What is Orthodox Tea?
Orthodox tea refers to a processing method, not a type of tea plant. It's the traditional way tea has been made for centuries — withering, rolling, oxidising, and firing whole or long-broken leaves by hand or with gentle machinery, rather than mechanically crushing them.
How Orthodox Tea is Made
After plucking, leaves are spread out to wither, losing moisture and becoming pliable. They're then rolled — traditionally by hand, now often with rolling tables that mimic the hand motion — which twists the leaf and breaks down some cell walls to release enzymes for oxidation, without shredding the leaf apart. The leaves oxidise to the desired level, then are fired to lock in flavour and stop the process.
What This Means for the Cup
Because the leaf structure stays largely intact, Orthodox tea releases its flavour more gradually during steeping, producing a more layered, complex cup compared to the fast, strong infusion of crushed CTC tea. You'll often see whole or long twisted leaves in the packet, which also means you can usually re-steep Orthodox tea for a second infusion.
Why It Costs More
Orthodox processing is slower, more labour-intensive, and yields less finished tea per kilogram of plucked leaf compared to CTC. That's reflected in the price — you're paying for the leaf integrity and the time it takes to produce it, not a premium label.
Explore our Orthodox Loose Leaf collection, hand-processed from single estate Assam gardens.