Organic Green Tea and Organic Black Tea

The legend of tea came from China during the period when the Empire Seng Nung held power, 5000 years ago. The emperor, Seng Nung is well known as the father of Chinese traditional medicinal plants. The legend says that tea is found unexpectedly. One day, the emperor was making a medicinal ingredients on the corner of his garden. And then the wind was blowing fast and the leaves fell down. inexpressibly, some leaves got into the pot of boiling water. When the emperor took it, he was admired with the taste of that water that he never felt before. This steaming water become next a new beverage. And the habit of drinking the tea was becoming tradition in the castle inner circle of Chinese empire.

Several centuries after, The tradition of having tea began to become a part of world society habit, not only for Castle circle. the specific taste of tea can be enjoyed in any condition.

The benefit of tea for health
It appears that tea not only delicious and fresh, it is good as medicinal therapy too. Researches found that more than 400 component are contained in tea, the main component is polifenol compound which is known as KATEKIN.

Polifenol compound has a benefit in getting rid of free radicals?? As we have known, the free radicals that is produced by our body during oxidation process is harmful for our health because it impedes blood circulation, so it may cause heart disease. The free radicals makes our skin wrinkled and black stained.

Medically, the KATEKIN is good to reduce cancer risk, tumor, reduce the blood cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, kill the bacteria and fungus, influenza virus and prevent smell breath.

Researches also show that drinking tea will help increase the concentration and the ability to solve the problem. In China, green tea usually used as external medicine for wound, skin disease and water bug on foot. It is also useful to prevent dental decay, decreasing sugar content in blood, preventing the porous of bond and as a weight reducer.

Researches prove that by having 2 cups of tea everyday, it will reduce the risk of heart disease down to half of those who never had it. It may reduce the risk of stroke attack. The amount of content and the benefit of tea for health encourage the researcher to always find other new thing about the use of tea. (Andi Nur Alam Syah, S.T.P.,M.T; Taklukkan Penyakit Dengan Teh Hijau; AgroMediaPustaka; Maret 2006)
Organic Tea Teh Organik

Nowadays, almost the whole tea product comes from large scale tea plantation. They have a large area to support tea leafs production supply. Manufacturing factory is supported also with high technology equipments from the initial process until its grading and packaging. It is rarely found that manufacturing industry is not supported by large tea plantation as its production supporting system.

However, the tea industry at household scale is still can be found. It is done by the society of Tapos and Gunung Sari villages which are located in the foot of Halimun – Salak mountains. The tea plantation that they've been growing wildly without any touch of modern farming technology. It grows naturally among another plants in community plantation and the forest without any fertilizer and pesticide. So its healthier for tea lovers in enjoying this tea because it is categorized as organic tea. This tea is suitable as a herbals therapy to prevent various diseases.


Organic Tea Manufacturing
The community of Tapos and Gunung sari are making organic tea with simple way and simple equipments. The volume of their production is restricted also, about 100 kilograms/month.

This people’s knowledge of how to produce organic tea is passed on from the older generation. Firstly, the tip of a leaf is picked out from that plantation area or forest and then it is withered for one night. Next, it is heated by frying it without oil. They use charcoal or charcoal from coconut in withering process. And then it is fried one more time until it gets dry enough and smells good.

The entire process from picking out until it becomes organic tea takes 2 days. The organic tea that they have been producing is called Green Tea.

Another processing is, when the tea leafs got withered, it is heated by the ray of the sun until its dry enough with 25% of water level content. After that, the leafs are heated by fumigation over the charcoal. The organic tea that have been produced by this way is called as Black Tea. The taste and the aroma of Black organic tea is lighter, it is not as bitter as Green organic tea.


The Marketing of Organic tea
Mostly, organic tea product of the community is sold locally and becoming daily beverage of Sundanese people around Halimun -Salak mountain range area. Even thought the processing is done traditionally, the taste is very specific and fresher than other tea that circulates in the markets.

For organic tea lover, presently organic tea is available and can be bought at Kedai Telapak, which is located in Gedung Alumni IPB, next to travel bus parking area- Baranang Siang_ Bogor, (www.kedaitelapak.kippyku.com). It is cheap, and you can enjoy the organic tea with special taste and free wireless internet or while you gather with your colleagues in Kedai Telapak.

Have a nice try ..



West Java Medical Plant Cooperative to gather with Telapak works in Tapos and Karyasari Village is supported by HPSP (Holticultura Partnership Support Programme) dan Japan Enveronmental Education Forum (JEFF)