Ground Orthodox & CTC Tea

The traditional handcraft of ground orthodox black tea


Dheki is the Assamese word to describe a mortar and pestle, a tool of the past long forgotten by modern day production methods. The dheki, a traditional machine, is the key behind the craft of these unique ground orthodox teas. It’s the sound of the pounding machine crushing the tea leaves that is in the heart of each of these handmade teas. Each of them produced following traditional handcrafting methods, these curated ground orthodox teas are bold and full of dark and deep flavors.

These are not your regular CTC teas. These ground orthodox black teas are full leaf teas that are beautifully adorned with bright golden orange pekoes singular of their premium quality.
Sustainably and ethically handcrafted, the tea leaves were handpicked and naturally hand processed following the orthodox production method.

Each ground orthodox tea on Eteakol is as singular as the tea artisan producing it. It's the years of craft and dedicated art that makes them so distinctive, with flavors ranging from earthy, to hints of cocoa and warm spices. Some blended with locally grown spices, like cardamom or masala spices to create a bouquet of complex flavors.

The plus of these teas? They can be enjoyed plain, or with a dash of milk and sugar or honey making them the perfect blend for a cup of chai tea latte, or boba tea.


What is the difference between ground orthodox black tea and CTC tea?

The manufacturing of ground orthodox tea is a completely handmade process, once plucked the leaves are pounded with a dheki to crush them before the fermentation and drying stage. Ground orthodox teas can be stepped multiple times and are more flavourful. Since their production methods require more manpower these teas are of higher quality and classify as single origin products.

CTC teas are produced by passing the withered leaves between large rollers that crush, tear and curl the leaves. This is an industrial process that is used to produce large quantities of teas that will then be bagged. These tea types are of lesser quality and tend to have a tendency to be bitter in taste. These blends usually tend to come from tea leaves harvested from different tea plantations.

Can these teas be blended with spices?

Ground orthodox teas can be blended with different spices to create a custom chai tea flavor. These types of loose leaf teas are the perfect base for blended teas. You can browse our selection of ground orthodox teas blended by the tea artisan. The ingredients used in these blends are sustainably sourced and locally grown.


Can I use ground orthodox black tea for my boba base?

Yes, since these teas are more bold in flavor and aroma. They make the perfect base for boba / bubble tea. They mix better with milk without overpowering the taste of any added flavors like brown sugar or tapioca pearls.

Do you have wholesale requirements?

All the ground orthodox black tea listed on Eteakol, are available for bulk order. They are available at different volumes for orders starting at 1kg. You can also order our samples before committing to a bulk order, all our samples are delivered to you with free global shipping and customs clearance.

Head over to our wholesale page, to learn more about how to place a bulk order with us.
Should you have any questions you can simply email sales@eteakol.com and our team will promptly get back to you.