Orthodox tea teas have larger fragments a bolder taste, and appear black in the cup. Traditional orthodox teas are shown more respect during the manufacturing procedure and the larger pieces of leaf give a more subtle quality to the infusion.
For both CTC and orthodox the basic stages of processing remain the same. The major differences lies in the yield per kg of made tea. While orthodox tea yields nearly 200 cups per kg in the case of CTC it is more than double.
The orthodox method requires more fine leaf and longer withering period (18-24 hours) than the CTC and therefore, it is more time consuming and expensive. Withering is the process through which green leaves lose moisture 50-55% in orthodox method.
In the CTC technique machines crush leaves prior to rolling, creating small globules, while in the orthodox system, leaves are rolled to form the distinct ‘twisted twig’ shape of orthodox tea. During rolling, twisting of leaves and some amount of maceration also occurs. After rolling or about 45 minutes, leaf is passed over a sifter to remove well rolled leaf, a process known as roll breaking.
Both methods CTC an orthodox breakdown the veins in the leaves and start the fermentation process. In orthodox manufacturing, fermentation is carried out by spreading rolled leaf in a layer of 2.5 to 7,5 thickness for 2 to 3 h.
The main orthodox the producers are Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Indonesia. India, Iran, Argentina, the other South American tea-growing countries and China also produce orthodox tea.
Processing of tea: Orthodox method
