The Work

Tea is a semi-agricultural product made from drying and processing the leaves of the tea plant. Much of the work is centered around the tea gardens-as the plantations are termed-where the tea bushes are cultivated. Several varieties of tea can be grown in any one garden. As tea is a seasonal plant, the same leaves from the same bush, plucked in different seasons, have different bouquets. Each of these varieties requires different ways of handling.

Most tea gardens have the tea factory located close by, where the fresh tea leaves are processed.

Several varieties of teas from different tea gardens are brought to tea auction centers, where auctions are held every week for the domestic sale and export of tea. Here again, there are specialized tea tasting experts who decide the fate of the tea from the gardens and price it accordingly. Prospective buyers pick up their requirements of all teas from the highly exclusive, specially flavored orthodox varieties, to the cheaper CTC (cut, tear, curl), dust tea varieties, at these auctions.