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The Deep Sea of Tea
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Redefining Orthodox
What "Traditional"
Might Mean for Tea

Character
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Biodynamic Tea
Healing the Earth
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The Art of
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Modern Teapots
Steeped in Tradition

Monkey Kings,
Matcha and Pearl
Travels in
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The French Say Oui to Tea
A Look at the Tea
Scene in Paris

Life in Tea

Moroccan Mint Tea
The Drink of
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Honeybush
South Africa's
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Tea-Tray in the Sky
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The Boulder
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Teahouse Kuan Yin
Seattle, Washington

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Tea Industry
Directory 2002

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Redefining Orthodox
What "Traditional" Might
Mean for Tea
Story & Photos by
David Lee Hoffman

As a Westerner who has spent nearly a decade traveling throughout tea districts in China, I have had the fortune of observing this country's countless "living treasures"—tea farmers who still practice techniques that have been passed down for generations, what we refer to today as "traditional" or "orthodox" processing. But what is orthodox tea? How did this term originate? What will it mean in the future?

   Any discussion of orthodox teas needs to begin with a definition. Historically, the term "orthodox" has referred to a method of producing black teas in India. But in a broader sense, "orthodox" also refers to "traditional" or hand-processing methods that have been carried out in other tea-producing countries for centuries. The idea of producing teas in a "traditional" manner is certainly worthy of investigation—in terms of the quality of tea that is produced by this method, the effect it has on the environment, and the ramifications it might have on the premium tea industry.

THE RISE OF CTC
When you ask an Indian tea merchant, broker or producer what orthodox tea means, the answer is vague, but it invariably includes mention of what orthodox tea is not: CTC. CTC stands for "crushed, torn and curled," and by its very definition doesn't imply anything romantic, or even desirable. Most of the world's black tea comes from this type of production. United States importation figures from the Department of Health and Human Services show that in 1993, 179 million pounds of tea entered the country. Ninety-five percent of that tea was black and almost entirely of CTC production. According to the U.S. Tea Is "Hot" Report, in 2000, the U.S. imported around 194 million pounds of tea. About 177 million pounds of that was black tea.

   The British developed CTC tea manufacturing in the late 19th century for use at their Indian tea factories. Massive pieces of machinery of iron and brass weighing thousands of pounds were developed—their primary purpose being to mimic the skilled hand movements that had been crucial to making tea for generations. The machines were fast, efficient and consistent, and, most important (at least in the eyes of management), they replaced thousands of workers.

   CTC machines allowed companies to produce huge amounts of tea at very low prices. Profits soared, and everyone was happy, except the Chinese tea exporters who lost their global monopoly.

   So great was the growing international demand for tea that many non-Asian countries jumped into the world marketplace to grow tea. Imperialism and exploitation hadn't yet become politically incorrect, so tea cultivation and technification spread rapidly throughout the world.

   Throughout South America, foreign tea operations representing large tea companies converted large tracts of land over to tea cultivation. Argentina alone was eventually producing some 75 million pounds of tea annually. Parcels of land on the African continent were used in the same way. Countries such as Cameroon, Rhodesia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda all became major tea producers.

   One thing all this tea had in common was that it was black and CTC-manufactured. Taste and appearance varied, but generally, taste was of little concern. After all, tea blending was a respectable occupation, and even the blandest or most tasteless teas could be mixed and matched to create desirable profiles. Blenders could also turn to scents, flavors and spices to spruce up otherwise nondescript teas.

   This combination of low price and high productivity made CTC teas available and affordable to the world. In fact, global tea production is currently about five-and-a-half billion pounds annually. You could say that the efficiencies of CTC have made tea the world's most consumed beverage. Unfortunately, the high productivity of CTC has also created a glut of tea worldwide, causing an overall drop in quality and prices.

ORTHODOX IN INDIA
The word "orthodox" is commonly associated with high-grade black tea grown in India. The term most likely originated in the early days when the British were still running the tea estates before India's independence in 1947. Back then, it was still possible to find a handmade tea, especially in the northeast hill districts. After all, India learned tea-making from China, where traditional techniques had been handed down from generations, in some cases for more than a thousand years.

   The British had no interest in promoting the concept of small family farming in India. They needed large quantities of tea at low prices, and they wanted independence from the monopolistic and unreliable supply of China. The best way to accomplish this was with large, sprawling tea estates and modern factories.

   Today, India is king, at least in terms of tea production figures. According to the Tea Board of India, the country produced nearly 1.9 billion pounds of tea in 2001. Around 80 percent of that is CTC-manufactured; the remainder is what the Board calls orthodox tea. But precisely what that designation means is not entirely clear.

   One can venture some educated guesses about orthodox tea in India. Most tea experts agree that orthodox designates a very high-grade tea characterized by its leafy appearance, and presumably, better taste and fuller aroma. Tea production in India hasn't really changed much in the last 120 years when machines replaced human hands in such important steps such as rolling the leaf. Today, orthodox signifies an extra degree of care and attention, working within the limitations of machine production.

