A Few Fun Facts About Tea!
Tea, is an aromatic beverage, that is commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the tea plant. Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.
Tea in China was first used as a medicinal drink. It was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century. Tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. The British introduced it to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on the product.
>>A common misperception is that the various styles of tea are grown from different types of plants. The fact is that all styles of tea come from the same Camellia sinensis bush.
Tea plants are propagated from seed and cutting; it takes about 4 to 12 years for a tea plant to bear seed and about three years before a new plant is ready for harvesting. Only the top 1–2 inches of the mature plant are picked. After picking, the leaves of C. sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize, unless they are immediately dried. The leaves turn progressively darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This enzymatic oxidation process is caused by the plant's unicellular enzymes that causes the tea to darken. In tea processing, the darkening is stopped at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. In the production of black teas, the halting of oxidation by heating is carried out simultaneously with drying.
>>The method in which they processed varies. It is this variation in processing methods that give us the main classifications and varieties of tea. Some teas are simply steamed after plucking, while others are gently bruised to change the leaves chemistry. Other teas are allowed to ferment at varying levels, some for a long period of time.
White Tea: White tea is plucked by hand within two days between the time the first buds become fully mature and the time in which the leaf unfurls. The leaves are then allowed to wither, allowing the natural moisture to evaporate before being dried.
Green Tea: To produce green tea, the fresh tea leaves are carefully placed on large bamboo trays and allowed to dry in the sunlight. The leaves are then placed into small hot roasting pans and quickly moved about. They are continuously rolled into balls and then re-roasted for several hours at a time. This process stops the chemical changes from occurring in the leaf by never allowing it to ferment.
Yellow Tea: are unique to the high mountain regions of the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Hunan and Sichuan. Yellow tea varieties are manufactured by plucking the juiciest and most tender tea bud sets of the tea bush, basket-firing or pan-firing the leaves, smothering the leaves, and then finish-firing the batches. It is the smothering step that is unique to this tea, allowing a special flavor to develop. During the “sealing yellow” step, the lightly steamed leaf is removed from the heat source and covered with a cloth, encouraging the leaf to reabsorb its own aromatics and add a sweetness and fragrance to the leaf. An experienced tea master creates this unique hand crafted tea by constantly checking the tea’s smell, look and feel until it is just right. This craft is often passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, this type of tradition has been lost over the years, leading to lower product yield, essentially making this type of tea truly rare.
Oolong Tea: Oolong tea is referred to as a “semi-fermented” tea and is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (Formosa). After plucking, this type of tea is allowed to wilt in direct sunlight and is then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the leaf. The chemicals in the leaf react with the air, producing a reddish leaf color. After a desired amount of time, the leaf is fired and the fermentation process is halted.
Black Tea: To produce black tea, the tea leaves are plucked by hand and then left out in the sun until they are pliable enough to be rolled without the leaf splitting. The leaves are then put into a mechanical tumbler and rolled. This process causes the leaves’ juices to react with the air and then oxidize. The green leaves turn black and are then fired in huge drying ovens to produce the final product.
Pu-erh Tea: Pu-erh is made from fermented Yunnan Black tea. After picking, Pu-erh is created by piling the tea for lengthy periods, allowing a true internal fermentation of the leaf to occur.
"Herbal Tea": The phrase "herbal tea" usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs made without the tea plant, such as rosehip tea, chamomile tea, or rooibos tea. Alternative phrases for this are tisane or herbal infusion, both bearing an implied contrast with "tea" as it is construed here.
Rooibis Tea" : Also known by its English translation, Redbush, this “red tea”, is grown only in South Africa. Rooibos is caffeine free, low in tannins, and high in antioxidants, thus making it beneficial to your body’s health and well being. When brewed, Rooibos produces a reddish amber cup that has a milder flavor than black tea with no after taste.
"Yerba Mate" : This South American herb brews up into an energizing green liquor. Rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, this unique cut-leaf herb is perfect any time of the day.
>>The term Orange Pekoe (pronounced “Pea-Koe”) has nothing to do with the taste of orange. Orange Pekoe is a classification of black tea based upon the origin of the leaf. To be classified as pekoe, the tea must be composed purely of the new flushes - a flush being the flower bud plucked with two youngest leaves.
