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 when the same cultivar is being processed. The other plain black tea quality parameters (thearubigins, brightness and total colour) were higher in black tea which was processed in Kenya than those processed in Malawi. However, the pattern in the changes in the individual theaflavins or theaflavins digallate equivalent followed that of total (Flavognost) theaflavins, suggesting that the flavan-3-ols patterns in tea leaf might not have been affected by the geographical area of production. The total volatile flavour compounds (VFC), Group I and II VFC and the flavour index were higher in black teas processed in Kenya, further demonstrating the fact that high grown Kenyan teas are more flavoury. In both Kenya and Malawi black teas, aroma quality declined with a long duration of fermentation. Short fermentation time is therefore a method of producing more aromatic black teas. The variations in black tea quality between Malawi and Kenya were possibly due to difference in environmental conditions, leading to different shoot growth rates and biochemical composition in the shoots.