Black tea consists of those sheets that went through all the processing steps (withering, twisting, fermentation, drying and sorting). Greens go through only drying and twisting. Between them are red and yellow. They consist of sheets that have passed through withering, partial fermentation, twisting and drying. Red tea is closer to black, and yellow - to green. In addition to these types of tea, there are others. For example, fruit, herbal, instant and tea extracts.
For white tea, only the youngest leaves are collected, which have not yet opened. For elite varieties, only one apex is used. The process of processing white tea is slightly different than that of other species. Tea leaves pass for a short time to steam, and then immediately dried. Thanks to this, when brewing, the color of the leaves does not change, and the taste remains more saturated. Brew this tea should not too hot water (up to 70 degrees), otherwise the delicate aroma from the essential oils contained by others will be lost.
Green tea is known for its curative natural biological active substances, which are released during the brewing. Therefore, in the process of processing, all measures are taken to preserve these beneficial substances. After collection, the leaves are slightly wilted on fresh air. Once they become soft, they are slightly dried on the hot air. This protects them from oxidation. After drying, the process of twisting is carried out.
Red tea is produced most often from mature leaves, which are collected from adult tea bushes. Immediately after assembly, the leaves are laid on the ground in direct sunlight (for withering). In average, it takes from 30 to 60 minutes. Then the withered leaves are folded into baskets of bamboo and retracted into the shade. There they gently knead until the leaves get a reddish hue. When this happens, the leaves pass short-term drying, then twisting and finally, final drying.
Black tea passes the longest technological chain in the process of its manufacture. It undergoes full fermentation, which is why it acquires a characteristic black color when brewed. Immediately after collecting the sheets they are laid out with a thin layer for drying (the drying process lasts up to 18 hours). Then they are carefully twisted. After twisting, the leaves are placed in cool and moist darkened rooms, where fermentation takes place. As a result of oxidation, the leaves darken. Then they are dried under high temperature.
Also, teas are distinguished by the nature of the mechanical treatment. Green and black teas are divided into pressed, scattered and extracted. The most popular are scattered teas (baihovye). Black flavors teas are divided into pile, broken, small and floral. The broken tea contains a small number of young shoots, and leaf varieties are composed only of mature leaves.
Pressed teas
They are made from substandard raw materials (old leaves, stems and tea dust), which occurs as a result of processing tea leaves in factories. The larger remains are pressed, and the smaller ones are tabletted. Small teas are also used for tea bags.
It is interesting that the first packetized tea was used in 1904. Importer from New York, Thomas Salivan, wanted to save money on sending samples of tea to customers and decided to pack them in small silk silvers, instead of metal jars. Since the merchants did not know this, they decided that these bags with tea should be lowered into a cup. They were so concerned about it that they began to order tea from Salivan only in such a package.
The first bags were made of silk or cotton. Tea was only packaged by hand. Later, the bags began to produce already sperforated cellophane, and now a special perforated paper is used, which does not affect the taste at all.
To date, the entire process of packaging is automated. Every minute, special machines fill thousands of bags of a different form (square, rectangular, triangular, round) tea. Each packet contains approximately 2.2 g of tea.
Extracted teas
Produced in the form of a dry crystalline form or liquid extract. Such teas are instantly soluble. They are produced only in hermetic packages. Trade varieties differ from industrial varieties of tea. They are obtained as a result of mixing different industrial varieties. Sometimes the name is derived from the name of its creator or from the time of day.
Today there is such a profession as titester teas. Mixing is a complex process that requires from people such a rare profession of hard work. A person should have a fine sense of smell and taste. For a day such people have to try a lot of teas, so the work is tiring.
Each tea company, as a rule, has its own formulations of mixing. For foreign titesters the most important thing in tea is the color of the brewed leaf and the taste of tea. Our specialists allocate as many as five good indicators: the intensity of the infusion, appearance, color, aroma and taste. You can mix teas grown in different countries, as well as those that have grown in one country.
Flavored teas
They are obtained from all types of baihovyh teas. The aromatization of a whiskey does not affect the biochemical composition of this drink. As a result, it acquires a pronounced flavor. Aromas can be several (in rare cases). Most often flavored teas are of average quality and only occasionally high.
For today there are two ways of aromatization. The first is the hand. In the finished tea, add various seeds of plants, herbs, roots, fragrant flowers (jasmine, anise, iris, kukurma and others). While the tea did not have time to cool down after drying, it is sprinkled with layers and pressed together with layers of flavorings. After some time, the flavors are removed from the tea, and the tea itself is dried again and dried flavors are added there - for 50 kg of tea, about 2.5 kg. This way is considered expensive. It is much cheaper to aromatize tea with the help of synthetic essences, which by their formula are similar to natural analogues. All flavorings are necessarily indicated on the package.
In Russia, consumers are negatively disposed of anti-flavor flavors. But experts from the Institute of Nutrition assure that essences are absolutely safe for health. In addition, in terms of quality and taste, they are superior to natural products.
As you can see, tea is not just a tasty drink. Before being dispensed in our cups, it undergoes a lengthy process of collection and processing. In order to enjoy the taste of tea, choose a quality product. Try to refuse from tea in bags and buy only rasypnoy. And to get the benefit and enjoy the scent, observe the rules of brewing. Not all teas need to be boiled with boiling water. Remember this. Enjoy your tea party!