Assam Explores Purple Tea

INDIA​ - Pradip Barua, tea expert and senior advisory office at Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TRI) in Assam, has said that Assam could become the next region after Kenya to cultivate purple tea. The purple clone TRFK 306/1 was originally from TRI in Assam and the varietal has been found growing wild in the forested areas of Cachar.Kenya is currently the only country that cultivates the varietal but Barua say that “Assam has tremendous potential to produce purple tea, as it is the tea of the future as far as health benefits are concerned.” The purple varietal is known to contain high levels of anthocyanins and catechins which change during oxidation in black tea manufacture to make bitter-tasting theaflavins. Black teas made from the purple varietal are therefore very brisk and astringent. Green teas retain higher levels of catechins and are therefore higher in antioxidants. In Kenya, the tea is manufactured in a similar way to oolongs and has a slightly earthy character. In Kenya, scientists are researching other products (for example, for pharmacological and industrial uses) that could be made from the purple leaf tea plant.