   Indian orthodox teas are always picked by hand—not with gasoline-driven tea-picking machines that shear everything in their path. A good picker selectively plucks only the finest new leaf and bud sets. This precise picking method means that old leaves, stems and seeds are not a part of the final product.

   Modern tea production is always a compromise between the best method and against cost and efficiency. Tea machinery is fully adjustable so that the operator can directly impact the outcome. An operator can oversee the force of feed delivery, the pressure of rollers, the speed of delivery, and the speed of the outward delivery belts. He can also monitor the temperature of the firing and drying ovens. In fact, a caring and skilled operator can greatly influence the final product. Orthodox tea made using these machines implies a more careful handling of the product and more attention given to quality tea-making.

   It's true that no machine will ever match the agility of human hands. But when machines are operated by careful, conscientious handlers, they are capable of producing some exceptional teas.

OTHER COUNTRIES
In Taiwan, where domestic labor is costly, highly sophisticated tea machinery has been specifically developed to process the country's more complex oolong teas. Taiwan now leads the world with the best modern tea machinery, capable of producing very high-quality teas. These machines are better designed than Indian machines, and they are more sophisticated in terms of their ability to twist, roll and bundle oolong teas. Taiwan has proved that machines can play a role in high-quality tea.

   Sri Lanka—the world's third largest tea producer—produces approximately the same amount of CTC tea as India, but the country still yields an impressive array of orthodox-manufactured teas, particularly from gardens at high altitudes. The recent conversion from government-run estates to privately held farms has helped to preserve Sri Lanka's orthodox traditions.

   If you are looking for traditional, hand-picked, hand-processed teas today, the logical place to look is China. The Chinese are both masters of tea production and masters of tradition. Each region—and sometimes each family—has its own way of processing tea. In many instances, these techniques were developed indigenously, within various ethnic groups, creating a rich diversity of teas. Processors use their hands, their feet and all of their senses in traditional tea production.

   These techniques are especially important during the rolling process. Rolling ruptures the membrane within the cell structure of the leaf and spreads the juices throughout. This process is vitally important in the development of tea flavor. Certain types of oolong production necessitate rolling a tightly twisted cloth bundle of tea leaves under the feet. Much like a ballet dancer, the tea maker uses a bar to balance himself as he rolls the tea ball underfoot. A "Monkey-Picked" Ti Kwan Yin (Iron Goddess), for example, can be made using this method.

   One of my favorite handmade Chinese teas comes from the An Hui province in southeastern China. It is called Lu Mudan, ("Green Peony," also known as Green Sea Anemone or Green Tea Anemone). One of the most unique aspects of this tea is its shape: it is hand-tied into a flower or rosette, and is meant to be infused directly in a glass. As it steeps, it opens up and blooms, offering a delightful visual presentation and a great taste.

   Another interesting tea made by elaborate hand-forming techniques is Longjing, (Dragon Well). This traditional pan-fired tea is made with 10 distinct hand movements, which not only contribute to coaxing the best flavor from the leaf, but also give it a shiny jade color that is delightful both before and after infusion.

   A particularly unique and rare tea that is also entirely made by hand is Tai Ping Hou Kui (roughly translated as Great Green Monkey King). It is produced by taking a small block of wood covered with cloth, and pressing the tea flat atop a charcoal-fired bamboo oven. The final result is tea with long, flat, ribbon-like leaves that retain their beautiful green color.

WHAT LIES AHEAD
Ten years ago there were eight million tea farmers in China. That number has now rapidly decreased due to the glut of tea on the world market, which has driven the price of tea far below the level of survival. Many pickers can't even afford to pick their new flushes and they are simply abandoning their farms.

   Quality handcrafted teas have no equal. But whether they can survive is anyone's guess. Small family farms face the same problem throughout the world; it's impossible to compete with large, mechanized, scientifically driven operations, whose only goal is maximum profits.

   So what can be done to preserve traditional tea production? One thing you can do as a retailer to support high-quality tea production—whether you call it orthodox, traditional or handmade—is to establish relationships with importers who deal directly with farms. Today's distribution methods are such that many of China's handmade teas never make it to the international market intact. They are often sold to large domestic processing plants, where they are added to a motley mix of commercial-grade tea, their unique qualities lost forever.

   You can also make a point of paying closer attention to the tea leaves, both before and after steeping. The leaves will all have a story to tell, and the information that's there can teach you much about tea. Hand-picked, hand-sorted and hand-formed teas are beautiful to contemplate after steeping. Get in the habit of brewing teas for your customers without a teabag or infuser, so they can appreciate their full, whole-leaf shapes.

   Finally, you can commit to paying more for quality tea. As tea importers and retailers, if we allow ourselves to be motivated by cost alone, we are no better than the bureaucrats who are stifling the future of traditional tea manufacturing. Buying teas made by small family farmers is a way to honor and respect these long-standing traditions.

David Lee Hoffman has been traveling through the remote backcountry of Asia for more than 30 years. In 1992, he established Silk Road Teas, a wholesale importing tea company in Lagunitas, California. He can be reached at 415/488-9017.

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