational drink. Today India is one of the largest producers and processor of tea and more than 70% is consumed by the country itself. With these rates of production and consumption the country is bound to have the major tea processing companies and gardens.


Breaking the monopoly of the Chinese the first step in was taken by the British East India Company when they used Chinese seeds and started cultivating tea in India. With time and advancement of technology the leaf production increased and modern methods of production and processing came into being.
This is what makes India a proud country of major tea processing companies.


India is not only the largest consuming nation in the world but is also as mentioned earlier the largest tea producing nation too. There is even an expectation that the major producing companies will grow in the coming year. Most of the companies are located in the following state - Orissa, Bihar, Mizoram, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Karnataka, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Some of the big concerns in India are Wagh Bakri House based in Ahmadabad, Tata, Lipton, Duncan and Brook Bond.


As the expectation is high that the production will increase in the coming year and so will the consumption.  Forming a major part of India’s GNP the tea companies are the largest employers of semi skilled and skilled work force. They contribute towards the income that is generated via export as well.

English Teas and Ceremonies; History of origin of tea

English Teas and Ceremonies originated early at the time of British. They consumed unprocessed green tea processed in boiling water. This was very beneficial for the human body to keep fit and healthy. English tea is a hot drink which is enjoyed at home as well at the working place. It keeps people fresh and energetic as it changes the body temperature. Tea is used as a medicine as well and as a manner to celebrate an occasion.

Tea enhances learning capacity and helps in sharpening the memory. It also becomes one of the reasons to keep the people in touch with each other. This is one of the essential drinks taken along with the breakfast. Some people are just crazy about it they love to have it and enjoy it with great joy and happiness. One of the essential items to celebrate any occasion is tea. The beverage was introduced by the British in India and from that time it has become part of lifestyle.

At that time the British used to have unprocessed tea. This possessed many antiseptic qualities and cured people from many diseases. This hot beverage is liked in cold days as it gives warmth and helps in controlling body temperature. People even drink about 2-3 cups in a day to keep themselves energetic and active in order to perform their tasks nicely.

Top 7 brands of tea

•    Wagh Bakri is one of the famous brands. The company blends the finest leaves and sells them under many brands which are worldwide famous and well liked.
•    Society brand is mostly liked among the people during functions.
•    Duncan’s double diamond tea is one of the famous brands among the leading one.
•    Brooke Bond red label tea is one of the high revenue products of Hindustan Unilever and a popular brand name.
•    Taj Mahal is also of the high segment revenue product of Hindustan Unilever and gives a satisfactory taste to the people.
•    Tata tea is one of the in demand products from the House of Tatas.
•    Lipton’s famous product is Lipton tea but as compared to the above mentioned product it’s not that popular.

Different types of tea

Tea Ceremony is one of the reasons to invite someone home or to go out with friends and relatives. Different brands of tea are available in the market which can be consumed according to one’s taste. Different age groups of people like different types of teas with different brand names. There are various types of this beverage like chai, ice tea, green tea, bubble tea etc. These are available and made in home as well as in market.
Tea has become the drink during celebrations and gives happiness to number of people.

Tea Additives

Every cup you sip appears to be the same but is that so?. The World of this wonderful hot beverage appear restricted in terms of flavor and taste. But this is not the truth the tea consumed on various Eastern Countries is diverse in taste and flavor.

The additives play a major role in the flavoring in tea leaf. The leaf is highly receptive to flavors and additives in many forms. Hence many aromatic elements are used as additives. 

Some of the popular ones are mentioned below:

Flowers

Kewda

Rose

Jasmine

Chrysanthemum  

Herbs

Lemon Grass

Kewda

Mint

Pandan

Spices

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Cardamom

Ginger

Cassia

Black Pepper

Clove

Anise

Fennel

Bay leaf 

Vanilla

Mace

Special spice mixtures are also sold in India which contain many healthy spices.

Some citrus peels are also added like in the Earl Gray Tea popular in UK. Some essential oils are also added to the brew for flavor. In India jaggery is also used in place of sugar which accords it a distinct taste.

Goat's Milk and Camel's Milk are also used instead of cow and buffalo milk in many places.  On many instances rum and scotch whiskey are also added to tea. 

Tea Flavors

Most talked about beverage in the World tea comes along in thousands of flavors. The diversity in flavor and aroma arises out of many factors. This in spite of the plant being the same with little species variation. The major factors that determine the two aspects are the soil, climate, altitude and cultivation method adopted. 

The other factors that influence the flavor and aroma are the processing and blending with minor role being played by the storage or packing. Since a large variety of teas are grown and processed in tea gardens blending becomes important. The other reasons for blending are to obtain a said flavor or to manage the costs. Expensive teas like the premium Darjeeling tea are often mixed with regular black tea in order to reduce the cost.    

The brewing method also influences the flavor and aroma. In many countries brewing is a ceremonial ritual that is on vogue since many centuries. Masalas or spices also play a great role in the way the tea tastes. Nevertheless black tea finds the greatest popularity among the masses. Darjeeling tea is most popular as a premium beverage along with some varieties of green teas. Some of the leaf cultivated in China, Japan and India are popular as premium blends. The flavors are usually defined as strong, mild and light. Black tea is usually consumed a strong with strong flavor of tannins and other aromatic chemicals. High quality Darjeeling tea  has a slight bitter astringent flavor with very strong aroma.   

The hot tea beverage is not to be confused with herbal teas. These are a concoction of many herbs and usually do not contain the tea leaf.

Chai Wallahs

India is a unique and diverse country with amazing characteristic styles that lean on brink of being bizarre. The ubiquitous road side scene is large number of people on road, shanty shacks, and tea shops. The roadside in case of Indian baazars are dotted with pan shops, kirana stores, chaat wallahs and the chai wallah. 

The chai wallah may be nothing but a rickety hand cart or a small shop tucked away in a row. The latter may also be selling a wide variety of Indian fried snacks.  Thee hand carts selling tea in India are most numerous. In Southern India they may  also be selling coffee.   

The daily draws have a well set rapport with the chai wallah. Local business persons, office workers and visitors frequent these stalls and spend reasonable time listening to the chai wallahs banter or just gape at the World go past. 

The brewing style is as mesmerizing as the ensuing aroma is. The boiling liqueur is literally tossed in the air and collected back in the pan with acrobatic ease. In between sugar, spices and leaf are added algorithmically.  Each chai wallah has a unique way of brewing and serving the final concoction. 

The usual medium is small cheap glasses that do not cause any concern if broken or lost. These are briskly washed with murky water and steaming stream of tea poured into them. The liqueur is a thick extract of all the aromatic as well as non aromatic constituents of the tea leaf and the masalas. Nevertheless you get a flavor that does not distill during the brewing at home. The flavor and aroma is addicted and hence tea makers in the offices rust within a short period of disuse.  

The chai wallah and his masala tea are irreplaceable for the masses in India. Everywhere you go there is one serving the magic brew...hot and steaming. Be careful or you will end up with scalded oral cavity.