AgricultureMunnar Trips

The Tea Plant

Tea or Chai is the most widely drunk beverage in the whole world. The tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is a cultivated variety of a Tea planttree that has its origins in an area between India and China. There are three main varieties of the tea plant - China, Assam, and Cambodia - and a number of hybrids between the varieties. The China variety grows as high as nine feet (2.75 metres). It is a hardy plant able to withstand cold winters and has an economic life of at least 100 years.

The Assam variety, a single-stem tree ranging from 20 to 60 feet (6 to 18 metres) in height. Regular pruning keeps its height to a more manageable 4 to 5 feet tall. It has an economic life of 40 years with regular pruning and plucking. When grown at an altitude near that of Darjeeling (Assam) or Munnar (Kerala), it produces tea with fascinating flavours , sought after around the globe.

Main Sub Varieties of Tea The tender light-leaved Assam The less tender dark-leaved Assam The hardy Manipuri and Burma types The very large-leaved Lushai The dark-leaved Assam plant from Upper Assam. The Cambodia variety, a single-stem tree growing to about 16 feet (five metres) in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties.

History of Tea

Behind this everyday brew lies a colourful and fascinating story that meanders its way through the social and cultural history of many nations. According to ancient legend, tea was discovered by chance by a Chinese Emperor in third millennium B.C. as some tea leaves floated into his boiling pot of water from somewhere.

Whether this is fact or fiction, we will never know. In fact, there was no written reference to tea until the third century B.C., until a famous Chinese doctor recommended it for increasing one's alertness. Most historians however agree that tea was used in China long before this date.

Tea entered its 'golden age' during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. Tea entered the age of rituals and traditions. No longer drunk simply as a medicinal tonic, tea was taken as much for pleasure as for its restorative powers. The preparation and service of the liquor developed into an elaborate ceremony, while the cultivation and processing of the leaf were tightly controlled.

Tea became important enough during this period for a group of merchants to commission the writer, Lu You, to compile the first ever book on the subject - Classic of Tea. All tea produced in China was originally green.

However, with an increase in trade during the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 - 1644), the Chinese growers were challenged to preserve tea's delicate qualities during its long journeys, as far afield as Europe. The solution was the invention of new processing methods to make black and flower-scented teas. Ming producers found that fermentation was able to preserve tea leaves, making them suitable for the long overseas journey. And though Europe's first taste of tea was green, the fashion gradually changed to black as Chinese growers altered tea production methods to suit the logistics of distant trade.

When one looks at Europe, one is not sure who was responsible for introducing tea there - the Dutch or the Portuguese in the early seventeenth century, for both nations were then actively trading in the China Seas. The Portuguese shipped China teas to Lisbon, and from there the Dutch East India Company carried goods on to Holland, France and Germany.

Tea's fate in Britain took a lucky turn in 1662 when King Charles II married a Portuguese princess. Britain's new queen was addicted to tea and carried with her some tea as part of her dowry. As word of the new beverage spread, more and more people wished to try it. Soon tea became Britain's most popular drink, replacing ale at break-fast and gin at any other time of day. Tea also became an essential part of people's entertainment outside the home.

Luxurious tea gardens appeared all over the country, where people from all walks of life, including royalty, could take fresh air, drink tea, and enjoy a variety of entertainment. The British tradition of 'after-noon tea' is normally ascribed to Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. Soon all of fashionable London was indulging in these after-noon gatherings to drink tea, eat sandwiches, and exchange gossip and general conversation.

As tea consumption in Britain grew, the balance of payment turned in favour of the Chinese. Britain came up with an answer to correct the imbalance and trade in opium, which the Chinese wanted. But soon trade in opium became a serious international issue, and to secure monopoly, Britain declared war. China retaliated by placing an embargo on all export of tea. The Opium Wars had begun.

Its trade with China cut off, Britain began to seek other locations for the production of tea. Northern India was particularly promising due to its climate and altitudes. It is here that in 1823 the British East India Company's first crop was planted. Its first shipment of Assam tea reached London fifteen years later, and the Company soon expanded into other areas, most notably Darjeeling and the hills of Munnar in Kerala. The Kannan Devan Tea was thus born.

