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Culicidae ('mosquitos'). Mosquito bugs can damage leaves both by sucking plant materials, and by the laying of eggs (oviposition) within the plant. Spraying with synthetic insecticides may be deemed appropriate.[77] Other pests are Lepidopteran leaf feeders and various tea diseases.ProductionTea is mainly grown in Asia and Africa, though it is also grown in South America and around the Black and Caspian Seas. The four biggest tea-producing countries are China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, together representing 75% of world tea production. Smaller hubs of production include such places as São Miguel Island, Azores, in Portugal, and Guria, in Georgia. In 2020, global production of tea was 7.0 million tonnes, led by China with 42% and India with 20% of the world total. Kenya, Argentina, and Sri Lanka were secondary producers.[78]StorageStorage conditions and type determine the shelf life of tea; that of black teas is greater than that of green teas. Some, such as
flower teas, may last only a month or so. Others, such as pu-erh, improve with age. To remain fresh and prevent mold, tea needs to be stored away from heat, light, air, and moisture. Tea must be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container. Black tea in a bag within a sealed opaque canister may keep for two years. Green tea deteriorates more rapidly, usually in less than a year. Tightly rolled gunpowder tea leaves keep longer than the more open-leafed Chun Mee tea.Storage life for all teas can be extended by using desiccant or oxygen-absorbing packets, vacuum sealing, or refrigeration in air-tight containers (except green tea, where discrete use of refrigeration or freezing is recommended and temperature variation kept to a minimum).[79]Tea production – 2020CountryMillion tonnes China2.97 ඉන්දියාව1.2 කෙන්යාව0.43 ශ්‍රී ලංකාව0.34 වියට්නාමය0.214 තුර්කිය0.212සැකිල්ල:IRN0.16 ඉන්දුනීසියාව0.14 ආර්ජන්ටිනාව0.10 ජපානය0.08Source: Worldatl
as[80] The tea fields in the foothills of Gorreana, São Miguel Island, in the Azores archipelago of Portugal which is located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, the only European region other than Georgia to support green tea productionProcessing and classificationප්‍රධාන ලිපිය: Tea processingTeas of different levels of oxidation (L to R): green, yellow, oolong, and blackTea is generally divided into categories based on how it is processed.[81] At least six different types are produced:White: wilted and unoxidized;Yellow: unwilted and unoxidized but allowed to yellow;Green: unwilted and unoxidized;Oolong: wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized;Black: wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized (called 紅茶 [hóngchá], "red tea" in Chinese and other East Asian tea culture);Post-fermented (Dark): green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost (called Pu'er if from the Yunnan district of South-Western China or 黑茶 [hēichá] "black tea" in Chinese tea cultu
re).After picking, the leaves of C. sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize unless immediately dried. An enzymatic oxidation process triggered by the plant's intracellular enzymes causes the leaves to turn progressively darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This darkening is stopped at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. In the production of black teas, halting by heating is carried out simultaneously with drying. Without careful moisture and temperature control during manufacture and packaging, growth of undesired molds and bacteria may make tea unfit for consumption.Additional processing and additivesවැඩිදුර තොරතුරු: Tea blending and additivesCommon processing methods of tea leavesAfter basic processing, teas may be altered through additional processing steps before being sold[82] and is often consumed with additions to the basic tea leaf and water added during preparation or drinking. Examples of ad
ditional processing steps that occur before tea is sold are blending, flavouring, scenting, and decaffeination of teas. Examples of additions added at the point of consumption include milk, sugar and lemon.Tea blending is the combination of different teas together to achieve the final product. Such teas may combine others from the same cultivation area or several different ones. The aim is to obtain consistency, better taste, higher price, or some combination of the three.Flavoured and scented teas add aromas and flavours to the base tea. This can be accomplished through directly adding flavouring agents, such as ginger, cloves, mint leaves, cardamom, bergamot (found in Earl Grey), vanilla, and spearmint. Alternatively, because tea easily retains odours, it can be placed in proximity to an aromatic ingredient to absorb its aroma, as in traditional jasmine tea.[83]Black tea is often taken with milk.The addition of milk to tea in Europe was first mentioned in 1680 by the epistolist
