TECHNOLOGY OF TEA

Associate Professor Van Tang Nguyen

Ha Noi, April 2022

TEA PLANTS
Source: [Link]
DISTRIBUTION OF TEA
PLANT IN VIETNAM
 TEA
Scientific name: Camellia sinensis
Origin: China
Propagated by: Seed and Cuttings
Tea is an evergreen plant that grows mainly
in tropical and subtropical climates
Two principal varieties are used:
i. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, which is used for
most Chinese, Formosan and Japanese teas.
ii. Camellia sinensis var. assamica, used
in Puer and most Indian teas (but
not Darjeeling).
Appearance of tea leaf

Source: [Link]
 Constituents of individual components of tea shoot

Shoot content Polyphenol Polyphenol content in Caffeine Caffeine content

content relation to the bud content in relation to
Bud 26.5 100 4.7 100
1st leaf 25.9 97.7 4.2 89.4
2nd leaf 20.7 78.1 3.5 74.5
3rd leaf 17.1 64.5 2.9 61.7
Upper stem 11.5 43.4 2.5 53.2
Lower stem 5.3 20 1.4 29.8
Source: [Link]
Key components in green tea leaves

Source: [Link]
Green tea catechins

Source: [Link]
Types of tea
Fresh tea leaves

WITHERING

SHAKING
STEAMING OR ROLLING
PAN FIRING
PARTIAL FERMENTING
STEAMING
FULL
ROLLING PAN FIRING FERMENTING

DRYING DRYING DRYING DRYING

WHITE TEA GREEN TEA OOLONG TEA BLACK TEA

 0

Oxidation (fermentation) level in the production of tea products

Source: [Link]
 Main stages of tea processing

PLUCKING WITHERING DISRUPTION

ROLLING FIXATION OXIDATION

DRYING CURING GRADING

1. Plucking: Tea leaves & flushes,
including the terminal bud and
two young leaves are hand-
picked, typically twice a year.

2. Withering:
Freshly plucked leaves are laid
out on the floor inside a cool
breezy room. The purpose of
withering is to reduce the
moisture content in the leaves
and to allow the flavor
compounds to develop.
3. Disruption / leaf maceration: The tea
leaves are bruised or torn in order to
promote and quicker oxidation. This
includes kneading, rolling, tearing, and
crushing.
4. Oxidation / fermentation: The volatile
compounds within the leaves change to
produce theaflavin and thearubigin.
Theaflavins lend briskness and
brightness to the tea, while thearubigins
offer depth and fullness to the liquor
that’s produced. Controlled-oxidation is
maintained to obtain specific flavour and
aroma of tea.
5. Fixation / kill-green: It is
done to stop the tea
leaf oxidation at desired level by
moderately heating it.
6. Rolling: Wilted/fixed leaves
are gently rolled, and depending
on the style, they are shaped to
look wiry, kneaded, or as tightly
rolled pellets. During rolling
action, essential oils and sap
oozes out, intensifying the taste
further. More tightly rolled the
leaves, the longer they will retain
their freshness.
7. Drying: It is done to finish the
tea for sale. It includes panning,
sunning, air drying, or baking.
Drying enhances a tea’s flavor
and ensures its long shelf-life
8. Curing: Some teas are
subjected to aging and
fermentation to make them
more palatable. Some types of
Chinese Pu-erh, for example, are
aged and fermented for years,
much like wine.
 Introduction of black tea

- Black tea is the most consumed of all

the teas. Black tea is a fully fermented
or oxidized tea.
- Featured as red brown liquid and
brown black leaf, black tea has mellow
flavor.

Basic making procedures of black

tea include withering, rolling,
fermentation, and drying.
 Introduction of black tea

- Fermentation is the most significant process of

making black tea. It defines the quality of the tea.

