Darjeeling Tea - Storage and Preparation

		Technical
		INTRODUCTION TO THE ORTHODOX PRODUCTION OF BLACK TEA IN DARJEELING ORTHODOX PRODUCTION
		Almost all of Darjeeling’s teas are processed using industrial techniques developed in the late 1800’s. These techniques are collectively referred to as Orthodox Production. Most other tea growing regions have replaced Orthodox procedures with highly mechanised methods that have high yield as their primary focus. These more modern techniques have come to be known as Unorthodox Production. Quality is inevitably compromised for quantity. Darjeeling’s tea industry has an unusual place in the world market, depending on its reputation as the "Champagne of teas". The First and Second Flush teas raise the elevated prices that keep the district’s tea industry alive. The dormant winter period leaves the growing season comparatively short. The difficult terrain, too steep for machinery, requires skilled manual labour year round. To produce teas of this nature requires intense attention to manufacture. The many variables must be manipulated with great care. Each step in the process of Orthodox tea manufacture can be the ruin of the invoice (batch) if mishandled. A garden could technically produce the season’s number one tea one day and an embarrassment of ruined leaf the next. The seemingly laborious steps of Orthodox Production give the growers more control over this delicate process. Extensive documents exploring cultivation procedures and the chemistry of the following procedures are currently being prepared. PLUCKING/PICKING		The Factory at Marybong Tea Garden, Darjeeling.
		Plucking is the first step from cultivation to manufacture. The quality and quantity of the crop is partially dependent on the standard of plucking. Darjeeling’s First Flush harvest begins in March, the last plucking of the Autumn Flush will end in November. Factors such as rain, light intensity and temperature effect the elongation of the shoots and the unfolding of the leaves. The timing of the harvests is crucial, as is the growth period in between them. A delicate balance between productivity and healthy plants must be maintained, over-plucking is a risk. During the harvest season every bush in the garden will be plucked at intervals of 4 to 7 days. Styles of plucking vary from "fine" to "coarse", the quality of the finished product is directly related. In Darjeeling "fine" plucking of two leaves and one bud, is the only style practiced. This is an art as the freshly opened leaves and the bud are delicate and easily damaged. The majority of the picking is done by women due to the traditional belief that their touch is "more gentle". Once the young shoots are removed the bush will be lightly pruned and the rest of the leaves left as "maintenance foliage". The bush will quickly grow new shoots at the end of each stem. In one year a Darjeeling Tea bush will yeild around 100g of dry leaf, each hectare (10 000 square meters) a mere 500kg, gardens in Assam will easily triple that. The plucked leaves are checked, weighed and rushed to the factory. WITHERING The withering process reduces the water content and facilitates rolling. By reducing the water content, the tough waxy leaves become limp. In this limp state they can be rolled without disintegrating. Partial dehydration is also the first step towards a controlled fermentation. Pre-industrial withering would often have been out in the sun. Bamboo trays would be used to encourage air circulation. Regular agitation or "fluffing" would give a more even wither. In the Orthodox factory, freshly picked leaves are evenly distributed in withering troughs. Beneath the leaves, the underside of the trough is often a metal grill or hessian cloth. This grill enables air to pass freely through the leaves. Many factories have forced air systems with ducts that pass warm or cool air over and under the leaves. Humidity, air-flow and ambient temperature are constantly monitored and adjusted to give an even wither. In 14 to 17 hours of withering the moisture in the leaves will be reduced by 60% to 70%. Reduction in water is measured by weight. Most Darjeeling manufacture tends towards a relatively long wither. As the physical and chemical structure of the leaf begins to change, characteristics of leaf and liquor begin to develop. Under-withering the leaf may result in: Spongy leaf Discloured leaf Green infusion Dark liquor Flakey taste Flat taste Over-withering the leaf may result in: Pale tip Lack of body Leathery taste Empty taste ROLLING