It was inevitable that tea would find its way to North America along with the settlers from Europe. All over the New World, tea was drunk in the same elegant fashion as in Europe. In colonial America, tea and the complimentary silver and porcelain were symbols of wealth and social status. Even the less affluent families viewed the taking of tea as a display of their good manners. The Boston Tea Party ended America's liking for both the British and their tea. The origins of the trouble lay in the passing of an Act of Parliament in 1767, which attempted to tax the American colonies.

Within two years of its passing, most American ports were refusing to allow any dutiable goods ashore, and when the British sent seven shiploads of tea from London, feelings ran high. In New York and Philadelphia, demonstrations forced the ships to turn back. In Boston, general unrest over several weeks was followed by the boarding of the Dartmouth by a band of men disguised as Indians, to cries of "Boston harbour - a teapot tonight." In the course of the next three hours, they threw 340 chests of tea overboard. The British government's closure of Boston harbour and the arrival of British troops on American soil marked the beginning of the War of Independence and America's coffee-drinking tradition. World War II marked a final blow to America's affinity for fine teas. Prior to the war, Americans were well versed in the many varieties of tea. Imported exclusively in the Orient, however, these teas became scarce during the war, and were replaced with lower quality black tea from Argentina and other open markets. Sadly, to this day, almost all tea consumed in the United States is low-grade black.

Growing Tea

Tea bushes are planted 1 metre to 1.5 metres apart to follow the natural contours of the landscape. Sometimes they are grown on specially prepared terraces to help irrigation and to prevent erosion. Fifty years ago tea plants were raised from tea seeds and they Tea estate were known as seedlings. Each plantation grew its own seed bearers in tea trees which grew to a height of approximately 25 metres. These young plants are raised from the cuttings obtained from a strong and rich bush. They are carefully tendered in special nursery beds until they are 12-15 months old and then planted in the tea gardens.

Trees are often planted in between the tea plants to protect them against intense heat and light, particularly on the plains of Assam and Kenya, where sunshine is most intense. The trees also provide microclimatic and soil improvements. Geometric spacing are used, often in quite wide spacing. This, again, ensures uniform treatment (shade) and ease in mechanized operations. Common shade trees are Erythrina, Gliricidia, and Silver Oak.

When the tea plant is allowed to grow wild and unfettered it becomes 10 mtrs high. To simplify cultivation and stimulate the production of leaf buds, they are regularly pruned and shaped into flat-topped bushes of about one metre in height. When the plant develops to a height of about half a metre above ground, it is cut back - pruned to within a few inches off the ground - to set it on course to develop into a flat-topped bush. Generally, a tea bush is 1 to 1.5 metres in height. Regular 2 to 3 year pruning cycles encourage the supply of shoots, the flush which is plucked every week to ten days, depending on where it is cultivated.

The tea leaves are mostly hand plucked. The tea plant is plucked every 5- 10 days, depending on where it grows. The length of Tea workerstime needed for the plucked shoot to redevelop a new shoot ready for plucking varies according to the plucking system and the climatic conditions. Intervals of between seventy and ninety days are common.

When the tea plant is plucked two leaves and a bud are cut. An experienced plucker can pluck up to 30 kg tealeaves per day. To make one kg black tea, approx. 4 kg tea leaves are needed. One tea plant produces about 70 kg black tea a year. In a warm climate the plant is plucked for the first time after four years and it will produce tea for at least 50 years. A suitable climate for cultivation must have a minimum annual rainfall of 1,140 to 1,270 millimetres. Tea soils must be acidic and tea cannot be grown in alkaline soils.

A crop of 11,650 kilograms per hectare requires 3.7 to 4.9 workers per hectare to pluck the tea shoots and maintain the fields. Mechanical plucking has been tried, but because of its lack of selectivity, it cannot replace hand plucking. Since 1900, advancements in tea cultivation have increased the average yield per acre in India from 180 to 450 kilograms, with many estates producing over 680 kilograms.

