Production technology

Our manufactures are located in ecologically clean Solnechnogorsk area of Moscow region.
Our production base is situated near the Blagoveschenka village and there are no other industrial enterprises nearby. There is Chernoe Lake located close to the village that is considered to be one of the cleanest reservoirs of Moscow city and Moscow region.
Our production base has three functional areas:

1. Area of raw materials fermentation and drying;
2. Area of raw materials grinding and sifting;
3. Area of ready production blending and package.

Our manufacture is equipped with the modern foreign and Russian facilities that help us following traditional willow-herb tea production technologies. It is especially important at fermentation and drying stage when it is necessary to change temperature several times. First Ivan-tea leaves are being fermented without being burnt. After that it is required to evaporate extra liquid and finally     carefully dry the leaves. 
The main manufacture principles are production technologies observation and high quality of final production. We also perform the quality checks on every stage of manufacture.
The main stages of production:

1.    Fermentation and drying stage

The basic technological secret of Ivan-tea production is of course fermentation. Fermented willow-herb possesses saturated taste and gets more beneficial. From the ordinary plant it becomes valuable tea that has positive effect on intestinal microflora and immune system in general.
Ivan-tea fermentation is the process of biochemical leaves contents change that allows starch to break down into sugars and chlorophyll – into tannins. This process is activated by enzymes, active compounds that have protein basis and active easily oxidized molecular group. Ivan-tea contains more than ten such compounds. In other words there is “effervescence” or “enzyme oxidation” takes place. 
During the tea production process (and the fermentation itself) there is a difficult enzyme activity starting. Fermentation does not only start but also is controlled by tea enzymes. The quality of tea mostly depends on the fermentation conditions that guarantee “correct” enzyme effect.
It is necessary to mention that the real nutritional value of food depends on its’ ability to self-digestion (autolysis) in the stomach. The essence of autolysis discovered by academician Ugolev is that half of the digestion process depends on the enzymes that food itself contains. Gastric juice just turns the self-digestion mechanism on.
The fermentation goal is to produce tea probiotics which are living microbes that get to the stomach and stay active there. Probiotic spores can fly in the air and accumulate on the leaves so it is forbidden to wash Ivan-tea leaves after gathering as the main part of probiotics would be simply washed away. The leaves are being crushed so the spores could be mixed up with exuded juice and begin to reproduce.
The value of probiotics is that they try to reproduce in human body as the temperature and nutrients are quite favourable there. But the environment is not usual for them and the invasion is limited so they can not endlessly reproduce. But they have time to “wake up” the immune system.
Ivan-tea consumption significantly increases the T-killers amount, but tea should be prepared in a decent way.
T-killers are lymphocytes that dissolve damaged cells inside the body. They aim for cells that are damaged by intracellular parasites such as viruses and some bacteria, as well as tumor cells. T-killers are the necessary element of antiviral immune system. There is also the probability that they control tumor cells growing.
During the fermentation and drying probiotics first reproduce as they have enough liquid and then fall asleep of a kind, which means become spores. Spore biomass can be stored for a long time. It can not be damaged by acidic stomach environment and goes directly to intestines where they become bacteria that reproduce and displace putrid elements, at the same time producing enzymes.
To sum up the most important technological process of Ivan-tea production we should understand that during fermentation there are probiotics grown on the willow-herb leaves and afterwards they become spores.
The level of fermentation depends on the time of microorganisms’ formation. During the process of recreation microorganisms affect the leaves so it is important not to ferment them for too long as they can get acidified. The color of tea – from white and green to red and black – depends on the level of fermentation. The lower the level, the lighter the tea will be.

2) Grinding and sifting stage

This technological stage of production includes separation of fermented and dried Ivan-tea leaves to fractions depending on the way of package:

• Small fractions 1,5-2 mm will be packed to filter bags;
• 4-6 fractions will be packed to nylon pyramid bags;
• Medium and big leaves will be packed loose to craft bags or polypropylene packs.

3) Blending and package stage

This stage includes selecting and preparing ingredients for blending with ready fermented Ivan-tea. The exact proportions of blended ingredients depend on the skills and adeptness of our technologist and tea tester Alexander Selivanov. Just like medieval alchemist he laboriously selects the perfect blend combinations and proportions to make willow-herb beverage even more tasty and beneficial.
NOTE: Willow-herb contains coumarin (lactone – ester with COO ring group) and its’ long consumption can damage liver. Natural medicine recommends not drinking willow-herb tea for more than 30 days and making a pause for 2-3 month after each month of tea consumption. BUT thanks to special technologies coumarin is neutralized in all the willow-herb production of «Geada» company, so it is possible to consume our trademark production CONSTANTLY with no time limitations!