		Rolling the leaf under pressure ruptures the cell membranes and releases the tea’s oils and juices. The leaves are loaded into the central brass pans of the enormous rolling machines. An adjustable mill is lowered and rotated mechanically. Before any weight is added the leaves are rolled for 10 to 15 minutes withuot pressure. Once a compact mass is formed, a very precise cycle of increase and decrease in pressure is applied so that the leaves become twisted and the leaf structure macerated. The essential chemistry of the leaf is mixed and exuded through the cell walls. Temperature and humidity are carefully monitored. As the oils are exposed to the air the "fermentation" process is beginning so timing is also critical. A light rolling may result in: Flakey or grey dry leaf Green or mixed colour in the infused leaf Thin or empty liquor A heavy rolling may result in: Discoloured leaf Dull tips FERMENTING/OXIDATION Chemical changes that occur during the fermentation process will determine the flavor, strength, body and colour of the liquor once the leaves are cupped. Once the rolling cycle is complete the leaves will be laid out on trays of steel, tile or glass. Hygiene is crucial at this point as any taint may upset the delicate chemistry. Leaves that are spread thinly will have more exposure to air but will ferment at a lower temperature. Leaves spread in a deeper bed will have less air contact but will generate more heat as oxidation occurs. Humidity and temperature are, as always, monitored. Humidifiers are often used to maintain at least 90% moisture. Though always referred to as fermentation, this step is technically the controlled oxidation of the juices exuding from the leaf. There is no fermentation involved. The tannins in the green leaf are colourless and have a pungent taste. As the tannins begin to oxidise they become the red and brown tannins that give colour to the liquor, and are less acrid to the palate. Some of the pungency must be retained as part of the taste, if lost the liquor will be flat. Fermentation will usually last between two and four hours depending on the ambient temperature and the pedigree of the leaf. A strong, very specific fragrance that eminates from the leaves is used as an indicator of optimum oxidation. The quality of the final product hinges to a large extent on the decision to end oxidation by sending the tea to be dried. It is a great responsibility that requires experience and intuition. Over fermenting may result in: Thick, strong or winey liquors Under fermenting may result in: Green infusion Raw or thin liquor DRYING (FIRING) The leaves are dried to arrest any further fermentation. The fermented leaves are placed on a series of trays that rotate inside a large chamber of air heated to around 90 degrees celcius. This de-hydrates the tea to somewhere between 2% and 3% humidity and halts the chemical reactions of oxidation. It takes 20 to 30 minutes of carefully monitored air-flow and temperature to complete the drying process. There will be slight changes in flavour after this point as 3% humidity is enough for a very subtle continuation of oxidation. This is known as mellowing. As a result teas that are fresh from the garden will sometimes have a slightly green edge, their flavours and aromas will peak a month or two later. Under drying may result in: Incomplete de-hydration Risk of uncontrolled continuation of fermentation Over drying may result in: Scorched leaf SORTING AND GRADING		Typical rolling machines
		The dry tea is sorted into grades. The tea is graded through a system of vibrating meshes arranged one above the next. The grill size decreases from top to bottom so that the large, whole leaf grades remain on the top while the dust and fannings fall towards the floor with several other sizes of grade in between. The grading process is concerned primarily with the physical qualities of the tea. Due to the fact that all teas in Darjeeling, good or bad, are sorted in this way the grade is more an indication of size than flavour or aroma. Separating the grades is essential as each grade requires a different infusion time and has very different cup characteristics. Dust and fannings will often be auctioned to the tea-bag sector of the market, where whole leaf is more likely to be sold loose. The table below is a rough guide as grades vary slightly from garden to garden. Some gardens highest grade will be FTGFOP1, where another garden will have an inferior SFTGFOP1. White, green and oolong teas follow their own, completely different, grading systems. A document discussing the subtle differences between grades and their roles in the market place is being prepared. WHOLE LEAF SFTGFOP1 Special Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe FTGFOP Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe BROKEN LEAF FTGFBOP Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe COB Cream of Broken FBOP Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe TGBOP Tippy Golden Broken Orange Pekoe BPS Broken Pekoe Souchong BOP Broken Orange Pekoe BP Broken Pekoe FANNINGS GFOF Golden Flowery Orange Fannings GOF Golden Orange Fannings FNGS Fannings DUST D Dust .		The SFTGFOP1 duct where the top grade leaves leave the grader.