NOSOTROS

Industrial processes

CULTURE

Of the 214 hectares owned by Agricola Himalaya, 52 hectares are planted with tea bushes, 10 hectares with aromatic plants, 35 hectares are pasture, and 117 hectares are natural protected forest.

The tea plantation, unique in Colombia, have plants that are more than 50 years old. It´s considered a high altitude plantation because of its elevation where it´s located from 1800 meters to 2050 meters.

The sum of rich soils in organic material and very favourable climate conditions where the mist and humid environment prevails, have generated a product with unique and exceptional organoleptic characteristics.

There are 20 lots separated by line forest barriers that create a humid environment and a natural barrier for plagues and diseases. Another important strength is the presence of three different types of ´Camelia Sinensis´ bushes, which we find spread out all over the lots. This generates a natural blend with flavour, smell and color with unique characteristics.

The plantation is organic certified under the USA (NOP), Europe and Colombian standards; also have the UTZ seal, which certifies good agricultural, social and environmental practices.

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Industrial processes

CTC PROCESS

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RECOLECTION

The tea leafs are recollected manually by expert workers who only pick 2 or 3 tender leafs, which blossom periodically at the end of the branches which conform a table at waist height.

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WITHERING

A percentage of moisture content is removed from the tea leaf with a physical process.

 

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MACERATED

The tea leaves are shredded so the juices can be realesed.

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FERMENTATION

It’s an oxidation process. The chlorophyll decomposes and the leaves start to obtain a copper color. This is how the tea achieves its organoleptic characteristics.

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DRYING

The chopped and rolled tea particle is dehydrated.

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CLASIFICATION

This is the process of separating or typing each different quality of tea.

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PACKAGING

The tea is packaged and ready to be sold in the market.

LOOSE LEAF TEA PROCESS

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Reception

Every day we receive the harvest.  We weigh the kilograms that arrive to the processing plant and we measure the quality of the green leaf, verifying also the characteristics of the product.

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Withering

In this fase, air is applied to the withering tunnel, which reduces up to 50% of the moisture content in the leaf. This process is the one that contributes the most to produce tea´s flavour and aroma.

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Rolling

In this step we count with two machines, which do the first and second rolling. The vegetable cells are exposed making way to the oxidization and the characteristics of the orthodox rolled loose leaf tea.

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Roll breaking

The finer smaller leafs (fines) are separated, including buds, from the bigger leafs and makes way to the breaking of leaf knots created in the rolling process.

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Fermentation

In a controlled humidity room (80% relative humidity), the oxidation of the leaves occurs. In this step we obtain the typical color of black tea and its cup attributes like the brightness and astringency.

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Drying

In this step we finish dehydrating the tea, until we reach an average moisture level between 2,5 and 4%.

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Classification

In this step, the tea is separated by the particle size and also its color, classifying it in different grades through the difference size of mesh, for later storage.

GREEN TEA

During the elaboration of the green tea the same process is done as described for the black tea, the only difference is that we replace the withering process for a vaporizing process where the green leaf is summited to a thermic shock with vapor, so we can eliminate the enzyme and avoid this way of oxidization, generating its characteristic green color.

Packaging

The individual products are mixed with different ingredients to produce different ‘blends’ or mixes of products for the requirements of the consumer.

then they are packaged in small bags of fabric or filtering paper, in automatic machines that makes the bag, attach the string and label and deliver the final product directly to its primary package, without any contact with the operator.

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Our packaging process manages different presentations.

  • Filtering bags without the primary package.
  • Filtering bags in paper over wrapping paper.
  • Filtering bags in airtight package.

To guarantee that the product keeps its organoleptic characteristics.

Our packaging process are certified by all the regulations, which complies with the highest quality standards, certified by entities like INVIMA, ICONTEC and SGC.