Spices in Munnar

Kerala history is closely linked with its commerce,Spice Shop which in turn was wholly dependant until recent times on its spice trade. Kerala was known for its spices and traders travelled here to trade and to gain control over this rich land. It is believed that the spice trade dates back to three thousand years. Pepper still remains the king of Kerala's spices, but the state also rich in cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. As in the past , the state continues to be the spice capital of the world. Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages.

Cardamom

Scientific name Elletteria cardamomum Cardamom

Best altitude for cultivation 1500 Mtrs above sea-level.

Temperature 10'C - 25'C.

Rainfall required 1500 mm.

Propagation Seedlings and vegetative propagation.

Pollinating agent The honey bee.

Harvest season October to February.

A cardamom plant normally starts bearing capsules from the third year of planting. The harvested capsules are rubbed on wire mesh and polished before they are graded and stored in polythene-gunny bags to retain the green colour and to avoid exposure to moisture.

Pepper

Scientific name Piper nigrum

Temperature Tolerance -10' C to 40' C. (Optimum -20?C to 30?C)

Rainfall required 2500 mm.

Propagation Stem cutting.

Important varieties Panniyur -1, Karimunda, Kuthiravally, Arakkulam Munda, Balankotta and Kalluvally.

The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate. Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sundrying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5 days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing and white pepper by retting mature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days, removing the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing.

Clove

Scientific name Eugenia caryophyllus

Clove trees begin to bear flowers 7-8 years after planting. Unopened flower buds are carefully picked when they turn from green to pink. The buds are then allowed to dry for 4-5 days till they become crisp and dark brown in colour.

Vanilla

Scientific name Vanilla fragrans Vanilla Rainfall required 1500 -3000 mm Propagation Shoot cutting. Pollination Artificial. The rostellum of the flower is pushed back with a pointed bamboo splinter and the overhanging anther is pressed against the stigma with the thumb, thus smearing pollen over it. The ideal time for pollination is 600 to 1300 hrs. A tropical orchid, this requires a warm climate with frequent rains. Vanilla grows best in uncleared jungle areas where it can get filtered sunlight. A creeper, the plant requires support up to height of about 135 cm. The plant usually begins to flower by the third year. The bean takes 10 to 12 months to reach full maturity.

Cinnamon

Scientific name Cinnamon zeylanicum

Cinnamon plants are ready for harvest about 3 years after planting. Harvesting is done twice in a year - in May and November. The bark of the cut down shoots is split on the day of harvest itself and dried in the sun for 2 - 5 days. The dry quills or bark are packed in bundles for trade. Leaves and tender twigs are used for extraction of oil by distillation. Nutmeg Scientific name Myristica fragrans The Nutmeg tree bears fruit throughout the year, but peak harvest season is from December to May. The nuts split open when the fruits are fully ripe. After dehusking, the red feathery aril (mace) is removed, flattened out and dried in the sun for 10 - 15 days. The nuts are dried separately for 4 - 8 weeks till the kernels rattle within the shells.

