Keystage 2 - Food - Tea production

Although in Britain tea has been drunk for more than 350 years, it has been drunk for over four thousand in other countries! Here you explore tea production, from plant to pot.
  

Webquest



A tea bush can grow up to 20m high if not pruned!

They can live for 50 years.		 Large tea bush
Tea was transported all over the world by ships called 'Clippers'. The most famous tea clipper was the Cutty Sark, used to transport tea from China. Woman picking tea

How its made...

These photographs were taken in the 1930s. Can you put them in the correct order?
Rolling tea

This process cuts or crushes the leaves. They are then exposed to the air to get the best flavour.		 Packing tea

Tea is packaged for transportation. 		Plucking tea

Tea is hand picked by women and children.
Transporting tea

Sent to the ports to be transported all over the world		 Tea factory

After plucking the tea is taken to the factory to be processed. 		Sifting tea

Tea is sifted through different sized meshes. This process removes any stalks and sorts the tea into different grades.

Is tea production carried out in the same way today?

Have a look at the Plant Cultures tea production page.