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역사적으로 아쌈지역은 중국에 뒤이은 세계 제2의 홍차 생산지였다. 세계에서 중국과 아쌈 지역에만 천연 다원이 존재한다. 아쌈 홍차는 [[19세기]] 이래로 여러 다원에서 생산되는 다양한 종류의 홍차로, 끽다(喫茶) 제반에 혁명을 가져왔다.
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==Geography==
The tea plant (''[[Camellia sinensis]] var assamica'') is grown in the lowlands of Assam, unlike
[[Darjeeling_tea|Darjeelings]] and [[Nilgiri_tea|Nilgiris]] which are grown in the highlands.
==History==
There exists a 10th century CE [[Sanskrit]] medical text from Assam called ''Nidana'' that mentions leaves called ''shamapatra'' from which ''shamapani'' is made. Historians are conflicted as to whether this is the first mention of tea in India.
Before the commercialization of tea began in Assam, the leaves of the tea plant were chewed by the local villagers with little processing. This continues in certain inaccessible regions near Assam.--><!--if this occurs near Assam, in which states of India is it? Or in another neighboring country? ANS: In the southeast region of Assam, extending into Myanmar-->
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===Beginning===
Robert Bruce is said to have discovered the tea plant growing wild in the region. According to another account, the Assamese nobleman, Maniram Dewan, led Robert Bruce to the plant in [[1823]]. Before his death in [[1825]], Bruce passed on his knowledge to his brother Charles, who sent seeds of the plant to Calcutta in [[1831]]. In [[1833]] the British lost the monopoly of the Tea trade with [[China]] and the Tea Committee dispatched the secretary George Gordon to China to study the methods and begin tea plantation in Assam. He returned with the Chinese variety and workers. Imported labor from [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]] would later form a significant demographic group in Assam. It was found that the local variety of plant was more suited to the local climate. Crossing with the Chinese tea plant led to Indian hybrid tea, which has great variability and vigour. This has been called the most important evolution of the commercial tea plant.
On [[May 8]], [[1838]] 350 pounds (159 kg) of Assam tea were dispatched to London, and sold at India House, [[London]] on [[January 10]], [[1839]]. Drinkers were impressed with the tea, and the tea industry in Assam was born. Charles Bruce and others, including Maniram Dewan, began clearing the jungles and establishing tea estates.
On [[February 26]], [[1858]] Maniram Dewan, the sole native tea planter, was hanged on charges of conspiracy and participation in the [[Sepoy Mutiny]] of [[1857]] against the British on the basis of an intercepted letter.
===Modern developments in the tea industry===
Today, Assam produces more than half the tea grown in India. On the international market, Assam Tea can be identified by the official logo chosen by the Tea Board of India. Most Assam tea is sold through the Auction Centre at [[Guwahati]].
Since the tea industry in Assam was established, most tea has been planted unselected by seed using the same practices as in the [[19th century]]. The industry continued to grow slowly but steadily during the [[20th century]].
In the [[1970s]] small scale tea cultivators with farms smaller than one hectare began growing tea. Cultivation on small farms increased during the [[1990s]] and today accounts for over 10% of the tea produced in Assam. Tea cultivation remains a vital industry in the region employing 17% of the workforce.
Recently, India's tea industry has faced a crisis with prices dropping due to reduced exports and domestic consumption. However, Assam tea exports to the [[United States]] are expected to increase as more Americans are drinking tea and seeking higher quality.
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==함께 읽기==
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