	Munnar the most popular Hill Station in Kerala	Book Munnar Hotels From: To:
Home Munnar Details History General Information Location Best time to visit How to reach Stay at Munnar Eat at Munnar Sight-seeing Munnar Munnar Travel Blog Munnar Attractions Neelakurinji Top Station Echo Point Lockhart Gap View Point The Blossom International Park Tea Gardens of Munnar Tea Museum and Tea Processing Sanctuaries Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Eravikulam National Park Thattekad Bird Sanctuary Places around Munnar The Christ Church Pothamedu Pallivasal Nyamakad Devikulam Anamudi Peak Periyar Marayoor Chithirapuram Rajamalai Vagavurai Meesapulimala Thodupuzha Meenuli Waterfalls in and around Munnar Athukkal Water falls Powerouse Water falls Valara Water falls Cheeyapara Falls Luckom Water falls Chinnakanal water falls Dams and Lakes in and around Munnar Mattupetty Lake and Dam Anayirankal Dam Kundala Lake Panniar Dam Animals in Munnar Munnar Festivals Munnar Shopping Agriculture Flora and Fauna Schools and Colleges in Munnar Activities and Sports in Munnar Accommodation Hospitals Banks & ATMs Recreation Contact numbers in Munnar Links Distance Chart Tips & Information for the tourists Munnar Hotels Thekkady Accomodations	Agriculture - Munnar, Kerala The Tea Plant Tea or Chai is the most widely drunk beverage in the whole world. The tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is a cultivated variety of a Tea planttree that has its origins in an area between India and China. There are three main varieties of the tea plant - China, Assam, and Cambodia - and a number of hybrids between the varieties. The China variety grows as high as nine feet (2.75 metres). It is a hardy plant able to withstand cold winters and has an economic life of at least 100 years. The Assam variety, a single-stem tree ranging from 20 to 60 feet (6 to 18 metres) in height. Regular pruning keeps its height to a more manageable 4 to 5 feet tall. It has an economic life of 40 years with regular pruning and plucking. When grown at an altitude near that of Darjeeling (Assam) or Munnar (Kerala), it produces tea with fascinating flavours , sought after around the globe. Main Sub Varieties of Tea The tender light-leaved Assam The less tender dark-leaved Assam The hardy Manipuri and Burma types The very large-leaved Lushai The dark-leaved Assam plant from Upper Assam. The Cambodia variety, a single-stem tree growing to about 16 feet (five metres) in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties. History of Tea Behind this everyday brew lies a colourful and fascinating story that meanders its way through the social and cultural history of many nations. According to ancient legend, tea was discovered by chance by a Chinese Emperor in third millennium B.C. as some tea leaves floated into his boiling pot of water from somewhere. Whether this is fact or fiction, we will never know. In fact, there was no written reference to tea until the third century B.C., until a famous Chinese doctor recommended it for increasing one's alertness. Most historians however agree that tea was used in China long before this date. Tea entered its 'golden age' during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. Tea entered the age of rituals and traditions. No longer drunk simply as a medicinal tonic, tea was taken as much for pleasure as for its restorative powers. The preparation and service of the liquor developed into an elaborate ceremony, while the cultivation and processing of the leaf were tightly controlled. Tea became important enough during this period for a group of merchants to commission the writer, Lu You, to compile the first ever book on the subject - Classic of Tea. All tea produced in China was originally green. However, with an increase in trade during the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 - 1644), the Chinese growers were challenged to preserve tea's delicate qualities during its long journeys, as far afield as Europe. The solution was the invention of new processing methods to make black and flower-scented teas. Ming producers found that fermentation was able to preserve tea leaves, making them suitable for the long overseas journey. And though Europe's first taste of tea was green, the fashion gradually changed to black as Chinese growers altered tea production methods to suit the logistics of distant trade. When one looks at Europe, one is not sure who was responsible for introducing tea there - the Dutch or the Portuguese in the early seventeenth century, for both nations were then actively trading in the China Seas. The Portuguese shipped China teas to Lisbon, and from there the Dutch East India Company carried goods on to Holland, France and Germany. Tea's fate in Britain took a lucky turn in 1662 when King Charles II married a Portuguese princess. Britain's new queen was addicted to tea and carried with her some tea as part of her dowry. As word of the new beverage spread, more and more people wished to try it. Soon tea became Britain's most popular drink, replacing ale at break-fast and gin at any other time of day. Tea also became an essential part of people's entertainment outside the home. Luxurious tea gardens appeared all over the country, where people from all walks of life, including royalty, could take fresh air, drink tea, and enjoy a variety of entertainment. The British tradition of 'after-noon tea' is normally ascribed to Anna, the Duchess of Bedford. