Orthodox tea

Orthodox teas are made from selected leaf – two leaf and one bud formula.

Orthodox tea teas have larger fragments a bolder taste, and appear black in the cup.

For both CTC and orthodox the basic stages of processing remain the same. The major differences lies in the yield per kg of made tea. While orthodox tea yields nearly 200 cups per kg in the case of CTC it is more than double.

The orthodox method requires more fine leaf and longer withering period than the CTC and therefore, it is more time consuming and expensive.

In the CTC technique machines crush leaves prior to rolling, creating small globules, while in the orthodox system, leaves are rolled to form the distinct ‘twisted twig’ shape of orthodox tea.

Both methods breakdown the veins in the leaves and start the fermentation process.

The main orthodox the producers are Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Indonesia. India, Iran, Argentina, the other South American tea-growing countries and China also produce orthodox tea.
Orthodox tea