Introduction: Tea is the most popular drink in the world today. It is very refreshing an invigoration. Now a day, it has become so popular that even in a remote village of Bangladesh a guest or visitor is entertained with a cup of tea. It is really a good stimulant. It is obtained from the leaves of tea plants. This plant is an evergreen shrub.
Where grown: Tea plants grow well on the slope of the hills where there is much rainfall but no water stands there. In other words, the hilly regions where rain-water does not stand are most suitable for tea plantation. The tea grows mostly in SriLanka, China, Japan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India. In Bangladesh, there are tea gardens in the hilly regions of Sylhet, Comilla and Chittagong Hill Tracks.
Process of Cultivation: At first the seeds are sown in nurseries. After one month the seedlings are transplanted in the tea gardens in rows at some intervals. In their wild state they generally grow to a height of ten or twelve feet. But they are not allowed to grow so high in the gardens. After a certain stage in their growth the twigs of the plants are pruned and the buds are nipped up so that they cannot reach to a height or more than three feet or so. Generally when the plants are about four years old, the leaves are collected for the first time.
Plucking of leaves: The tea leaves are plucked four times a year – in April, June, July and August. Female workers are preferable for plucking leaves. Generally the workers go out in the morning with the baskets slung over their back and gather the buds and leaves.
Processing: After gathering the leaves and buds they are rolled by machine and dried in a cauldron over a burning fire. This time the color of the tea is gradually changed from brown to black because of the heat and the subsequent exposure to air. After this process, tea is ready for sale and consumption.
Preparation: The preparation of tea as a drink is simple. Water is first boiled in a kettle and the desired quantity of the tea dust is put in it. After a few minutes the boiled leaves are separated from the liquor. Then the liquor is poured into a cup and some milk and sugar are mixed with it. Thus we get as a tasty drink.
Usefulness and bad effect: Tea is a refreshing drink. It removes our tiredness, refreshes our mind and stimulated our vigor and energy. It removes drowsiness and fatigue. It is now commonly used for entertainment of guests in our country. Recently some doctors in China opined that tea, especially green tea is an antidote to cancer and heart diseases. But sometimes, too much taking of tea causes harm to our health and appetite.
Conclusion: Bangladesh produces a large quantity of tea and earns a lot of foreign currency by exporting it. So, the government of Bangladesh should take effective measures to increase its production as well as to improve its quality.