To
the far north east of India is the state of Assam, known for the
one-horned rhino and the Brahmaputra river. Along both sides of
this mighty river lie the rolling plains of the world's largest
tea growing area along with the highest yield per acre. Assam is
the birthplace of India tea as discovered by Robert Bruce in 1823.
Assam teas have a first flush and a second flush. The first flush
has a rich and fresh aroma; the second flush produces the famous "tippy"
teas. It is this feature of the teas of the second flush that make
them more popular. (Tippy refers to black tea with gold tips or
what appears to be golden-colored leaf). The amount of tip will
vary dependent upon where in Assam the estate from which the tea
comes is located. Additionally, not all tea estates have the
ability or capacity to produce these "tippy" teas.
An Example of
Assam "tippy" tea is
Hunwal.
The
golden tip present in Assam tea lessens the astringent
characteristic of the tea and make it sweet and smooth. Therefore,
Assam tea can be malty, as well as sweet and smooth. These are
qualities that all tea drinkers enjoy!
The
production of black tea, of which Assam is only one, can be
divided into two categories: (1) Orthodox and, (2) CTC (Crushed,
Torn and Curled). Tea produced using the Orthodox method is valued
most by the international market for its quality, however CTC is
more profitable though it sells for far less than the Orthodox
since special care is not needed to grow this tea. The tea estate
is not producing a rare tea but rather a large amount of common
tea.
CTC
teas are, for the most part, consumed in India because their
method is to boil the leaves in a mixture of milk, water, sugar
and various spices. (This makes Chai the spiced tea now enjoyed by
many Americans.) The CTC teas work very well for this brewing
process, since they produce a rich red color when boiled and is
not overshadowed by the milk. This method does not produce a
bitter tasting tea.
Orhodox Assam teas should never be boiled even if using them to
make your own Chai blend. These teas must be infused preferably
3-5 minutes or according to taste.
