Not all tea leaves are processed the same way, and the method used has a big impact on the cup you end up drinking. Two of the most common methods are CTC and Orthodox — and if you’ve ever wondered why your chai brews dark and strong so quickly, CTC is usually the answer.
CTC stands for Crush, Tear, Curl. The leaves are passed through rollers that break them down into small, uniform granules. This increases the surface area of the leaf, which means it releases colour and strength fast — perfect for the strong, milky chai that’s brewed on Indian stovetops every morning.
Orthodox processing, by contrast, keeps the leaf mostly whole. It’s rolled and dried more gently, giving a lighter-bodied, more aromatic cup that’s often preferred for black tea without milk.
At Kamdhenu, our CTC blends are made specifically for the way India drinks its chai — strong, quick to brew, and built to stand up to milk, sugar, and spice without losing character.