Influence of region of production on clonal black tea chemical characteristics

Abstract

Production of black tea from the same vegetatively propagated (VP) cultivars, in Kenya and Malawi, shows variations in both chemical composition and quality. Whereas it is possible to produce black teas with similar total theaflavins and individual theaflavins, brightness and total colour levels, black teas from Kenya generally have higher thearubigins, total volatile flavour compounds and flavour index. The black tea fermentation process is much faster in Malawi compared to that in Kenya, as evidenced by faster production of plain black tea chemical parameters, especially theaflavins. Consequently, in Malawi the maximum amount of theaflavins formation takes a shorter fermentation duration than in Kenya. Given ample fermentation duration, fermentation in Kenya produces a similar amount of theaflavins. This makes it necessary to optimise fermentation time, in different geographical regions even …