Hear the Headlines | Seven Minute Tea News RecapNewly discovered Hainan Island tea varietal.
Researchers Find Unique Genetics in Tea Plants Grown on the Island
By Roopak Goswami
In the world of tea, Hainan Island, located near the South China Coast, has remained an enigma—until now.
In a groundbreaking study, scientists have confirmed the discovery of a new, independently evolved variety of Hainan tea through genome resequencing. This discovery sheds light on the unique genetic background of tea plants grown in the island’s tropical environment. The study, conducted by researchers from the Yunnan Agricultural University and Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, marks a significant milestone in tea research, especially given Hainan’s historically understudied tea resources.
Hainan Island, known for its rich biodiversity and unique geographical conditions, has long been a significant tea-growing region. However, the tea species on the island were previously misclassified due to their similarities with the well-known Camellia sinensis var. assamica. The team collected 500 tea samples from various regions on the island, using advanced whole-genome resequencing techniques to analyze the genetic differences between Hainan tea and other cultivated varieties. The study revealed that Hainan tea forms a distinct taxonomic group, separate from the widely cultivated C. sinensis and C. sinensis var. assamica.
Sample collection locations
Hainan tea forms a distinct taxonomic group.
“Although Hainan Island is rich in wild tea tree resources and possesses vast plantation areas of rainforest tea trees, tea tree resources have not yet been comprehensively investigated and fully developed.”
The discovery expands our understanding of tea plant diversity and opens new possibilities for conservation and breeding programs. The high genetic diversity of Hainan tea, bolstered by its unique evolutionary history, positions it as a valuable resource for future molecular breeding and conservation efforts. Additionally, the findings could serve as a framework for studying other plant species unique to Hainan, providing insights into the island’s ecosystem and its potential for agricultural innovation. This discovery positions Hainan tea as a vital genetic resource for the tea industry, with potential conservation and molecular breeding applications.
Pluckers at work. Photos courtesy Marco Bertona, Executive Director of the Italy Tea & Infusions Association (Assoc Te Infusi)
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Assamica is native to several Asian countries and was introduced in South America.
Assamica is One of Five Distinct Genetic Tea Populations
By Roopak Goswami
A study published in the Journal of Plant Beverage Research reveals new Camellia sinensis assamica varietal traits. Researchers from India and China have worked on this study using 150 SNP markers and population genetics tools to conclude that Assam tea is unique. Researchers identified five distinct genetic populations independently domesticated from a western cluster of wild tea trees rather than introduced from a single origin. The varietal grown in Assam differs from the eastern cluster grown in Yunnan. This new understanding presents new possibilities for cultivating new hybrids bred from Assam tea.
The Assamica specimen was collected in 1949 for Kew Royal Botanic Gardens.
While there is a reasonable consensus regarding China type (var. sinensis) and Assam type (var. assamica), the classification of Assam tea needs to be clarified. Scientists associated with the study say it is essential to understand further the genetic diversity and population structure in c. assamica for efficient conservation and use of Assam tea germplasm in crop improvement programs. The objectives were to understand the genetic diversity and population structure in the Assam tea germplasm from India and China and to assess the efficacy of the current classification system for tea.
The present study used 150 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers to analyze a representative set of Assam tea sampled from Assam, India, and from four ancient tea gardens in China. SNP markers are the most efficient molecular markers, helping scientists locate genes associated with essential characters. A total of 252 teas sourced from Assam, India, and China were used in the investigation.
Scientists from China, the USA, and India employing cutting-edge techniques and population genetics tools have shown at least five distinct var. assamica populations in their primary gene pool. These include:
1. India var. assamica, which is distributed in Assam, India, 2. Cambod type from Indochina, but the exact origin and distribution are not yet identified, 3. China var. assamica from Southwest Yunnan (leaves from Jingmai and Mangshi), 4. Jingping, Honghe district, Yunnan and 5. Malipo, Wenshan district, Yunnan.
Assamica leaf
Assam growers contribute around 12% of the world’s tea annually and are known for the large quantities of second flush leaf harvested in May-June. Made tea is characterized by its boldness and robustness and is topped with classic malt and woody astringency flavors. It is valued for its rich taste and bright liquors and is considered one of the world’s choicest teas. Because of its high caffeine content, Assam tea is marketed as a breakfast tea.
The study says that despite the joint adoption of the two botanical varieties (C.s. var. sinensis and C. s. var. assamica) by the tea research community, the genetic basis for the current classification system for Assam tea germplasm has yet to be comprehensively clarified. Several studies based on molecular markers have provided contradictory results.
