Journal of Tea Science Research. 2015, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1-12
7
interesterification to produce a structured lipid that
would be suitable for use as a cocoa butter replacer in
the dark chocolate and related confectionary applications
and industries (Sahari et al., 2013).
There are textiles made out of tea-leaf fibre, tea dyes
and tea-based air purifiers which are also available in
the Chinese market only. These type of items are
increasing, research investigations on the quality of
the products and possibilities for more industrial
applications are in progress.
3 Korea
Beloved by tea connoisseurs, but not well known by
mainstream tea drinkers, Korea is actively increasing
its efforts to be recognised globally as an important
player in the tea industry. Almost half of all the tea
areas in Korea produce organic tea. Green tea is major
type of tea in Korea. It is produced in the Boseong,
Solaksan and Hadong regions and the people in the
Boseong area in particular have been incorporated tea
into everything. They make beauty products with
green tea such as
nok cha
(green tea) soap, tea oil, tea
latte, sun cream, and supplements among other things
which are available at the sales counter of supermarkets
and the shelves the of tea plantations (Figure 3). Green
tea products like pepper paste, bean paste, noodle,
grain syrup, oil-and-honey pastry, rice cake slices,
fermented soybean paste products are also developed.
4 India
4.1 Tea Tablet
The tablet is a compressed form of black tea extract
with additives, developed by Tea Research Association
(TRA), Assam, India. It can be chewed or sipped
through hot water preparation with same refreshing
effect like a steaming cup of tea. The tablet weighing
300 mg has dissolution time less than minutes.
4.2 Tea Cola
A soft drink with health benefit effect made from
black tea extracts developed by TRA, India fortified
with variety of fruit as well as spice flavours, sugar
and edible organic acids. Researchers say apart from
the high caffeine content, which acts as a stimulant,
the drink also has several health benefits. It also
contains thiamine (vitamin B1). Since they are based
on leaf extracts, these products are also expected to
improve the market value of lower-grade tea leaves.
TRA is working on other value added variants viz.
powdered tea in many flavours, development of
natural colours from tea wastes for use in confection-
neries and biscuits that contain the life-enhancing
qualities of tea.
4.3 Tea Toffee
Tea toffee and tea tablets can be conveniently carried
due to smaller size, and can be taken anywhere,
anytime whenever one feels like taking a cup of tea
(Baruah et al., 2007). It gives the full taste and
characteristics of tea without really having to use
conventional forms of it to make the brew.
4.4 Tea Ice cream
Antioxidant property of tea was utilized for making
value added ice cream. Green, black and black soluble
teas was used for making ice cream. Baruah et al.
(2012) described the flow chart of tea ice cream which
is as follows. The quality evaluation of tea ice cream
by different consumers using hedonic rating scale
found that ice cream prepared from black tea extract
was much better than black soluble and green tea.
Earlier number of attempts were made for the
extraction and incorporation of tea attributes such as
colour, flavour, taste and antioxidant properties of tea
in different food items like tea biscuit, tea toffee etc.
(Baruah et al., 2007 and 2008 ). As preparation of
these items required high temperature regime, there
was possibility of loss of value through thermal
degradation. Low temperature incorporation would
retain the values much better and also found that the
incorporation of tea colour, flavour and taste made the
tea ice cream highly acceptable (Baruah et al., 2012).
4.5 Tea Concentrate
The Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology
(IHBT) Himachal Pradesh, India has come up with a
tea concentrate that retains the flavour and medicinal
value of tea, can be used to make a variety of food
items. Tea concentrates are prepared from black and
green Kangra teas which have a self-life of six months
under room temperature (25
℃
) in air tight glass or pet
bottles and remain safe for use for more than a year
under controlled temperature (4
℃
) in sealed bottles
(Figure 4). Tea concentrates are further converted into