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. Soon all of fashionable London was indulging in these after-noon gatherings to drink tea, eat sandwiches, and exchange gossip and general conversation. As tea consumption in Britain grew, the balance of payment turned in favour of the Chinese. Britain came up with an answer to correct the imbalance and trade in opium, which the Chinese wanted. But soon trade in opium became a serious international issue, and to secure monopoly, Britain declared war. China retaliated by placing an embargo on all export of tea. The Opium Wars had begun. Its trade with China cut off, Britain began to seek other locations for the production of tea. Northern India was particularly promising due to its climate and altitudes. It is here that in 1823 the British East India Company's first crop was planted. Its first shipment of Assam tea reached London fifteen years later, and the Company soon expanded into other areas, most notably Darjeeling and the hills of Munnar in Kerala. The Kannan Devan Tea was thus born. It was inevitable that tea would find its way to North America along with the settlers from Europe. All over the New World, tea was drunk in the same elegant fashion as in Europe. In colonial America, tea and the complimentary silver and porcelain were symbols of wealth and social status. Even the less affluent families viewed the taking of tea as a display of their good manners. The Boston Tea Party ended America's liking for both the British and their tea. The origins of the trouble lay in the passing of an Act of Parliament in 1767, which attempted to tax the American colonies. Within two years of its passing, most American ports were refusing to allow any dutiable goods ashore, and when the British sent seven shiploads of tea from London, feelings ran high. In New York and Philadelphia, demonstrations forced the ships to turn back. In Boston, general unrest over several weeks was followed by the boarding of the Dartmouth by a band of men disguised as Indians, to cries of "Boston harbour - a teapot tonight." In the course of the next three hours, they threw 340 chests of tea overboard. The British government's closure of Boston harbour and the arrival of British troops on American soil marked the beginning of the War of Independence and America's coffee-drinking tradition. World War II marked a final blow to America's affinity for fine teas. Prior to the war, Americans were well versed in the many varieties of tea. Imported exclusively in the Orient, however, these teas became scarce during the war, and were replaced with lower quality black tea from Argentina and other open markets. Sadly, to this day, almost all tea consumed in the United States is low-grade black. Growing Tea Tea bushes are planted 1 metre to 1.5 metres apart to follow the natural contours of the landscape. Sometimes they are grown on specially prepared terraces to help irrigation and to prevent erosion. Fifty years ago tea plants were raised from tea seeds and they Tea estate were known as seedlings. Each plantation grew its own seed bearers in tea trees which grew to a height of approximately 25 metres. These young plants are raised from the cuttings obtained from a strong and rich bush. They are carefully tendered in special nursery beds until they are 12-15 months old and then planted in the tea gardens. Trees are often planted in between the tea plants to protect them against intense heat and light, particularly on the plains of Assam and Kenya, where sunshine is most intense. The trees also provide microclimatic and soil improvements. Geometric spacing are used, often in quite wide spacing. This, again, ensures uniform treatment (shade) and ease in mechanized operations. Common shade trees are Erythrina, Gliricidia, and Silver Oak. When the tea plant is allowed to grow wild and unfettered it becomes 10 mtrs high. To simplify cultivation and stimulate the production of leaf buds, they are regularly pruned and shaped into flat-topped bushes of about one metre in height. When the plant develops to a height of about half a metre above ground, it is cut back - pruned to within a few inches off the ground - to set it on course to develop into a flat-topped bush. Generally, a tea bush is 1 to 1.5 metres in height. Regular 2 to 3 year pruning cycles encourage the supply of shoots, the flush which is plucked every week to ten days, depending on where it is cultivated. The tea leaves are mostly hand plucked. The tea plant is plucked every 5- 10 days, depending on where it grows. The length of Tea workerstime needed for the plucked shoot to redevelop a new shoot ready for plucking varies according to the plucking system and the climatic conditions. Intervals of between seventy and ninety days are common. When the tea plant is plucked two leaves and a bud are cut. An experienced plucker can pluck up to 30 kg tealeaves per day. To make one kg black tea, approx. 