1. History – Varieties and cultivation

1.1 Tea development in the West

Tea, which originated in Southeast Asia, has become a globally consumed beverage (Box 1) . It is thought to have first spread from its area of origin on the borders of China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to neighboring countries, including Indonesia. Its arrival in Japan, transported by Buddhist monks in 650 CE, can be dated with some accuracy, and it then took eight centuries for it to leave the monasteries and become a drink enjoyed by the general population. Links to the West were established under the Ming from the 16th century...

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History – Varieties and cultivation

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Manufacturing processes for the main types of tea

Bibliography

(1) - GRIGG (D.) - The worlds of tea and coffee: patterns of consumption. - GeoJournal, 57(4), p. 283-294 (2002) https://doi.org/10.1023/B:GEJO.0000007249.91153.c3
(2) -...

Websites

Special volume of the journal Food Research International on tea: Tea – from bushes to mugs: composition, stability and health aspects edited by Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana. Volume 53, Issue 2, Pages 557-950 (October 2013) https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/food-research-international/vol/53/issue/2

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Standards and norms

Methods for controlling tea quality have been developed and many are standardized in ISO standards. Thirty standards have been published and grouped together in ISO/TC 34/SC 8, the most important of which are :

Black tea – Definition and basic requirements - ISO 3720 - 2011
Green tea – Definition and basic requirements - ISO 11287 - 2011
White tea – Definition - ISO/TR 12591 - 2013

Regulations

For toxicology, Regulation (EC) no. 396/2005 applies, concerning maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin. For mycotoxins, there is no regulation concerning plain tea, but for the categories of flavored tea and tea or flavored tea containing other food ingredients, regulation (EC) no. 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs applies.