Madame de Sévigné.[84] Many teas are traditionally drunk with milk in cultures where dairy products are consumed. These include Indian masala chai and British tea blends. These teas tend to be very hearty varieties of black tea which can be tasted through the milk, such as Assams, or the East Friesian blend. Milk is thought to neutralise remaining tannins and reduce acidity.[85][86] The Han Chinese do not usually drink milk with tea but the Manchus do, and the elite of the Qing Dynasty of the Chinese Empire continued to do so. Hong Kong-style milk tea is based on British habits. Tibetans and other Himalayan peoples traditionally drink tea with milk or yak butter and salt. In Eastern European countries, Russia and Italy, tea is commonly served with lemon juice. In Poland, tea is traditionally served with a slice of lemon and is sweetened with either sugar or honey; tea with milk is called a bawarka ("Bavarian style") in Polish and is also widely popular.[87] In Australia, tea with milk
is known as "white tea".The order of steps in preparing a cup of tea is a much-debated topic and can vary widely between cultures or even individuals. Some say it is preferable to add the milk to the cup before the tea, as the high temperature of freshly brewed tea can denature the proteins found in fresh milk, similar to the change in taste of UHT milk, resulting in an inferior-tasting beverage.[88] Others insist it is better to add the milk to the cup after the tea, as black tea is often brewed as close to boiling as possible. The addition of milk chills the beverage during the crucial brewing phase, if brewing in a cup rather than using a pot, meaning the delicate flavour of a good tea cannot be fully appreciated. By adding the milk afterwards, it is easier to dissolve sugar in the tea and also to ensure the desired amount of milk is added, as the colour of the tea can be observed.[89] Historically, the order of steps was taken as an indication of class: only those wealthy enough t
o afford good-quality porcelain would be confident of its being able to cope with being exposed to boiling water unadulterated with milk.[90] Higher temperature difference means faster heat transfer, so the earlier milk is added, the slower the drink cools. A 2007 study published in the European Heart Journal found certain beneficial effects of tea may be lost through the addition of milk.[91]PackagingTea bagsප්‍රධාන ලිපිය: Tea bagTea bagsIn 1907, American tea merchant Thomas Sullivan began distributing samples of his tea in small bags of silk with a drawstring. Consumers noticed they could simply leave the tea in the bag and reuse it with fresh tea. However, the potential of this distribution and packaging method would not be fully realised until later. During World War II, tea was rationed in the United Kingdom. In 1953, after rationing in the UK ended, Yorkshire-based tea manufacturer Tetley launched the tea bag in the UK, and it was an immediate success.T
he "pyramid tea bag" (or sachet), introduced by Lipton[92] and PG Tips/Scottish Blend in 1996,[93] attempts to address one of the connoisseurs' arguments against paper tea bags by way of its three-dimensional tetrahedron shape, which allows more room for tea leaves to expand while steeping.[තහවුරු කර නොමැත][94] However, some types of pyramid tea bags have been criticised as being environmentally unfriendly, since their synthetic material is not as biodegradable as loose tea leaves and paper tea bags.[95]Loose teaA blend of loose-leaf black teasThe tea leaves are packaged loosely in a canister, paper bag, or other container such as a tea chest. Some whole teas, such as rolled gunpowder tea leaves, which resist crumbling, are vacuum-packed for freshness in aluminised packaging for storage and retail. The loose tea is individually measured for use, allowing for flexibility and flavour control at the expense of convenience. Strainers, tea balls, tea presses, filtered teapots,
and infusion bags prevent loose leaves from floating in the tea and over-brewing. A traditional method uses a three-piece lidded teacup called a gaiwan, the lid of which is tilted to decant the tea into a different cup for consumption.Compressed teaSheng (raw) pu-erh tuo cha, a type of compressed aged raw pu-erhCompressed tea (such as pu-erh) is produced for convenience in transport, storage, and ageing. It can usually be stored longer without spoilage than loose leaf tea. Compressed tea is prepared by loosening leaves from the cake using a small knife, and steeping the extracted pieces in water. During the Tang dynasty, as described by Lu Yu, compressed tea was ground into a powder, combined with hot water, and ladled into bowls, resulting in a "frothy" mixture.[96] In the Song dynasty, the tea powder would instead be whisked with hot water in the bowl. Although no longer practiced in China today, the whisking method of preparing powdered tea was transmitted to Japan by
