Editing Tea (section)

== Production ==

{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+Tea production – 2022
|-
!  style="background:#ddf;"| Country
!  style="background:#ddf;"|Million<br /> tonnes
|-
| {{CHN}}||{{right|14.53}}
|-
| {{IND}}||{{right|5.97}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Kenya}} [[Tea production in Kenya|Kenya]]||{{right|2.33}}
|-
| {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} [[Tea production in Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]]||{{right|1.40}}
|-
| {{TUR}}||{{right|1.30}}
|-
| {{VNM}}||{{right|1.12}}
|-
| {{IDN}}||{{right|0.60}}
|-
| {{BAN}}||{{right|0.44}}
|-
| {{ARG}}||{{right|0.36}}
|-
| {{UGA}}||{{right|0.33}}
|-
|'''World''' || style="text-align:right;"| '''29.76'''
|-
|colspan=2|<small>Source: [[UN Food and Agriculture Organization|(FAO)]]</small><ref name="faostat2024">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Tea leaves production in 2022, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2024|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)|access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref>
|}

Tea is mainly grown in Asia and Africa, with smaller areas in South America and around the Black and Caspian Seas. The four biggest tea-producing countries are China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, together representing 81% of world tea production. Smaller hubs of production include such places as [[São Miguel Island, Azores]], in Portugal, and [[Guria]], in Georgia. In 2022, global production of tea was 29.8&nbsp;million [[tonne]]s, led by China with 49% and India with 20% of the world total. [[Kenya]], [[Sri Lanka]], and [[Turkey]] were secondary producers.<ref name="faostat2020">{{cite web |date=2020 |title=World tea production in 2019; Crops/World Regions/Production Quantity from picklists |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC |access-date=17 May 2022 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Statistics Division (FAOSTAT)}}</ref>

=== Storage ===

Storage conditions determine the [[shelf life]] of tea; that of black teas is greater than that of green teas. Some, such as flower teas, may last only a month or so. Others, such as pu-erh, improve with age. To remain fresh and prevent mold, tea needs to be stored away from heat, light, air, and moisture. Tea must be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container. Black tea in a bag within a sealed opaque canister may keep for two years. Green tea deteriorates more rapidly, usually in less than a year. Tightly rolled [[gunpowder tea]] leaves keep longer than the more open-leafed [[Chun Mee tea]].

Storage life for all teas can be extended by using [[desiccant]] or oxygen-absorbing packets, vacuum sealing, or refrigeration in air-tight containers (except green tea, where discrete use of refrigeration or freezing is recommended and temperature variation kept to a minimum).<ref>{{cite web |title=Green Tea Storage |url=http://www.o-cha.net/english/cup/pdf/29.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327174214/http://www.o-cha.net/english/cup/pdf/29.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2009 |access-date=15 July 2009}}</ref>

=== Processing and classification ===

{{main|Tea processing}}

[[File:Tea in different grade of fermentation.jpg|thumb|Teas of different levels of oxidation (L to R): green, yellow, oolong, and black]]

Tea is divided into categories based on how it is processed.<ref name="LiuTong">{{cite book |author=Liu Tong |title=Chinese tea |publisher= China Intercontinental Press|location=Beijing|year=2005|page=137 |isbn=978-7-5085-0835-1}}</ref> At least six different types are produced:
* [[white tea|White]]: wilted and unoxidized;
* [[yellow tea|Yellow]]: unwilted and unoxidized but allowed to yellow;
* [[green tea|Green]]: unwilted and unoxidized;
* [[Oolong]]: wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized;
* [[Black tea|Black]]: wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized (called {{lang|zh|紅茶}} [''hóngchá''], "red tea" in Chinese and other East Asian tea culture);
* [[Fermented tea|Post-fermented (Dark)]]: green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost (called [[Pu'er tea|''Pu'er'']] if from the Yunnan district of South-Western China or {{lang|zh|黑茶}} [''hēichá''] "black tea" in [[Chinese tea culture]]).

After picking, the leaves of ''C. sinensis'' soon begin to [[Wilting|wilt]] and [[Redox|oxidize]] unless immediately dried. An [[Food browning|enzymatic oxidation]] process triggered by the plant's intracellular [[enzyme]]s causes the leaves to turn progressively darker as their [[chlorophyll]] breaks down and tannins are released. This darkening is stopped at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. In the production of black teas, halting by heating is carried out simultaneously with drying. Without careful moisture and temperature control during manufacture and packaging, growth of undesired molds and bacteria may make tea unfit for consumption.

=== Blending and additives ===

{{further|Tea blending and additives}}

[[File:Teaprocessing.svg|thumb|left|upright=3<!--size for readability of text in image-->|Common processing methods of tea leaves]]

After basic processing, teas may be altered through additional processing steps before being sold<ref>{{cite book |title=Tea: a user's guide |last=Tony |first=Gebely |isbn=978-0-9981030-0-6 |pages=Chapter 6 |oclc=965904874 |date=October 2016|publisher=Eggs and Toast Media, LLC }}</ref> and is often consumed with additions to the basic tea leaf and water added during preparation or drinking. Examples of additional processing steps that occur before tea is sold are blending, flavouring, scenting, and decaffeination of teas. Examples of additions added at the point of consumption include milk, sugar and lemon.

Tea blending is the combination of different teas together to achieve the final product. Such teas may combine others from the same cultivation area or several different ones. The aim is to obtain consistency, better taste, higher price, or some combination of the three.

