tea & beverage support HISTORY OF TEA Tea was discovered over 5000 years ago by the legendary Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, when it is said that leaves from the tree he was resting under fell into a pot of boiling water. It became regarded by generations of Chinese as a quencher of thirst whilst cheering the heart. It was also used as a cure for headaches and an aid for the digestion of food. Tea as we know it was introduced to the world by the English. The beverage has since developed into a global trade with established public auctions in key cities in the countries of origin – Colombo, Calcutta, Cochin, Mombasa, Blantyre and Jakarta . WHAT IS TEA Black Tea is an evergreen plant of the species Camellia sinensis and commercially grown in over 30 regions of the world, but mainly in China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam and Argentina. TYPES OF TEA Originally the word “tea” was used to describe only black tea (what most consumers call ‘normal tea’!), but today the concept has been expanded to include green tea, herbal infusions, Rooibos and flavoured versions of all the above. Those teas made from the perennial plant Camellia Sinensis can be divided into 3 classes: Unfermented or Green teas: Here the leaves are steamed and heated instead of being fermented or only the very initial stages of fermentation to keep the juices from oxidising and therefore the leaves stay green. Semi-fermented or Oolong Teas: Only partly fermented with some smoke introduced for a smoky flavour. Fermented or Black Teas: Leaves are fully fermented/oxidised in the manufacturing process and then graded based on particle size. Teas from Camellia Sinensis are also categorised by origin, with certain tea growing regions indicating higher quality tea that is generally more expensive. Some of these teas are Ceylon, Assam, Darjeerling, Gunpowder Green and Lapsang Souchong. OTHER TYPES OF TEA INCLUDE: Herbal & Fruit Infusions: These infusions are effectively combinations of herbs and/or fruit pieces or flavours that are steeped in hot water in order to extract certain active properties or flavours from them into the liquid which is then drunk as a “tea”. Examples include Chamomile, Fennel, Rosehip and Hibiscus. Rooibos: Rooibos tea is made from a different plant to the classic black teas, and is only grown in the Cedarberg district of the Western Cape. The tea is fermented after picking and then dried and graded. A related tea is the Honeybush tea, which is also unique to the Cedarberg and comes from a different plant the either black or rooibos tea. Both Honey Bush and Rooibos are rapidly gaining in popularity around the world, and are only grown in SA. Flavoured teas: Flavoured teas include all those teas which have a base of either traditional, rooibos or herbal tea with added flavour components. For example: Earl Grey which is a black tea base with a bergamot oil flavour. Other flavoured teas on both black and rooibos bases include honey, lemon and fruit flavoured teas. OUR TEA MASTERS The lineage of our tea masters covers an era from Charles Dickens to Bill Gates. Since Five Roses was first registered as a brand by T.W. Beckett, and to this day, only five known tea masters have been charged as custodians of this unique quality blend to ensure consistency and continuity. QUALITY CONTROL All purchases are subject to sensory evaluation at varying intervals by our expert tea tasters, from initial purchase to final authorization for release from factory, as well as technical checks on moisture and density. All our systems are based on ISO2001/HACCP and we are in the process of gaining ISO14000 accrediation. TEA BRANDS Our brands include market leaders in their segments. Premium Bags Black Loose tea Speciality Envelopes Rooibos