- Plenty of healthy
substances are produced
during fermentation.
Black tea manufacturing process

Fresh tea Black tea

leaves

Sorting and Grading and

cleaning sorting

Withering Drying

Rolling Full fermentation

Black tea production methods
Orthodox (OTD) technology in black tea manufacturing

Videos:
[Link]
ch?v=7I9hiBy5hKU
[Link]
ch?v=Pn7Tk5CQj1U
Source: [Link]
 Crush, Tear and Curl (CTC) technology in black tea manufacturing

Source:
[Link]
s/CTC%20production%20line/CTC%20Production%[Link] Video: CTC black tea production
 Fermentation (oxidation) process

- Fermentation involves enzymatic oxidation.

- Fermentation begins the moment the rolling.
- Heat, moisture, and carbon dioxide are released in fermentation.

PPO
TF: theaflavin
Tanin (catechin)
O2 TR: thearubigin
=> Chemically transformed, to create characteristic properties of color, taste,
and flavor.
 Precursors of Theaflavins

Precursors Products
EGC+EC Theaflavin
EGCG+EC Theaflavin-3-monogallate
EGCG+ECG Theaflavin-3,3’-digallate
EGC+ECG Theaflavin-3’-monogallate
GC+EC Isotheaflavin
GC+C Neotheaflavin
 Sensory characteristics

1. Color

- Catechins are colorless, odorless, soluble

substances that have a low molecular weight.
- TF and TR are formed by oxidation => Affect
the color and taste of tea.
+ TF are responsible for the brightness, briskness,
and quality of tea liquor.
+ The color, taste, and body are determined by the
content of TR.
- The green color of tea leaves changes to coppery
brown.
 Sensory characteristics

2. Aroma

- In addition to the formation of TF and TR

during the fermentation process, some
volatile compounds are generated due to the
transformation of certain aroma precursors.
These volatile compounds include essential
oils and amino acids.
- Amino acids combine with orthoquinone,
which is an oxidized form of catechin, and
play the most important role in determining
the aroma of black tea.
 Sensory characteristics

2. Aroma

Biochemical compounds in black tea responsible for flavor and odor

Compounds Flavor Odor
Linalool, Linalool oxide Sweet Citrus/Lemon
Geraniol Floral Rose
Phenyl acetaldehyde Floral Hyacinth
Benzaldehyde Fruity Almond
Methyl salicylate Fruity Minty
Phenyl ethanol Fruity Honey
Hexanal Grassy Fresh
 Sensory characteristics

([Link]
 Sensory characteristics

([Link]
 Sensory characteristics

([Link]
 Sensory characteristics

3. Taste

Biochemical compounds responsible for taste in black tea

Compounds Taste

Theaflavin Mouth drying, rough astringent

Thearubigins Ashy and slightly astringent

Catechin Puckering and astringent

Epigallocatechin gallate Astringent and bitter

Caffeine Bitter, brisk and creamy

Amino acids Brothy

 Effect of the fermentation process parameters on the quality
attributes of black tea

The process parameters, namely, time, temperature, oxygen, relative humidity,

and pH, are the crucial factors that affect the quality of the tea.

There is fixed fermentation time, and it depends on the type of tea,

degree of maceration and rolling, degree of withering, and
standard of plucking.
1. Time
The fermentation time for orthodox and CTC teas will vary from
2-4 h and 55-110 min

In general, CTC tea requires a shorter fermentation time, as it

involves extensive cell rupturing, thereby leading to more exposed
area for the enzymes and oxygen.
 Fermentation process in tea manufacturing

* Polyphenols – tannins (catechins, particularly ECG,

EGC and EGCG have strong astringent and bitter tastes)
* PO: Peroxydase
* PPO: Polyphenoloxydase

* Evaluation of tea fermentation

K = TF/TR
+ K = 1/10 - 1/12: Optimal fermentation
+ K > 1/10 - 1/12: Under fermentation
+ K < 1/10 - 1/12: Over fermentation

Source: [Link]
 Effect of the fermentation process parameters on the quality
attributes of black tea

