CTC method
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German: CTC-Verfahren Also known as: CTC, Crush Tear Curl, CTC-Tee
A mechanised method of black tea manufacture (crush, tear, curl) in which the leaves are crushed, torn and rolled into small granules.
In the CTC method, withered leaves pass through counter-rotating toothed rollers that crush and tear them and form them into small pellets. The method was developed in Assam in the first half of the 20th century. The strong breakdown makes the tea oxidise quickly and evenly.
CTC tea quickly gives a dark, strong liquor that goes well with milk. It is used mainly for tea bags and blends and often comes from India and Kenya. Subtle aroma differences are less pronounced than in orthodox tea.
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