Assam CTC

Assam CTC

CTC stands for Cut Tear Curl, a method of tea processing that was developed in India in the 1930’s. After plucking, the leaves destined for CTC processing go through similar oxidation stages as a regular black tea. However, instead of rolling the leaves in this final stage, they are passed through a rotorvane, thereby breaking the cells and exposing more of the oils contained in the tea leaves. The concluding curling of the cut and torn tea leaves results in small pellets that are prepared like regular loose tea.
The tea is characterized by a smell of fresh warm earth on the nose and palate and light vegetal notes. A lingering brown sugar sweetness grows in strength as it sits in the cup. A moderate astringency with a slight dryness from the tannins. Makes a strong black infusion. This tea takes milk and honey exceptionally well.

Ingredients

Organic black tea (Camelia Sinensis)

Specifications

Story, Folklore, History

CTC tea actually refers to a method of processing black tea. Named for the process, “crush, tear, curl” (and sometimes called “cut, tear, curl”) in which black tea leaves are run through a series of cylindrical rollers. The rollers have hundreds of sharp teeth that crush, tear, and curl the leaves. The rollers produce small, hard pellets made of tea. This CTC method is different from standard tea manufacturing, in which the tea leaves are simply rolled into strips.