“Our result confirmed that the wild trees found in Assam are indigenous to Assam and ruled out the possibility that they were introduced from Southeast Asia or China.”
In general, tea in India Assam is known for its high polyphenol content, broad leaf, and adaptability to hot and humid climates. In contrast, the Chinese small-leaf variety is well known for its hardy adaptability to many environments, high theanine content, and small leaves.
“The main finding is that Assam tea is unique and has separate centers of origin. Although the Assam tea available in Yunnan in China has a bigger leaf size, it is different from the Assam tea available here in Assam,” writes Dr. Devajit Borthakur, a study co-author. Borthakur is a tea breeder and was the principal investigator at Tocklai when he did research in the USA.
“The specialty of Assam tea lies in its unique genetic architecture,” says Borthakur, who holds a doctorate from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
“A thorough understanding of the genetic architecture of the popular Assam clones, including 154 garden series clones and at the same time, their blending compatibility need to be worked out to exploit the uniqueness of Assam Tea. TV-23, the most popular tea clone, does not reflect the true Assam character as the clone is a hybrid between the Assam and Cambod types, he says.
“The diversity among the Assam type tea in different tea growing countries is yet to be exploited. In tea, 80% heterosis (the superior performance of a hybrid progeny over the parents) is reported. Thus, there is a huge potential to improve tea’s yield, quality, and tolerance capacity if the breeding program includes the diverse tea germplasm available in different tea-growing countries. “Mutual exchange of germplasm between Yunnan in China and Assam in India and inclusion of this germplasm in tea breeding program may open up new possibilities,” he said.
“In conservation of genetic diversity, the important issue is that there should not be any duplication. Otherwise, the population size will be too big, and expenses and time will be well spent on maintaining the duplicated germplasm. To avoid duplication, it is essential to understand the exact genetic architecture of the germplasm. The panel of 150 molecular markers developed in our investigation is sufficient to avoid duplication in germplasm conservation of tea,” Borthakur said.
There is no doubt that China is the first center of domestication for tea, which can be traced back more than 2000 years ago. However, the hypothesis was that new studies, including the present one, did not support domesticated tea dispersed from China to India and Southeast Asia. Local people in Northeast India and Southeast Asia also domesticated tea using their indigenous wild tea populations.
“Our result confirmed that the wild trees found in Assam are indigenous to Assam and ruled out the possibility that they were introduced from Southeast Asia or China,” researchers say.
Side-by-side comparison
The study showed that research is still needed on the wild teas in Assam, the neighboring Northeast Indian states, and the countries extending south of China. “The distribution of genetic diversity in the Assam tea germplasm must be systematically collected and analyzed. The panel of 150 SNP markers developed in this investigation will help accomplish the task efficiently,” Borthakur said.
Tea tourism is more than an overnight stay in a quaint tea bungalow and a stroll in the garden. Meaningful interactions introduce visitors to local tea culture, unique tea processing techniques, and natural and historical surroundings.
Tourists can explore the environment on ecotourism hikes along tea trails with spectacular vistas, spiritual tourism by visiting temples on pilgrimages and enjoy gastronomic tourism that reveals the delights of culinary tea while dining.
The Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism is a compendium that provides comprehensive and cutting-edge insights into global tea tourism. The book features contributions from scholars and experts in 19 countries.
Caption: Baradighi Tea Estate Bungalow in Dooars, India
Tourists Experience Exotic Lands and Local Tea Culture
By Roopak Goswami
Experts debate the importance and challenges of tea tourism in the 21st century as new opportunities emerge. UNESCO, for example, announced it would review the joint nomination by Turkey and Azerbaijan for “Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction” for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The designation was approved on Dec. 1.
“The UNESCO recognition will create awareness of the need to protect this heritage which is part of the resource for tea tourism,” says Dr. Lee Jolliffe, Visiting Professor, Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. Joliffe is the lead editor of the Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism, now available in hardback and a downloadable eBook.
The book describes tea as “an agricultural product of exotic lands. Brewing the leaf into a beverage provides a connection to nature, the tea workers, and the tea landscapes of production areas. These are all experiences that are inherent in tea tourism, whether through preparing the beverage at home from souvenir tea purchased during travel, consuming it at a local café or in a tea course, or visiting with tea workers in the tea fields and factories where it was produced and experiencing local tea culture,” writes Jolliffe.
The Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism, published by Routledge Taylor and Francis Group in the UK, is available Nov. 29 as a hardback and eBook that sells for $47. Visit routledge.com to order.
Kolukkamalai Tea Estate Tea Processing Factory
“The book provides the opportunity to bring together academics and practitioners. Tea tourism is important to the tea industry as a way to promote tea and knowledge about tea and supplement and diversify income at tea-producing locations.”
