Chaichun Tea

  “Crush, tear, curl”, sometimes also known as “cut, tear, curl” aka CTC is a type of granular tea originating in India in the 1930s that are entirely different from orthodox teas. Tea leaves are plucked, withered, rolled, oxidized, and dried to make orthodox teas   whereas the leaves are put through a series of rollers with sharp teeth that crush, tear, and curl the leaves into small, hard pellets that make the rich and malty CTC teas. In theory, while making CTC teas all five steps of making orthodox teas are followed but in a more rapid fashion. Flavour-wise CTC teas are much darker than orthodox teas with a malty and rich aftertaste. When the leaves are crushed and torn more enzyme is released and on longer fermentation, the tea becomes stronger than orthodox teas. In 2020 alone, India consumed 1.10 million tons of tea most of which was CTC.  Sipping a cup of CTC tea with milk, sugar, and assorted spices might seem like a thing hardwired in our destiny but we have tak...