Zen Buddhist monks, and is still used to prepare matcha in the Japanese tea ceremony.[97]Compressed tea was the most popular form of tea in China during the Tang dynasty.[98] By the beginning of the Ming dynasty, it had been displaced by loose-leaf tea.[99] It remains popular, however, in the Himalayan countries and Mongolian steppes. In Mongolia, tea bricks were ubiquitous enough to be used as a form of currency. Among Himalayan peoples, compressed tea is consumed by combining it with yak butter and salt to produce butter tea.[100]Instant teaප්‍රධාන ලිපිය: Instant tea"Instant tea", similar to freeze-dried instant coffee and an alternative to brewed tea, can be consumed either hot or cold. Instant tea was developed in the 1930s, with Nestlé introducing the first commercial product in 1946, while Redi-Tea debuted instant iced tea in 1953. Additives such as chai, vanilla, honey or fruit, are popular, as is powdered milk.During the Second World War British and Canadian so
ldiers were issued an instant tea known as "compo" in their composite ration packs. These blocks of instant tea, powdered milk, and sugar were not always well received. As Royal Canadian Artillery Gunner, George C Blackburn observed:But, unquestionably, the feature of Compo rations destined to be remembered beyond all others is Compo tea...Directions say to "sprinkle powder on heated water and bring to the boil, stirring well, three heaped teaspoons to one pint of water."Every possible variation in the preparation of this tea was tried, but...it always ended up the same way. While still too hot to drink, it is a good-looking cup of strong tea. Even when it becomes just cool enough to be sipped gingerly, it is still a good-tasting cup of tea, if you like your tea strong and sweet. But let it cool enough to be quaffed and enjoyed, and your lips will be coated with a sticky scum that forms across the surface, which if left undisturbed will become a leathery membrane that can be wound a
round your finger and flipped away...[101]Bottled and canned teaප්‍රධාන ලිපිය: Canned teaCanned tea is sold prepared and ready to drink. It was introduced in 1981 in Japan. The first bottled tea was introduced by an Indonesian tea company, PT. Sinar Sosro in 1969 with the brand name Teh Botol Sosro (or Sosro bottled tea).[102] In 1983, Swiss-based Bischofszell Food Ltd. was the first company to bottle iced tea on an industrial scale.[103]Iranians usually drink tea with rock candy and in glass cupsTea cultureප්‍රධාන ලිපිය: Tea cultureBrewed tea in aroma cupsTea is the second most consumed beverage on Earth, after water. In many cultures it is consumed at elevated social events, such as the tea party. Tea ceremonies have arisen in different cultures, such as the Chinese and Japanese traditions, each of which employs certain techniques and ritualised protocol of brewing and serving tea for enjoyment in a refined setting. One form of Chinese tea ceremony is the
Gongfu tea ceremony, which typically uses small Yixing clay teapots and oolong tea.A young Bengali boy drinking tea with cakeIn the United Kingdom, 63% of people drink tea daily.[104] It is customary for a host to offer tea to guests soon after their arrival. Tea is consumed both at home and outside the home, often in cafés or tea rooms. Afternoon tea with cakes on fine porcelain is a cultural stereotype. In southwest England, many cafés serve a cream tea, consisting of scones, clotted cream, and jam alongside a pot of tea. In some parts of Britain and India, 'tea' may also refer to the evening meal.Ireland, as of 2016, was the second-biggest per capita consumer of tea in the world.[105] Local blends are the most popular in Ireland, including Irish breakfast tea, using Rwandan, Kenyan and Assam teas. The annual national average of tea consumption in Ireland is 2.7 kg to 4 kg per person. Tea in Ireland is usually taken with milk or sugar and brewed longer for a stronger taste.[106]
Turkish tea is an important part of that country's cuisine and is the most commonly consumed hot drink, despite the country's long history of coffee consumption. In 2004, Turkey produced 205,500 tonnes of tea (6.4% of the world's total tea production), which made it one of the largest tea markets in the world,[107] with 120,000 tons being consumed in Turkey and the rest being exported.[108] In 2010, Turkey had the highest per capita consumption in the world at 2.7 kg.[109] As of 2013, the per-capita consumption of Turkish tea exceeds 10 cups per day and 13.8 kg per year.[110] Tea is grown mostly in Rize Province on the Black Sea coast.[111]Russia has a long, rich tea history dating to 1638 when tea was introduced to Tsar Michael. Social gatherings were considered incomplete without tea, which was traditionally brewed in a samovar.[112]In Pakistan, both black and green teas are popular and are known locally as sabz chai and kahwah, respectively. The popular green tea is often served