– Dr. Lee Jolliffe
The handbook digs deep into topics that include the roots of tea tourism in China, the relationship of wild tea to indigenous tourism in Vietnam, and the relationship of heritage railways to tea tourism and tea tourism in Africa. The book has examples of tea tourism from many countries, including India, Thailand, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Iran, Japan, and China. It also provides insights into the resilience of tea tourism, examining topics such as human-wildlife conflicts.
“The book provides the opportunity to bring together academics and practitioners. Tea tourism is important to the tea industry as a way to promote tea and knowledge about tea as well as to supplement and diversify income at tea-producing locations,” Jolliffe says.
She indicates that tea tourism has ancient origins and is still important today. She said that virtual tea tourism emerged during the pandemic and continues in the post-COVID-19 period. Accommodating visitors from afar may ultimately increase domestic tourism at tea-producing locations.
Professor M.S.M Aslam, Professor in Tourism Management at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and one of the Handbook’s editors has been doing research with Jolliffe for the past 15 years.
He told Tea Biz “Two decades back, only a small percentage of tourists were interested in making short visits and enjoying tea gardens, but within the last two decades, tourist arrivals at tea plantations and tea destinations have increased drastically with numerous purposes for visits.”
“Today tea tourism is an emerging global tourism segment, and it has been practiced not only in tea-producing countries but also in many other destinations or countries where you do not find popular tea plantations. Tea culture has long been a prominent attraction in Japan and China, but tea landscapes were introduced into the tourism industry in Sri Lanka and then Darjeeling tea plantations,” he said.
“Now today, tea tourism comprises tea culture, tea process, tea lodging, tea trails, tea and ecotourism, tea and spiritual tourism, tea, and gastronomic tourism, etc.,” he said.
Tea tourism is a huge global phenomenon with huge potential but there are also numerous challenges presented in different chapters in the handbook. “We believe the handbook is a reference book for all types of people who are interested in tea and tourism and it is also going to be a practical guide and catalogue for people who are interested in tea tourism,” he adds.
Co-authors Evarisa M. Nengnong and Saurabh Kumar Dixit talk about Meghalaya state in India, where tea gardens have started the homestay concept as a diversification from tea production. The authors say homestays can improve local livelihoods, boost rural economies, and address socio-economic challenges in tea landscapes.
Durrung tea estate in Assam, owned by Jalan Industries, has partnered with Postcard Hotels to make Assam’s first luxury tea resort. “The tea estate will give tours, and local customers are given a lot of importance in how experiences of guests will be curated,” a senior official at Jalan Industries said.
Assam assigns importance to tea tourism. Assam’s 2022 Tourism Policy calls for selecting 50 iconic gardens for developing tourist infrastructure in a public-private partnership project. Assam permits tea gardens to use 5% of their land to promote eco-friendly tea tourism, cultivation of crops, and services like wellness centers, schools, colleges, and others that could help improve their financial position. The West Bengal government allows tea gardens to use 15% of their land for tea tourism.
The Guinness Book of World Records has certified a May 2021 tea break on Mt. Everest as the highest tea party in history.
Climber Andrew Hughes, who organized the high-altitude tea break, writes that “tea already was interwoven into life on an Everest expedition. From the tea houses and lodges where we stayed along the trek to the countless hours spent with one another with a warm cup of tea in hand awaiting weather windows to climb onwards – tea is something that we shared so regularly that it is impossible to detach it from the overall Everest experience.”
Caption: Andrew Hughes hosts a tea party at 21,312 feet
Sharing dainties at 21,000 feet
Tea Offers Climbers Many Practical Advantages
By Roopak Goswami
On May 5, 2021, 15 climbers joined Andrew Hughes at Everest Base Camp No. 2, to enjoy Nepali milk tea with ginger and dainties at an altitude of 6,496 meters (21,213 feet). The team carried both packet and loose leaf teas including peppermint to aid digestion and chamomile to aid sleep. Climbers witnessed first-hand the effect of low atmospheric pressure which speeds boiling. Achieving a roiling boil at sea level occurs at 100 degrees Celsius. Above 20,000 feet water boils at less than 80 degrees centigrade, about 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
For Andrew Hughes, tea is woven throughout cultures and history. It is a drink both unique and universal, which he finds beautiful to celebrate.
Hughes and his team* are proud to learn the Guinness Book of World Records officially recognized their Mt. Everest tea party as the highest in history at 6,496 meters. The names of participants are now listed as record holders for participating in Hughes’ Highest Party Team on Mount Everest Camp 2, Nepal, on May 5, 2021.
