Botanical Name of Tea

Tea is a popular beverage consumed in every household, especially in India. It falls under the genus Camellia, which is primarily grown in tropical climates. 

• Tea, also known as cha, is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the family Theaceae.
• Camellia sinensis is the botanical name of tea.
• The shrub is native to the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia and East Asia.
• Fermented or unfermented leaves of plants are utilized in the manufacture and processing of tea.
• Green tea is the most common type of tea grown in this part of China. 
• You can prepare it by boiling fresh water and adding tea leaf buds.
• The consumption of this popular beverage will improve your gut health.

Key Terms: Tea, Camellia sinensis, Botanical Name of Tea, Biological Classification of Tea, Tea Leaf, Theaceae, Flowering Plant

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Botanical Name of Tea

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Tea is a species of evergreen small tree in the flowering plant that is grown mainly in China and Assam. The leaves of this plant act as a stimulant as it contains caffeine.

• Tea, also known as the queen of beverages, is divided into various categories, such as black tea, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea,
• China, Japan, Indonesia, Africa, India, and Sri Lanka are the primary producers and growers of this famous drink.
• The two categories of the botanical name of tea are C. Sinensis Sinensis and C. Sinensis assamica.
• C. Sinensis Sinensis is grown in China, and C. Sinensis assamica is cultivated in Assam.
• Black tea is the name given to the tea grown in Assam. 
• Other family members of Camellia sinensis, such as Oolong and pouching teas, are primarily produced in Southern China and Taiwan.

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Biological Classification of Tea 

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The biological classification of tea are as follows:

• Kingdom − Plantae
• Phylum − Spermatophyta
• Subphylum − Angiospermae
• Class − Dicotyledonae
• Order − Theales
• Family − Theaceae
• Genus − Camellia
• Species − C. sinensis

Tea

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Processing the Tea Leaf

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The leaves go through all of the stages of withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying when it comes to making tea. 

Withering

Caffeine, the most well-known component of tea, causes withering. It gives the beverage its flavour and excitement, along with scent, flavour, and colour. 

• Caffeine makes up only approximately 4% of the solids in fresh leaves. 
• If one teacup of this beverage is consumed, it contains 60 to 90 mg of caffeine.
• The tannins, also known as polyphenols, are the most important chemical components of tea. 
• They are colourless, bitter-tasting compounds that give tea its astringent quality.
• Polyphenol oxidase is an enzyme that works on it. 
• Tea's flavouring ingredients are made up of polyphenols that have a reddish colour.
• Certain volatile oils contribute to the aroma of tea, and amino acids and different sugars contribute to the beverage's quality. 
• Only black tea must go through all stages of the manufacturing process.

Rolling

The second stage in the manufacture of tea is rolling. When tea leaves are distorted, they must be rolled, and the resulting tea must have a characteristic twist.

• The leaf cells burst during the rolling process.
• When tea leaves burst, enzymes and polyphenols are mixed. 
• Many leaves are rolled by hand on a table until they are twisted using the traditional technique.

Fermentation

Following the rolling process, there is a fermentation phase. After the leaf cells are shattered during the rolling process, they are spread on tables under controlled temperatures, humidity, and aeration. 

• Even though it's termed fermentation, it's a series of chemical processes.
• Polyphenols oxidized during fermentation and mixed with other chemicals to generate orange-red molecules. 
• Theaflavins are the newly created orange-red chemicals. 
• Thearubigins are formed when the theaflavins react with additional units.

Drying

In this process, heat inactivates polyphenol enzymes and dries the leaf to its moisture content. 

• The caramelization of sugar occurs during the drying process, which imparts flavor to the tea leaves. 
• The tea leaves get black as a result of the drying process. 
• In the present style of production, the leaves are dried using hot air dryers.
• The hot air is supplied individually for the leaves to be fed and transferred in a liquid pattern from one end to the other via a perforated plate.

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Things to Remember

• Tea is the most widely consumed non-alcoholic beverage, with more than half of the world's population drinking it.
• It is made from dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which is native to Assam or China.
• When infused in hot water, tea leaves dissolve their alkaloid and oil, and the resulting beverage has a stimulating effect. 
• The tannin dissolves when you boil something for a long time, making the beverage less healthy.
• The primary tea-producing regions in India include Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiris, Dehradun, and Kumaon.

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