Classification System of CTC Red Broken Tea

Red broken tea, also known as international black tea. Red broken tea is the world’s largest tea, accounting for about 80% of global tea trade. That is to say, except for a very small number of countries such as China, other countries drink international black tea.

If you often drink milk tea or bagged tea, it is highly likely that you have come into contact with CTC red broken tea. This type of black tea, made using the “Crush Tear Curl” (CTC) process, has become one of the most consumed tea categories in the world due to its fast dissolution and rich flavor. CTC red broken tea is a type of fragmented or granular tea, belonging to a type of black tea. Due to its fine appearance, it is called red broken tea.

The most suitable regions for the growth of red broken tea are in the tropics, so the quality of red broken tea from countries such as India and Kenya is the best. Red broken tea produced by CTC processing method is generally reddish brown in color, with uniform size, appearance, aroma, taste and other aspects, without obvious differences. Red broken tea is suitable for making bagged tea, as the extraction of substances in the tea leaves is fast and thorough. It is generally not suitable for clear drinking and should not be repeatedly brewed. The brewed tea soup has a bright red color, strong flavor, high aroma and freshness. After brewing, it is used to add milk, sugar, lemon, etc. to make flavored tea drinks.

Processing technology of Ctc black tea

CTC red broken tea is made by withering and rolling fresh leaves, then cutting them into small pieces by machine, fermenting and drying them. The initial processing of broken red tea is developed from the initial processing technology of Gongfu black tea, so the tea making process is basically the same. However, due to different quality requirements, there are significant differences between CTC and Gongfu black tea in terms of specific operating processes and machinery, especially in the process of kneading and cutting red broken tea, which is different from the kneading and twisting of Gongfu black tea. CTC puts tea leaves into a kneading and cutting machine to chop and roll them into small particles, thus forming the unique quality of red broken tea. The red broken tea process has only a history of over a hundred years and is a product of standardized and industrialized mass production, mainly aimed at improving production capacity and efficiency. Compared with traditional tea making techniques, the production process of red broken tea is more standardized, with stable quality. In terms of appearance and taste, traditional tea leaves are loose and intact, while red broken tea leaves are cut and curled into compact granules, with a strong tea flavor and heavy astringency. Traditional tea has a complex and delicate flavor, emphasizing the preservation of the original flavor of tea.

Kenya Red Tea Grading System

The core characteristic of Kenyan black tea is that the vast majority of tea leaves are processed using CTC (Crushing Tearing Curling) technology. The tea produced by this process is in granular form, rather than the traditional black tea’s linear shape, so its grading is mainly based on the size of the tea particles.

Kenya’s broken red tea is roughly divided into the following 7 grades: BMF, PD, PF1, D1, D2, FNGS, BP1

BMF (Broken Mixed Fanning): It can be seen that its appearance is like broken fibers of plants, with a length of three to four millimeters. After soaking, the aroma is the fermented aroma of black tea, with a slight woody aroma and a hint of pine wood aroma. The entrance is astringent, the bitterness of the tea is weak, and the astringency is also strong when it is returned.

BP1 (Broken Pekoe 1): This is a relatively large particle with a dark color, mixed with some fluff. The aroma is similar to the flavor of sweet chestnuts, but the taste of black tea is weaker, with only a slight astringency in the aftertaste.

PF1 (Pekoe Fanning 1): The particles are slightly small, with a strong woody aroma. The pine wood is mixed with the aroma of dead wood. The taste in the soup is chestnut with a slightly sweet aftertaste, slightly bitter in the middle, and rough and astringent in the later part.

PD (Pekoe Dust): Small particles, slight fermented aroma of black tea, particularly thin taste, without memorable features.

FNGS (Fanning): The granules are mixed with longer fuzz, and the flavor is similar to sweet chestnut aroma. The taste is weak when it enters the mouth, and there will be a slight astringency when it returns.

D1 (Dust 1): It is a black brown powder with a fermented aroma of black tea. The taste is slightly rough and astringent, with a weak bitterness and taste. The soup color is relatively dark.

D2 (Dust 2): A finer powder with a slightly sweet aroma. There is no strong flavor when it enters the mouth, but the sweetness and astringency are more pronounced when it is returned, and the soup color is also relatively dark