Andrew has completed the Seven Summits (ascending the highest mountains on each continent) and six of the Seven Volcanic Summits (climbing the highest volcanoes on each continent). His next goal is the Explorers’ Grand Slam; a quest delayed until April 2023 after the 2022 climbing season was canceled due to the war in Ukraine – the Grand Slam is a feat fewer than 70 adventurers have ever achieved.
“It would be an honor to become an ambassador to promote tea if somebody gives me such a role,” he says.
“Tea already was interwoven into life on an Everest expedition,” he said. “From the tea houses and lodges where we stayed along the trek, to the countless hours spent with one another with a warm cup of tea in hand awaiting weather windows to climb onwards — tea is something that we shared so regularly that it is impossible to detach it from the overall Everest experience,” he said.
Recounting the experience, Hughes recalled that the tea party, “felt like a natural celebration to organize, allowing us to celebrate one another with gratitude for this opportunity to be together in this special place with so many special people from around the world.”
He took three different packet teas on the adventure. “I chose packet for several reasons over loose-leaf, but the primary one is packability up the mountain and its durability to keep it wrapped up and dry from the elements. We do use loose leaf tea while at base camp as we have more means to make large quantities of tea,” he said.
“Often each day while at base camp, we consume over a dozen large containers of Nepali milk tea and ginger tea,” he says.
“I chose these to help us combat some of the ravages of high altitude,” he says.
It is intriguing to boil water at a high altitude, he noted. The lower atmospheric pressure means that water boils at a much lower temperature [80 Celsius, about 175 degrees Fahrenheit], but contrary to the common belief that cooking is quicker, cooking food takes longer at altitude.
Hughes said there were a dozen international climbers, a handful of international guides, and a remarkable team of local high altitude mountain climbers and support staff from Nepal who made possible his dream of an Everest summit, including this record.
“I organized two tea parties during the Everest season. The first was to celebrate and thank the incredible Everest Base Camp Nepalese team who make camp function and the outstanding Nepalese climbers on our team. The original goal was to have this be the record-setting tea party, but after a long search, it was impossible to find an altitude high enough at base camp to set a new mark,” he said.
“We celebrated all the same at what was at that time the time the second-highest tea party. I then set about organizing the new record-setting tea party at Camp 2 on Everest at the end of our second rotation on the mountain,” he says.
Andrew recommends that people who ascend high altitude peaks take along tea.
“There are numerous practical reasons why incorporating tea into your kit to carry up the mountain with you is valuable. The first is that a warm drink uses less energy for your body and aids in hydration up high,” he says.
“Climbers brought with them a variety of teas, such as peppermint or ginger to aid in stomach issues that often occur at high altitude or chamomile to reduce stress and aid in trying to steal some sleep amidst the stormy nights. Black or green teas with caffeine can often help mitigate some of the symptoms of altitude sickness, like headaches,” he says.
“Tea already was interwoven into life on an Everest expedition. From the tea houses and lodges where we stayed along the trek to the countless hours spent with one another with a warm cup of tea in hand awaiting weather windows to climb onwards.”
– Andrew Hughes
Dainties at Everest Base Camp No. 2
*Guinness lists the following participants: Andrew Hughes, Ronan Murphy, Kristin Bennett, Garrett Madison, Sid Pattison, Robert Smith, Art Muir, Helen Cokie Berenyi, Krisli Melesk, Ben Veres, Kevin Walsh, Kristin Harila, Mark Pattison, Rick Irvine, James Walker.
The Tea Board of India last week proposed legislation that will minimize its regulatory role in favor of promotion and development. The proposed legislation, with Parliament’s approval, re-defines the board as a facilitator, a transition welcomed as “progressive” by industry leaders.
In a formal 12-page public notice, the board “proposes to delete those archaic provisions [of The Tea Act, 1953] which have lost relevance in today’s context and introduce new objectives/ functions/ powers of the board so that the board can act as a facilitator for optimizing the development, promotion, and research in the tea industry and help in improving production, export, and quality of Indian tea.”
The announcement invites public comments on the Tea Promotion and Development Act, 2022 through January 21.
Caption: The proposed Tea Promotion and Development Act of 2022 will impact the tea industry from the ground up.
Tea smallholders, defined in the tea act as those cultivating 10 hectares or less, plucking an Assam garden
India Drafts Tea Act to Redirect Tea Board Mission
By Roopak Goswami
India Tea Board Chairman PK Bezboruah explains that “The old Act was based on facts which had become fallacies over the decades: that tea was a predominant export of India, that people needed planting permits to plant tea, that the government had accurate estimates of green leaf production in a specific block.”