4 kg tea leaves are needed. One tea plant produces about 70 kg black tea a year. In a warm climate the plant is plucked for the first time after four years and it will produce tea for at least 50 years. A suitable climate for cultivation must have a minimum annual rainfall of 1,140 to 1,270 millimetres. Tea soils must be acidic and tea cannot be grown in alkaline soils. A crop of 11,650 kilograms per hectare requires 3.7 to 4.9 workers per hectare to pluck the tea shoots and maintain the fields. Mechanical plucking has been tried, but because of its lack of selectivity, it cannot replace hand plucking. Since 1900, advancements in tea cultivation have increased the average yield per acre in India from 180 to 450 kilograms, with many estates producing over 680 kilograms. Spices in Munnar Kerala history is closely linked with its commerce,Spice Shop which in turn was wholly dependant until recent times on its spice trade. Kerala was known for its spices and traders travelled here to trade and to gain control over this rich land. It is believed that the spice trade dates back to three thousand years. Pepper still remains the king of Kerala's spices, but the state also rich in cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. As in the past , the state continues to be the spice capital of the world. Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages. Cardamom Scientific name Elletteria cardamomum Cardamom Best altitude for cultivation 1500 Mtrs above sea-level. Temperature 10'C - 25'C. Rainfall required 1500 mm. Propagation Seedlings and vegetative propagation. Pollinating agent The honey bee. Harvest season October to February. A cardamom plant normally starts bearing capsules from the third year of planting. The harvested capsules are rubbed on wire mesh and polished before they are graded and stored in polythene-gunny bags to retain the green colour and to avoid exposure to moisture. Pepper Scientific name Piper nigrum Temperature Tolerance -10' C to 40' C. (Optimum -20?C to 30?C) Rainfall required 2500 mm. Propagation Stem cutting. Important varieties Panniyur -1, Karimunda, Kuthiravally, Arakkulam Munda, Balankotta and Kalluvally. The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate. Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sundrying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5 days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing and white pepper by retting mature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days, removing the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing. Clove Scientific name Eugenia caryophyllus Clove trees begin to bear flowers 7-8 years after planting. Unopened flower buds are carefully picked when they turn from green to pink. The buds are then allowed to dry for 4-5 days till they become crisp and dark brown in colour. Vanilla Scientific name Vanilla fragrans Vanilla Rainfall required 1500 -3000 mm Propagation Shoot cutting. Pollination Artificial. The rostellum of the flower is pushed back with a pointed bamboo splinter and the overhanging anther is pressed against the stigma with the thumb, thus smearing pollen over it. The ideal time for pollination is 600 to 1300 hrs. A tropical orchid, this requires a warm climate with frequent rains. Vanilla grows best in uncleared jungle areas where it can get filtered sunlight. A creeper, the plant requires support up to height of about 135 cm. The plant usually begins to flower by the third year. The bean takes 10 to 12 months to reach full maturity. Cinnamon Scientific name Cinnamon zeylanicum Cinnamon plants are ready for harvest about 3 years after planting. Harvesting is done twice in a year - in May and November. The bark of the cut down shoots is split on the day of harvest itself and dried in the sun for 2 - 5 days. The dry quills or bark are packed in bundles for trade. Leaves and tender twigs are used for extraction of oil by distillation. Nutmeg Scientific name Myristica fragrans The Nutmeg tree bears fruit throughout the year, but peak harvest season is from December to May. The nuts split open when the fruits are fully ripe. After dehusking, the red feathery aril (mace) is removed, flattened out and dried in the sun for 10 - 15 days. The nuts are dried separately for 4 - 8 weeks till the kernels rattle within the shells.

All Contents Copyright (c) 2005-2010. All rights reserved. Site Developed and Maintained by TechnoTryst Web Solutions This site is part of TripsGuru.com family. Also visit \| Kodaikanal \| Ooty \| Munnar \| Thekkady \| Yercaud \| Yelagiri \| Coorg \| Wayanad \| Idukki \| Munnar Hotels \| Thekkady Hotels

Munnar the most popular Hill Station in Kerala