SEASONAL-VARIATIONS OF THEAFLAVINS, THEARUBIGINS, BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, QUALITY AND MINERAL-COMPOSITION OF KANGRA TEA (CAMELLIA-SINENSIS)

An experiment was conducted to study the seasonal variations of theaflavins, thearubigins, brightness, colour, quality and mineral composition of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze] grown in Kangra valley. Made tea of Kangra valley collected from Palampur on weekly intervals during 1989 (April-October) contained thearubigins 3.156-5.326%, theaflavins 0.110-0.353%, thearubigins:theaflavins ratio 10.80-31.51, total colour 1.02-2.15 and brightness 10.26-27.63%. Hard-withering (55-60%) and low difference (less than 2-degrees-C) between room and floor temperatures during fermentation improved the total colour (1.26-2.15) and brightness (10.26-19.76%) of rainy-season tea. The rainy-season tea was superior and fetched higher price than winter-season tea during 1989 and 1990. Mineral contents in made tea were Cu 51-124-mu-g/g, Mn 534-763-mu-g/g, Zn 24-42-mu-g/g, Fe 186-407-mu-g/g, Ca 0.17-0.36%, K 2.49-2.57%, Mg 0.18-0.30% and P 0.22-0.37%.