Tea in China was first used as a medicinal drink. It was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century. Tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. The British introduced it to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on the product.
>>A common misperception is that the various styles of tea are grown from different types of plants. The fact is that all styles of tea come from the same Camellia sinensis bush.
Tea plants are propagated from seed and cutting; it takes about 4 to 12 years for a tea plant to bear seed and about three years before a new plant is ready for harvesting. Only the top 1–2 inches of the mature plant are picked. After picking, the leaves of C. sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize, unless they are immediately dried. The leaves turn progressively darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This enzymatic oxidation process is caused by the plant's unicellular enzymes that causes the tea to darken. In tea processing, the darkening is stopped at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. In the production of black teas, the halting of oxidation by heating is carried out simultaneously with drying.
>>The method in which they processed varies. It is this variation in processing methods that give us the main classifications and varieties of tea. Some teas are simply steamed after plucking, while others are gently bruised to change the leaves chemistry. Other teas are allowed to ferment at varying levels, some for a long period of time.
White Tea: White tea is plucked by hand within two days between the time the first buds become fully mature and the time in which the leaf unfurls. The leaves are then allowed to wither, allowing the natural moisture to evaporate before being dried.
Green Tea: To produce green tea, the fresh tea leaves are carefully placed on large bamboo trays and allowed to dry in the sunlight. The leaves are then placed into small hot roasting pans and quickly moved about. They are continuously rolled into balls and then re-roasted for several hours at a time. This process stops the chemical changes from occurring in the leaf by never allowing it to ferment.
Yellow Tea: are unique to the high mountain regions of the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Hunan and Sichuan. Yellow tea varieties are manufactured by plucking the juiciest and most tender tea bud sets of the tea bush, basket-firing or pan-firing the leaves, smothering the leaves, and then finish-firing the batches. It is the smothering step that is unique to this tea, allowing a special flavor to develop. During the “sealing yellow” step, the lightly steamed leaf is removed from the heat source and covered with a cloth, encouraging the leaf to reabsorb its own aromatics and add a sweetness and fragrance to the leaf. An experienced tea master creates this unique hand crafted tea by constantly checking the tea’s smell, look and feel until it is just right. This craft is often passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, this type of tradition has been lost over the years, leading to lower product yield, essentially making this type of tea truly rare.
Oolong Tea: Oolong tea is referred to as a “semi-fermented” tea and is principally manufactured in China and Taiwan (Formosa). After plucking, this type of tea is allowed to wilt in direct sunlight and is then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the leaf. The chemicals in the leaf react with the air, producing a reddish leaf color. After a desired amount of time, the leaf is fired and the fermentation process is halted.
Black Tea: To produce black tea, the tea leaves are plucked by hand and then left out in the sun until they are pliable enough to be rolled without the leaf splitting. The leaves are then put into a mechanical tumbler and rolled. This process causes the leaves’ juices to react with the air and then oxidize. The green leaves turn black and are then fired in huge drying ovens to produce the final product.
Pu-erh Tea: Pu-erh is made from fermented Yunnan Black tea. After picking, Pu-erh is created by piling the tea for lengthy periods, allowing a true internal fermentation of the leaf to occur.
"Herbal Tea": The phrase "herbal tea" usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs made without the tea plant, such as rosehip tea, chamomile tea, or rooibos tea. Alternative phrases for this are tisane or herbal infusion, both bearing an implied contrast with "tea" as it is construed here.
Rooibis Tea" : Also known by its English translation, Redbush, this “red tea”, is grown only in South Africa. Rooibos is caffeine free, low in tannins, and high in antioxidants, thus making it beneficial to your body’s health and well being. When brewed, Rooibos produces a reddish amber cup that has a milder flavor than black tea with no after taste.
"Yerba Mate" : This South American herb brews up into an energizing green liquor. Rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, this unique cut-leaf herb is perfect any time of the day.
>>The term Orange Pekoe (pronounced “Pea-Koe”) has nothing to do with the taste of orange. Orange Pekoe is a classification of black tea based upon the origin of the leaf. To be classified as pekoe, the tea must be composed purely of the new flushes - a flush being the flower bud plucked with two youngest leaves.
