Why Assam Tea?

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet. From China to the UK, Oceania, and the Indian Sub-Continent, it is the most preferred drink worldwide. It beats even coffee, cola, and beer in its popularity which any drink aficionado will know are heavyweight contenders in terms of beverages. For the majority of people, a freshly brewed cup of tea is the preferred way to start the day. It just freshens you up and gets you ready to take on the world. India produces a wide variety of highly popular teas in the world sourced from different regions. These include Nilgiris, Darjeeling, Himachal and Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Assam tea among several others. The tea produced from these regions are high-quality teas but even among them Assam tea takes the cake, pun not intended. Let us look into detail about Assam tea and its different facets in the article below.

What is Assam Tea?

Assam tea is a black tea that is harvested and gets its name from the plantations of Assam, a state located in the North-Eastern part of India. Assam tea is made from the leaves of a native tea plant, whose botanical name is Camellia Sinensis Var Assamica. Assam tea is popular due to its rich aroma, relatively easy preparation, and delicious malt-like flavor. It is also favored for its numerous health benefits. This is possible due to the fermentation process that the tea leaves go through, which oxidizes the leaves which results in its amazing aroma, color, and beneficial compounds. A bit of trivia, tea cultivation was introduced relatively late in India. The first tea plantation was started during the colonial period, to be exact in 1836. It has come a long way since then. Assam tea industry now contributes to nearly half of India’s tea production and is the biggest tea cultivating region in the world.

Types of Assam Tea

Assam Tea can be divided into two broad types based on the processing methods. These are CTC and Orthodox tea. Both of them are derived from the leaves of the same tea plant Camelia Sinesis. Let us look into these one by one.

a. CTC Tea

CTC tea is the Assam black tea produced by Crush, Tear & Curl method. The CTC method is a nearly automated and machinery implemented method for mass-producing black tea. This process results in faster processing and high quantities of black teas are produced which results in keeping tea prices affordable. The leaves get crushed into small pellets. CTC tea has a strong and sharp taste, gets prepared quickly, and is generally accompanied by milk and sugar to balance the taste.

b. Orthodox Tea

Orthodox tea as the name suggests uses the traditional and mostly handmade process of tea production. This tea has a layered and smooth taste so it can be consumed without any whiteners or sugar. A well-brewed cup of orthodox tea is a treat in itself but you can add some drops of citrus to add some more freshness and vitamin C. The production process may differ somewhat from one tea estate to another but the below-mentioned steps remain the same.

1. Withering of tea leaves

2. Rolling of the withered leaves

3. Fermentation ie oxidation of tea leaves to reach the reddish-brown color
4. Firing ie applying heat to dry the tea leaves to get the finished product

An expert professional oversees these steps to get the best flavors out of Orthodox tea thus produced.

Orthodox teas can further be divided into 4 broad grades. These are graded in the descending order below.

1. Flowery Orange Pekoe (Small leaf next to the bud)

2. Orange Pekoe (the 2nd leaf next to the bud)

3. Pekoe (the 3rd leaf next to the bud)

4. Souchong (the 4th leaf next to the bud)

Benefits of Assam Tea

Drinking Assam tea whether CTC or Orthodox is supposed to have several health benefits. Let us look into some of the benefits below.

a. Reduces Inflammation and Raises Immunity

Assam tea is a nutrient powerhouse. It contains antioxidants and important minerals including iron, calcium, copper, and magnesium. It also has antioxidants like theaflavins, thearubigins, and catechins. All these prevent the free radical activity in the body, make you look younger and also increase the body’s immunity.

b. Helps in Weight Loss

Assam black tea is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols which help in metabolizing fat to energy and also prevent fat tissue accumulation. Black tea has minimum calories and by drinking it you will feel fuller and thus consume fewer calories. All these help in weight loss in a good way than dieting can ever do.

c. Black Tea Has Anticancer Properties

Assam black teas as we mentioned earlier have high amounts of flavonoids and polyphenols and other beneficial compounds and minerals. All these may help in the prevention of certain cancers like lung, skin, and breast cancer.

d. Lowers blood sugar

Black tea also helps in lowering blood sugar. If consumed without sugar and milk it helps in lowering insulin resistance. Squeeze a lemon in this preparation to get more benefits.

e. Promotes brain and Heart Health

Studies have shown that drinking three cups of black tea daily reduces the risk of brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Studies further show that drinking 3 to 6 cups of black tea daily reduces the risk of heart disease. Compounds like theaflavins, polyphenols, flavonoids in black tea are mainly responsible for these certain benefits.

How to Prepare Assam Tea

Brewing a cup of Assam tea is a very simple and easy procedure. You just need a teapot, tea strainer, hot water, a mug or a cup, and Assam tea to start with. For brewing, you can use either CTC tea bags or orthodox tea leaves. Boil a cup of hot water and wait for 15 seconds. Put the loose tea leaves in the tea strainer and rest it over the cup or a mug. Pour the hot water slowly through the strainer. Let the tea leaves touch the hot water through the strainer for about two minutes. Add a slice of lemon and savor the tea. If you are using CTC tea bags then pour the hot water directly in the mug and dip the tea bag for about two minutes. Add sugar and milk as per the taste. Your tea is ready for consumption now.

Conclusion

Assam black tea is a good healthy and flavorful brew. It is a better option for your daily caffeine kick than coffee, sugary colas, or highly caffeinated energy drinks. It also has plenty of health benefits and is widely available and easy to make. Do try Assam black tea for its aroma, flavor, and health benefits.