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The Asian
group owns one of the finest tea
garden - Matigara Tea Estate,
located in the Darjeeling
district in North India. Asian
tea also owns stake in Ligripookrie
Tea Estate, located
in Sivasagar District in Assam
which produces the best quality
Orthodox and CTC teas. The
plantations consists of new tea
bushes using the latest variety
of clones well researched for
yielding very good quality tea.
The tea bushes are kept at their
peak of health with loving care
and constant monitoring.
Modern cultivation techniques
have been adopted with an
emphasis on eco-friendliness.
Integrated pest management is
strictly followed which allows
the use of only very safe
pesticides and bio-pesticides. |
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The superior quality of teas is
maintained due to stringent
adherence to quality norms and
the use of best possible inputs.
The state of the art processing
factory is equipped with the
latest and most modern machines
to enhance the unique
characteristics of teas. Due to
all this, our teas are today
finding approval from even the
most discerning buyer. Our
annual production is more than
one million Kgs. of Black and
Green tea.
We believe it is a continual
challenge to produce teas that
reflect the real beauty of
absolute perfection. This
challenge obliges us at the same
time to work with greater
craftsmanship, to search with
more patience and remain
faithful to our company
traditions, so that our teas are
always the very best. |
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TEA
PRODUCTION PLANT |
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The tea production plant
is located on the tea
estate, so that the
freshly picked tea
leaves can be processed
immediately - the first
step on the way to the
superior quality. |
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Black tea is produced
in five steps : |
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WITHERING
Our tour begins in the
withering room. It is
here that the moisture
is extracted from the
tea leaves over the next
few hours. Any mistakes
made during this process
means that the tea
created will only be
mediocre at best. An
experienced withering
master watches over the
process. He passes his
hands through the leaves
at regular intervals. He
can smell, feel and see
how far the process has
advanced. When the tea
has lost upto 60% of its
moisture, the leaves are
ready for the next step.
ROLLING & CUTTING
The rolling machines (in
case of Orthodox teas)
or cutting machine (in
case of CTC teas) breaks
down the cells of the
leaves. The cell sap is
released and reacts with
the oxygen in the air.
The fermentation process
begins. Rolling/ Cutting
takes places in several
phases. In case of CTC
teas, after cutting, the
teas are passed through
a rotating googy which
forms the round
granules. Thereafter,
the moist mass of leaves
are transferred
immediately to the
fermentation room. |
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FERMENTATION
The oxidation process
continues in the fermentation
room. Here, great experience is
also required to know when
oxidation has reached its peak.
The leaves turn a golden rust
colour and the tea acquires its
characteristic aroma. With great
sensitivity and while constantly
checking the temperature, the
fermentation master recognises
when it is time to start the
drying process.
DRYING
Standing at the multi-level
dryer, we can see the tea
travelling over a complex system
of conveyor belts. During this
process, the moisture evaporates
and the oxidised cell sap with
all its valuable ingredients
such as caffeine, tannin and
essential oils dries on the
leaf. The black tea is now
ready.
SORTING
The various grades of leaves are
now sorted by vibrating sifts.
This is when the black teas you
know so well are created : leaf
teas, fannings, dust is
produced. |
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