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Orthodox vs CTC - how the way of rolling changes a tea infusion

Two kinds of black tea can come from the same leaves of the same bush, yet give a completely different infusion: one subtle, complex and multi-layered, the other strong, dark and one-dimensional. The difference lies not in the raw material but in one step of processing: the way of rolling the leaf. It splits tea into two great methods: orthodox, the traditional one, in which the leaf is gently rolled and stays whole, and CTC, that is crush, tear, curl, in which the leaf is crushed, torn and rolled into hard granules. Each gives a different flavour and serves a different purpose. Here is a guide to orthodox and CTC: how they differ, how rolling changes the infusion and why one method gives subtlety and the other strength.

What rolling the leaf is

To understand this difference, you have to know the role of rolling in tea processing. After picking and withering, the leaf has to be damaged, to release the juices and enzymes that will start oxidation, the process giving tea its colour and flavour. Rolling is precisely this step: the crushing and twisting of the leaf, which ruptures its cells. The way this is done decides how strongly the leaf is damaged, and that affects the whole further course of oxidation and the final character of the tea. We cover oxidation itself more in tea oxidation. Rolling is not cosmetics but a decisive moment that splits the two great schools of black tea processing. Understanding that it is the way of rolling, and not the raw material, that splits orthodox and CTC is the starting point for all the rest.

Orthodox - the traditional method

Orthodox is the traditional method of producing leaf tea, based on the classic steps: plucking, withering, rolling, oxidation and drying. Its essence is that the leaf is gently rolled and twisted, but never cut or torn into pieces. Although finished orthodox leaves can be small, they stay whole, carefully rolled so as to reach a particular flavour. It is a laborious and slow method, in which care is taken to keep the integrity of the leaf. Orthodox gives a leaf tea of a characteristic, twisted, twig-like shape. It is a traditional, craft approach, set on quality and complexity, not on quantity. Orthodox is the essence of classic, high tea, in which every stage of processing is conducted so as to draw from the leaf the fullness of its subtle, multi-layered flavour.

CTC - crush, tear, curl

CTC is short for crush, tear, curl. It is a method of producing black tea in which the leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers covered with hundreds of sharp teeth, which crush, tear and curl the leaf into small, hard granules. CTC was invented specifically for the tea industry, to save time and money, because a traditional orthodox batch can take over a day to produce. The result of CTC is dark, small granules or pellets, far from the twisted whole leaves of orthodox. It is a fast, industrial method, set on large quantities and a low price. CTC revolutionised the mass production of tea, letting it be made more cheaply and quickly. It is an efficient and economical approach, though at the cost of flavour complexity.

A table: orthodox versus CTC

Let us gather the two methods in one place:

The table shows the heart of the choice: orthodox is subtlety and complexity at the cost of time, CTC is strength, speed and a low price at the cost of nuance.

How rolling changes the flavour

At the heart of the whole subject is how the different way of rolling translates into flavour. Orthodox, keeping the leaf whole, gives teas valued for complex flavours and delicate aromas, offering floral, fruity and nuanced notes, full of subtleties to discover. CTC, in turn, gives a very one-dimensional flavour: strong, powerful, bright in colour, with a clear, sharp astringency. Where does this difference come from? The stronger damage to the leaf in CTC causes faster, fuller oxidation and the rapid release of tannins and pigments into the infusion. This gives a strong, dark, substantial infusion, but without subtlety. The gentle rolling of orthodox releases the flavour more slowly and gradually, keeping the nuances. This shows that the way the leaf is damaged directly decides whether a tea will be subtle or strong.

Why CTC for tea bags

CTC and its strong, fast infusion have a particular purpose. CTC granules release colour, strength and tannins quickly and abundantly, giving an intense infusion in a short time. This makes them ideal for tea bags and for teas drunk with milk and sugar, like Indian chai or strong breakfast teas. In such uses what counts is strength, dark colour and the tea cutting through the milk, not the subtlety that the milk would drown out anyway. This is why a huge part of the world tea, especially the mass, bagged kind, is produced by the CTC method. Orthodox, in turn, goes into leaf teas drunk on their own, where nuance is valued. Each method therefore has its natural place. CTC is the everyday, strong and practical tea, orthodox is the tea for savouring.

Orthodox and CTC in practice

In practice the choice between orthodox and CTC is a choice between two worlds of tea. Orthodox dominates where quality and flavour matter: in valued leaf teas, like many Darjeelings, classic black teas or oolongs. CTC dominates in mass production: in tea bags, breakfast blends, milk teas. Interestingly, some regions and styles produce by both methods, depending on the purpose of the batch. This shows that it is not that one method is simply better, but that they serve different goals. We cover black teas from different regions more in black tea. The choice of rolling method is a fundamental decision that splits the tea for savouring from the tea for everyday use. Both have their place and their supporters.

How to sense and recognise it

Orthodox and CTC are easy to tell apart, even before you brew. It is enough to look at the dry leaf: orthodox is twisted, whole or larger leaves of irregular shape, and CTC is small, dark, hard, uniform granules. In the infusion the difference is just as clear: orthodox gives a more complex, nuanced infusion, often lighter and subtler, and CTC a strong, dark, intense and simple one. If a tea gives a rapidly dark, strong, astringent infusion ideal for milk, it is usually CTC; if it is subtle, multi-layered and interesting on its own, it is orthodox. It is worth comparing the two side by side. We cover the whole process of making tea more in how tea is made. Over time you will start to recognise the method by the look of the leaf alone and the character of the infusion.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. Orthodox and CTC are two methods of processing black tea, differing in the way the leaf is rolled. Orthodox is the traditional method, in which the leaf is gently rolled and stays whole, giving a leaf tea of complex, subtle, multi-layered flavour, valued for its nuances. CTC, that is crush, tear, curl, crushes, tears and rolls the leaf into hard granules, giving a strong, dark, one-dimensional infusion in a far shorter time. CTC was created to produce tea faster and more cheaply, and goes mainly into tea bags and milk teas, like chai. Orthodox is the tea for savouring, CTC the everyday, practical tea. Now you know how the way of rolling changes the infusion and why such different teas come from the same leaves.

Note every tea in GustoNote - the kind, the method and the character you sense. Over time you will start to recognise orthodox and CTC by the look of the leaf and the flavour of the infusion, and understand more deeply how processing shapes tea.