2. Temperature
- During fermentation, the chlorophyll in the
tea leaves is enzymatically (PPO and PO)
broken down. Enzyme are proteins and
denature at high temperatures
- Control of the fermentation temperature is
necessary to produce superior quality tea, as
fermentation under very low or high - Fermentation at low temperatures
temperatures may lead to the inactivation of produces quality black tea.
enzymes. - High temperatures and long
fermentation times favor the production
of black teas with high TF levels with
more intense color.
- High fermentation temperatures produce
teas with higher TR and total color
values but lower TF.
Effect of the fermentation process parameters on the quality
attributes of black tea

2. Temperature

- Fermentation is conducted at 24-27°C for 3-4 h, but the optimum conditions

vary for different types of tea (22-24°C).
- However, a temperature of 27-29°C for a duration of 2h 30 min to 3h 45
min or 55-110 min is recommended for orthodox tea or CTC black tea,
respectively.
 Effect of the fermentation process parameters on the quality
attributes of black tea

c. Other parameters
 Oxygen:
- Sufficient oxygen is required for the proper enzymatic reactions to occur.
- Under inadequate oxygen, the processed leaf heats up, and chemical oxidation is
impeded, leading to a dull liquor.
- Fermentation of ruptured tea leaves under low oxygen and high temperature results in
higher concentrations of TR and lower concentrations of TF.
Effect of the fermentation process parameters on the quality
attributes of black tea

c. Other parameters

 Relative humidity:
- Maintain relative humidity at 95-98% during fermentation.
- The passing of dry air over the leaves should be avoided, as this leads to blackening
and interferes with the rate of oxidation
Tea grades as a function of leaf size

Source: [Link]
 Health benefits of black tea

Improve
The blood
Urine
immune
flow
system

Black Reduce
Detoxify
tea joint pain
 Health benefits of black tea

Scavenge Anti-cancer
free radicals activity

Reduces the
Antioxidant risk of heart
activities disease and
Black stroke

tea
 Health benefits of black tea

Reduce
cholesterol
Alleviate the
Periodontal glucose, lipid
disease metabolism
disorders

Black
tea
 Remarks

- The fermentation step in the processing of black

tea plays an important role in determining the
quality of the final black tea.
- Fermentation is carried out at a temperature
range of 24-29°C for 2-4 h or 55-110 min for
orthodox tea or CTC black tea.
- An adequate supply of oxygen and a relative
humidity of 95-98% should be maintained
during fermentation.
=> Monitor the fermentation step carefully to
ensure the health benefits of black tea and its
various sensory quality parameters (color, aroma,
taste, and flavor).
The process of green tea manufacturing

Firing

Video: Green
tea processing
 Steaming levels in green tea processing

Source: [Link]
Wastes/by-products from green and black tea production

Source: Nguyen (2017)

 Class exercise/personal
You are requested to review some papers relating to tea,
coffee or cocoa, following your comments on these papers
(at least 3 papers).
 Homework/group
You are invited to work in the company as a food
technologist. You are then requested to innovate technology
in a tea, coffee or cocoa processing factory. Please select a
product and present your appropriate and feasible solutions.
Tea withering trough
Continuous tea withering machine
 Continuous tea fermentation machine

aùy leân men cheølieân tuïc

Boäphaän phaân phoáicheøvaø

o Quaït höôùng truïc
Baêng taûidaãn cheøvaø
o Baêng taûicheøleân men
Vít taûicheøra
Continuous tea fermentation machine

aù
y leâ
n men cheølieâ
n tuïc laø
m vieä
c 2 maë
t

Boäphaä
n phaâ
n phoá
i cheøvaø
o Cheøleâ
n men
Baê
ng taû
i cheøleâ
n men Vít taû
i cheøra
Continuous tea drying machine
aùy saáy cheølieân tuïc kieåu væ

-Boäphaän phaân phoáicheøvaø

o Baêng taûichöùa cheøsaáy kieåu væ

-Baêng taûidaãn cheøvaø

o saáy -Vít taûicheøra
Special topic 1 Special topic 2

Special topic 3
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