after every meal in the Pashtun belt of Balochistan and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In central and southern Punjab and the metropolitan Sindh region of Pakistan, tea with milk and sugar (sometimes with pistachios, cardamom, etc.), commonly referred to as chai, is widely consumed. It is the most common beverage of households in the region. In the northern Pakistani regions of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, a salty, buttered Tibetan-style tea is consumed.South Indian woman preparing a cup of morning tea in the traditional South Indian wayIndian tea culture is strong; the drink is the most popular hot beverage in the country. It is consumed daily[113] in almost all houses, offered to guests, consumed in high amounts in domestic and official surroundings, and is made with the addition of milk with or without spices, and usually sweetened. It is sometimes served with biscuits to be dipped in the tea and eaten before consuming the tea. More often than not, it is drunk in "doses" of small cups (
referred to as "cutting" chai if sold at street tea vendors) rather than one large cup.Iranians have one of the highest per-capita rates of tea consumption in the world and a Châikhâne(Tea House) is a common sight on Iranian streets.[114] Due to the suitable climate, tea is usually cultivated in large areas of northern Iran along the shores of the Caspian Sea.[115]In Burma (Myanmar), tea is consumed not only as hot drinks, but also as sweet tea and green tea known locally as laphet-yay and laphet-yay-gyan, respectively. Pickled tea leaves, known locally as lahpet, are also a national delicacy. Pickled tea is usually eaten with roasted sesame seeds, crispy fried beans, roasted peanuts and fried garlic chips.[116]In Mali, gunpowder tea is served in series of three, starting with the highest oxidisation or strongest, unsweetened tea, locally referred to as "strong like death", followed by a second serving, where the same tea leaves are boiled again with some sugar added ("pleasant as l
ife"), and a third one, where the same tea leaves are boiled for the third time with yet more sugar added ("sweet as love"). Green tea is the central ingredient of a distinctly Malian custom, the "Grin", an informal social gathering that cuts across social and economic lines, starting in front of family compound gates in the afternoons and extending late into the night, and is widely popular in Bamako and other large urban areas.[තහවුරු කර නොමැත]In the United States, 80% of tea is consumed as iced tea.[117] Sweet tea is native to the southeastern U.S. and is iconic in its cuisine.[118]Turkish tea served in a typical small glass and corresponding plateEnglish teawareIced tea with a slice of lemonIndian Masala teaEconomicsමේවාත් බලන්න: List of countries by tea consumption per capitaTea factory in TaiwanTea is the most popular manufactured drink consumed in the world, equaling all others – including coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol – combined.[9] Most tea
consumed outside East Asia is produced on large plantations in the hilly regions of India and Sri Lanka and is destined to be sold to large businesses. Opposite this large-scale industrial production are many small "gardens," sometimes minuscule plantations, that produce highly sought-after teas prized by gourmets. These teas are both rare and expensive and can be compared to some of the most expensive wines in this respect.India is the world's largest tea-drinking nation,[119] although the per capita consumption of tea remains a modest 750 ග්‍රෑම් (26 oz) per person every year. Turkey, with 2.5 කිලෝග්‍රෑම් (5 lb 8 oz) of tea consumed per person per year, is the world's greatest per capita consumer.[120]Labor and consumer safety problemsTests of commercially popular teas have detected residues of banned toxic pesticides.[121][122]Tea production in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda has been reported to make use of child labor according to the U.S. Department of
Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.[123] Workers who pick and pack tea on plantations in developing countries can face harsh working conditions and may earn below the living wage.[124]CertificationSeveral bodies independently certify the production of tea, such as Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, UTZ Certified, and Organic. From 2008 to 2016, sustainability standards-certified tea production experienced a compound annual growth rate of about 35%, accounting for at least 19% of overall tea production. In 2016, at least 1.15 million tonnes of sustainably certified tea was produced, valued at US$2 billion.[125]Rainforest Alliance certified tea is sold by Unilever brands Lipton and PG Tips in Western Europe, Australia and the U.S. Fairtrade certified tea is sold by a large number of suppliers around the world. UTZ Certified tea is sold by Pickwick tea.Production of organic tea has risen since its introduction in 1990 at Rembeng, Kondoli Tea Estate,
Assam.[126] 6,000 tons of organic tea were sold in 1999.[127]See alsoCannabis teaChifir', Russian extra-strong tea brewHerbal teaFrederick John HornimanIndian Tea AssociationInternational Tea DayISO 3103Kombucha, drink produced from bacteria and yeast grown on teaList of Chinese teasList of hot beveragesList of national drinksList of tea companiesPeace Iced TeaPhenolic content in teaTea classics, influential historical monographs of East Asian teaTea leaf gradingTea strainerTea tastingReferencesCitations↑ Fuller, Thomas (21 April 2008). "A Tea From the Jungle Enriches a Placid Village". The New York Times. New York. p. A8. 14 February 2017 දින පැවති මුල් පිටපත වෙතින් සංරක්ෂිත පිටපත. සම්ප්‍රවේශය 23 February 2017.↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Mair & Hoh 2009, පිටු අංක: 29–30.↑ 3.0 3.1 Yamamoto, T; Kim, M; Juneja, L R (1997). Chemistry and Applications of Green Tea. CRC Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-8493-4006-2. For a long time, botanists have ass
erted the dualism of tea origin from their observations that there exist distinct differences in the morphological characteristics between Assamese varieties and Chinese varieties... Hashimoto and Shimura reported that the differences in the morphological characteristics in tea plants are not necessarily the evidence of the dualism hypothesis from the researches using the statistical cluster analysis method. In recent investigations, it has also been made clear that both varieties have the same chromosome number (n=15) and can be easily hybridised with each other. In addition, various types of intermediate hybrids or spontaneous polyploids of tea plants have been found in a wide area extending over the regions mentioned above. These facts may prove that the place of origin of Camellia sinensis is in the area including the northern part of the Burma, Yunnan, and Sichuan districts of China.↑ Mary Lou Heiss; Robert J. Heiss. The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. Camel
lia sinensis originated in southeast Asia, specifically around the intersection of 29th parallel and 98th meridian, the point of confluence of the lands of southwest China and Tibet, north Burma, and northeast India, citing Mondal (2007) p. 519↑ 5.0 5.1 Heiss & Heiss 2007, පිටු අංක: 6–7.↑ "Laoshu Dianhong (Old Tree Yunnan)".↑ "Yunnan da Bai Silver Needles – Tea Trekker".↑ Liu et al. (2012)↑ 9.0 9.1 Macfarlane, Alan; Macfarlane, Iris (2004). The Empire of Tea. The Overlook Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-58567-493-0.↑ Cappelletti S, Piacentino D, Daria P, Sani G, Aromatario M (January 2015). "Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?". Current Neuropharmacology. 13 (1): 71–88. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655. PMC 4462044. PMID 26074744.↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Meegahakumbura, MK; Wambulwa, MC; Thapa, KK; et al. (2016). "Indications for three independent domestication events for the tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) and new insights into
the origin of tea germplasm in China and India revealed by nuclear microsatellites". PLOS ONE. 11 (5): e0155369. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1155369M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155369. PMC 4878758. PMID 27218820.↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Meegahakumbura MK, Wambulwa MC, Li MM, et al. (2018). "Domestication origin and breeding history of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in China and India based on nuclear microsatellites and cpDNA sequence data". Frontiers in Plant Science. 8: 2270. doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.02270. PMC 5788969. PMID 29422908.↑ 13.0 13.1 Yee, L.K., Tea's Wonderful History, The Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, http://www.chcp.org/tea.html, ප්‍රතිෂ්ඨාපනය 17 June 2013, "year 1996–2012" ↑ 14.0 14.1 Miranda Brown (2 March 2022). "The Medieval Influencer Who Convinced the World to Drink Tea—Not Eat It". Atlas Obscura.↑  George Van Driem (2019). Tale of Tea: A Comprehensive History of Tea: From Prehistoric Times to the Present Day (ඉංග්‍රීසි බසින්). BRILL. ISBN 978-9004386259.↑ Ben