Successful enactment of the Tea Promotion and Development Act, 2022 will repeal The Tea Act of 1953.
He cited “many steps that could be taken by the Tea Promotion and Development Board, including the revamping of auctions, removal of substandard teas from the system; setting a floor price and establishing quality standards for raw leaf, a ban on unethical manufacturing policies, ensuring compliance of Indian tea with international norms for MRLs [Maximum Residue Levels] and the identification of restrictive trade practices by some participants in the tea value chain.”
The government has been mulling these changes for some time but the pandemic delayed implementation. Bezboruah said that as a regulator, the Tea Board has been perceived by some as an enforcer or adversary and has been accused in the media of indulging in unprofessional behavior from time to time. “The new Act will redefine and remove some of the bottlenecks that have stood in the way of the sector’s competitiveness,” he said.
The draft spells out several objectives including “fair and remunerative prices for growers,” the promotion of tea exports, promoting the sale and consumption of tea through e-commerce platforms, promoting tea quality, promoting branding and product diversification, value addition and packaging. The board is specifically charged with supporting and encouraging small tea growers, an objective that includes implementing new technology. Oversight involves safeguarding the interests of tea plantation workers and raising awareness among the general public about the tea industry in India.
Growers will no longer be required to obtain a permit to grow tea. Traders will no longer be required to obtain a license (only to register). The board will no longer have the power to unseat inept management and take over garden operations. The new act seeks to narrow not eliminate the board’s regulatory role at a time when aggressive regulation of existing provisions has become a priority.
Ringtong Tea Estate owner of Sanjay Choudhury told the Telegraph that abandoning enforcement of the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005, could cause ‘‘irreparable loss’’ to the already struggling industry. The control order enabled the board in November to step up efforts to verify tea quality inspections in an effort to stem the influx of substandard teas. In December the board used a provision of the same control order to require that labels indicate country of origin and the presence in blends of tea not grown in India.
Bezboruah said that “registration of new units and regular inspection of existing ones to check for quality breaches must go on, and we must quickly evolve evaluation techniques that do not depend on human assessment. The government must also place all tea manufacturing units on the negative list for a subsidy, as presently plantations are, to avoid entrepreneurs from setting up new units to avail of subsidy.”
The central government’s vision is to see the board as a facilitator acting in the interest of industry stakeholders to restore the reputation of Indian tea as the best in the world.
Bidyananda Barkakoty adviser North Eastern Association says association members appreciate the intent of the government to include small tea growers.
“If tea board wants to be a real facilitator than a regulator then some of the proposed amendments need further amendments. We are not fully satisfied with the proposed amendments. We will submit our views in detail on January 20,” Barkakoty said.
Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of IndianSmall Tea Growers Association said the industry has long supported revisions to the tea act. “One sincerely hopes that the new Tea Act will break the stagnancy of tea prices, boost domestic consumption in a larger way and enhance the export market,” he said.
“It is good to see that in the present bill small tea growers has been well defined,” he added. A small grower is one whose estate is not more than 10 hectares.
Bezboruah recommends the operational head of the board be redesignated CEO to give adequate recognition to the post. A full-time CEO would be able to help the board professionally, he said. In the present structure, the Board is run by the Deputy Chairman. As currently structured, the deputy chairman responsible for operations is perceived by stakeholders as playing second fiddle to the chair, he said.
Language in the draft emphasized the importance of achieving fair prices.
Mrigendra Jalan adviser to Bharatiya Cha Parishad said, “The proposed Tea Act 2022 has unshackled the tea industry from the vice-like grip which did not allow new plantation areas and putting up tea manufacturing units. Also with other amendments proposed it is expected that industry will get a supportive role from the Tea Board rather than the role of an inspector which the Tea Board has been playing in its present form.”
“The question is whether the new Tea Act will help in ensuring that a large number of workers working in the unorganized sector get at least a minimum wage thereby narrowing the huge wage disparity that is existing today between the organized and unorganized sector,” said Jalan.
Tea Promotion and Development Board Structure
The chairperson of the Tea Board of India will be named by the central government. In the future, career administrators are less likely to hold the post following the success in naming Bezboruah who is the first tea planter to hold the post. The act creates a chief financial officer, a director of tea development and the position of chief executive. The board will number no more than 20. Two members of Parliament serve, one named by the Council of States and a second by the House of the People. In addition, ten members representing stakeholders, labor, research institutes and authorities hold seats along with representatives of the governments from states where tea is grown. Two members nominated by the central government represent ministries, often commerce or agriculture. Appointees, except political appointees, must have at least 15 years of experience “in matters relating to the tea industry, governance, law, development, economics, finance, management, public affairs or administration.”
