Twist in the Tale : Modern incarnation of the ancient Brew

Twist in the Tale : Modern incarnation of the ancient Brew

It has been a long journey for our favorite beverage “Tea” since its accidental discovery by a Chinese King many centuries ago. Or, was it the great herbalist who left this world and took along with him the knowledge of nearly 21000 medicinal herbs, that was known only to him? On his grave, it is believed, grew a strange new plant – camellia sinensis. Our very own tea Plant.

In the early times, The plant was considered to be so sacred, that its commercial cultivation could not even be thought about. In Japan, Tea consumption is considered a ceremony. A ceremony of bonhomie and contentment.

However, the British and the Dutch saw tremendous potential in this “elixir of the east” which gave “glowing health and longevity” to the people and started its organized commercial cultivation in China. Later it expanded to India, Sri Lanka and Kenya, among several other smaller countries.

Since then, there has been no looking back. Our brew has made the journey through green to oolong to white to black. From Orthodox to Legg-Cut to CTC to Instant Tea to Premix... From “natural” to “commercial” and now back to “organic”.

Along the path have been innumerable changes, value additions and improvements in the fields of cultivation, manufacture, blending as well as packaging. The art of making tea is now largely standardized.

Vegetatively propagated clones, bi clonal and poly clonal seeds, and region specific planting material is now available to choose from. Agrochemicals used in the fields are approved by scientists. Equipments used are such so as to minimize wastage and conserve the environment. Wood and Coal is now being phased out by Natural Gas and Oil. Machinery and processes are computer controlled. Stalk and Fiber in tea is a thing of the past, with the advent of high tech machines. The traditional wooden Tea Chests have been replaced with multi walled paper sacks. State of art, Ergonomically designed, StainlessSteel Blenders are used to blend delicate teas without bruising them. Silk cloth wrappings have been replaced with staple free tea bags made out of filter paper of natural origin, bleached with liquid oxygen.

While we may think that our brew has completed its journey, the latest scientific research has opened a new door to exciting possibilities and opportunities.

The magic of tea comes from the tiny amount of caffeine, which is a mild stimulant and from the antioxidants in the form of polyphenols, mainly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. Tea is the richest source of such antioxidants and works towards its extraction for fortification of other food products has been a field of research by the scientists since many years.

A breakthrough has been reported by the Israel Institute of Technology, who have presented a paper reporting “nano-encapsulation of EGCG intended for food application. It is apparently the first EGCG nanoencapsulation method based on natural ingredients only. Moreover, the extremely small nanoparticles developed (<50nm>, opens up unlimited possibility of addition of EGCG to mineral water, ready-to-drink tea beverages, soft drinks, fruit juices, and dairy beverages. In addition, sport drinks would be a great application for this technology, as many of them are also enriched with protein, particularly whey proteins.

All things come a full circle, but our beverage, it seems has quite a large circle to complete. Yet, Tea remains the drink of choice for the majority of humankind. The most unpretentious and safe beverage in the world. Its method of preparation purifies the water too!