Georgian tea: description, variety

Tea - who does not love him? It is difficult to imagine at least one day without having to drink a mug of this fragrant and warming drink. The most common types of tea are Chinese and Indian. They loved the product of these countries for their special quality. Less common in the territory of Russia are the grades of the country of near abroad - solar Georgia.

Growing tea in Georgia

Even in the time of the tsarist rule, they tried to grow their tea in the empire, because the fashion for tea drinking has taken root in the country for a long time. And many dreamed of having their own plantations. Georgian tea in industrial quantities began to be cultivated first by a captive Englishman, who got to the territory of Georgia and married a local woman. Prior to this, all attempts to grow tea bushes were not crowned with success either by rich landowners or by church employees.

At the tea exhibition in 1864, the "Caucasian Tea" was introduced for the first time to the general public, but since its quality was low, it was necessary to add to it the product from China.

Improving the quality of Georgian tea

In the early twentieth century, we began to work seriously on the technology of growing and harvesting tea leaves. High grades of Georgian tea were created. These are "Uncle's Tea", "Zedoban", "Bogatyr" and "Kara-Dere". They included a greater number of tea buds (tips). And by improving technology, they could compete in the battle for quality with the best Chinese varieties.

Soviet tea

When the time came for Soviet power, the Georgian tea found itself in a special field of vision. In 1920 almost every Georgian territory created plantations to increase production and completely abandon foreign beverages. Entire scientific organizations have been established to increase the technology, quality and quantity of tea collection. By 1970, collections of fragrant leaves were at the maximum peak - now you could even send them for export to other countries.

The deterioration in the quality of tea

But, as it happens, the quality was greatly reduced with increasing the collection. Georgian tea is no longer properly collected, chasing the number, and tea-picking machines do not choose fresh leaves, but take everything in a row, not as the hands of a person. Because of this, dry old leaves fell into the composition, the number of kidneys also decreased.

The technology of drying the sheet was changed - instead of drying twice, it was dried only once, then the tea was heat treated, which lost flavor and taste.

The said production in the last years of the life of the USSR fell by half, and even then not all of the product came to consumers - half simply went into recycling. Thus, the Georgian tea, once famous, was given the title of a low-grade product, suitable only in the absence of the best.

Krasnodar tea

People simply stopped buying tea collected in the territory of a great power. The most popular was Indian tea, while the Georgian continued to collect dust on the shelves of stores and warehouses. It was necessary to come up with an alternative urgently, because whole plantations were gone, workers had nothing to pay. Tea revolt was approaching.

But, as it turned out, all ingenious is simple! With the words: "Eh, where ours did not disappear!" - at the factory mixed Indian and Georgian tea. In this way, one of the best products of the USSR - "Krasnodar tea" was created. Its taste favorably differed from pure Georgian, and the price was much lower than that of foreign drinks.

Georgian tea now

Until now, none of the varieties of Georgian tea of the Soviet era has reached. In the reconstruction of the plantations were abandoned and launched, the tea bushes were lost. Those varieties that are produced now are worse than the first ones grown at the very beginning of production, but much better than those produced in the last years of the USSR.

At the moment, there are two best species, the producers of which are Samaya and Gurieli. These teas are well proven in the modern market, deservedly received the title of product of medium quality or first class (do not confuse with the higher). It is slightly worse than Indian, Chinese and English varieties in taste, but the price of these teas is more attractive for the present time.

The revival of Georgian tea has just begun, it is hoped that soon it will take the previous position of the product of the highest quality and enter our life with a golden stream of taste and aroma.