Flavoured and scented teas are enhancements of the base tea. This can be accomplished through directly adding flavouring agents, such as [[ginger]], [[clove]]s, [[Lamiaceae|mint leaves]], [[cardamom]], [[bergamot orange|bergamot]] (found in [[Earl Grey tea|Earl Grey]]), [[vanilla]], and [[spearmint]]. Alternatively, because tea easily retains odours, it can be placed in proximity to an aromatic ingredient to absorb its aroma, as in traditional [[jasmine tea]].<ref>Gong, Wen. Lifestyle in China. 五洲传播出版社, 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2010, from [https://books.google.com/books?id=33DE2sJEjH0C&pg=PA85] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228102221/https://books.google.com/books?id=33DE2sJEjH0C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA85|date=28 December 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Nice Cup of Tea.jpg|thumb|Black tea is often taken with milk.]]

The addition of milk to tea in Europe was first mentioned in 1680 by the epistolist [[Madame de Sévigné]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.briefguides.co.uk/content/tea.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822093059/http://www.briefguides.co.uk/content/tea.php |archive-date=22 August 2006 |title=Brief Guide to Tea |publisher=BriefGuides |year=2006 |access-date=7 November 2006}}</ref> Many teas are traditionally drunk with milk in cultures where dairy products are consumed. These include Indian [[masala chai]] and British tea blends. These teas tend to be very hearty varieties of black tea which can be tasted through the milk, such as Assams, or the East Friesian blend. Milk is thought to neutralise remaining tannins and reduce acidity.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Some tea and wine may cause cancer – tannin, found in tea and red wine, linked to esophageal cancer |journal=Nutrition Health Review |url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-9164614 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119230843/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-9164614/some-tea-and-wine-may-cause-cancer |archive-date=19 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Way of Herbs |last=Tierra |first=Michael |year=1990 |publisher=Pocket Books |isbn=978-0-671-72403-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/wayofherbsfullyu00tier}}</ref> The [[Han Chinese]] do not usually drink milk with tea but the [[Manchu people|Manchus]] do, and the elite of the Qing Dynasty of the Chinese Empire continued to do so. [[Hong Kong-style milk tea]] is based on British habits. [[Tibetan people|Tibetans]] and other Himalayan peoples traditionally drink tea with milk or [[yak butter]] and salt. In Eastern European countries, and in Russia and Italy, tea is commonly served with lemon juice. In Poland, tea is traditionally served with a slice of lemon and is sweetened with either sugar or honey; tea with milk is called a ''bawarka'' ("[[Bavaria]]n style") in [[Polish language|Polish]] and is widely popular.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://glosbe.com/ |title=Bawarka in English, translation, Polish-English Dictionary |website=Glosbe |access-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224121219/https://glosbe.com/ |archive-date=24 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In Australia, tea with milk is known as "white tea".

The order of steps in preparing a cup of tea is a much-debated topic and can vary widely between cultures and individuals. Some say it is preferable to add the milk to the cup before the tea, as the high temperature of freshly brewed tea can denature the proteins found in fresh milk, similar to the change in taste of [[UHT]] milk, resulting in an inferior-tasting beverage.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3016342.stm |title=How to make a perfect cuppa |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 June 2003 |access-date=28 July 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060722010957/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3016342.stm |archive-date=22 July 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> Others insist it is better to add the milk to the cup after the tea, as black tea is often brewed as close to boiling as possible. The addition of milk chills the beverage during the crucial brewing phase, if brewing in a cup rather than using a pot, meaning the delicate flavour of a good tea cannot be fully appreciated. By adding the milk afterwards, it is easier to dissolve sugar in the tea and to ensure the desired amount of milk is added, as the colour of the tea can be observed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2000/02/03/97177.htm |title=Biscuit Dunking Physics |first=Karl S. |last=Kruszelnicki |date=3 February 2000 |website=www.abc.net.au |access-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611155916/http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2000/02/03/97177.htm |archive-date=11 June 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Historically, the order of steps was taken as an indication of class: only those wealthy enough to afford good-quality porcelain would be confident of its being able to cope with being exposed to boiling water unadulterated with milk.<ref name="Dubrin2010">{{cite book |author=Dubrin, Beverly |title=Tea Culture: History, Traditions, Celebrations, Recipes & More |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WMcNCwcCPpgC&pg=PA24 |year=2010 |publisher=Charlesbridge Publishing |isbn=978-1-60734-363-9 |page=24 |access-date=10 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506052427/https://books.google.com/books?id=WMcNCwcCPpgC&pg=PA24 |archive-date=6 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Higher temperature difference means faster [[heat transfer]], so the earlier milk is added, the slower the drink cools. A 2007 study published in the ''European Heart Journal'' found certain [[Health effects of tea|beneficial effects of tea]] may be lost through the addition of milk.<ref name="Lorenz">{{cite journal |last1=Lorenz |first1=M. |last2=Jochmann |first2=N. |last3=Von Krosigk |first3=A. |last4=Martus |first4=P. |last5=Baumann |first5=G. |last6=Stangl |first6=K. |last7=Stangl |first7=V. |doi=10.1093/eurheartj/ehl442 |title=Addition of milk prevents vascular protective effects of tea |journal=European Heart Journal |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=219–223 |year=2006 |pmid=17213230 |doi-access=free}}</ref>