How tea is made: an overview of methods, a description of technology and recommendations

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Are you a fan of delicious and fragrant tea? Then this article is just for you! Today we will talk about how to collect, dry and make tea of various varieties. Let's get acquainted with the traditions of different countries and tell you the secrets of making this tasty and he althy drink.

Features of tea collection

If you want to know how tea is made, the first thing you need to know is the harvesting process. Very important factors affecting its quality are the time and correctness of its collection. Since, if you miss the age of young shoots, it turns out to collect already coarsened leaves, which significantly reduces the overall taste. That is why the harvesting process does not stop on plantations during the high season. Most often, tea leaves are harvested three years after planting. Every 2-3 days, young juicy shoots break off from the bush, including only the upper leaves and buds that have not begun to bloom. Only these parts of the plant are maximally saturated with tannin and caffeine, for which this drink is eaten. Don't be surprised enoughthe high cost of good tea - after all, in order to collect a kilogram of this plant, it is necessary to pick from five to ten thousand leaves. Quite a painstaking task, isn't it?

Drying

This section will discuss how tea is made after picking. Fermentation during the drying process is a necessary stage through which each tea leaf must go through to saturate the taste and aroma. For example, to obtain white tea, the tea leaf is dried for a short time, then dried in an oven with strong ventilation. Green tea, on the other hand, is obtained as a result of repeated drying and drying operations. But for the Oolong variety, the leaves must first be withered, slightly dried, twisted and dried until completely dry.

The process of drying a leaf is not much easier than harvesting it. It is very important to observe the correct temperature and time regimes. Under-dried tea leaves quickly become moldy and rot, but over-dried ones become too brittle and bitter. When properly dried, tea retains all essential oils and is ready for long-term storage and transportation.

About black tea

Since this variety is the most popular in our country, it is fair to dedicate a whole section for a story about how black tea is made. The process of collecting tea leaves is quite standard - only the top 3 leaves are still used. The collected raw materials are subjected to drying -light drying to remove excess moisture in natural conditions. That is, tea leaves are left in the fresh air for about a day. Dried leaves are sent for twisting. Expensive varieties of tea are subjected to manual twisting, all the rest go through the process on specialized machines. The crushed, twisted leaves, saturated with their own juice, are sent for fermentation. During this procedure, they are oxidized and slightly rotted, which gives black tea a specific taste. And finally, the last stage is the final drying in order to remove residual moisture and disinfection. Careful observance of all the above conditions is the answer to the question of how to make tea correctly.

Proper brewing process

To get a truly skillfully brewed tea, you need to make a lot of effort. After all, if you do not follow some rules, then you can spoil the taste of even the richest variety.

• Water. One of the most important components, of course, after the tea leaf itself. Her choice should be approached very responsibly. Do not use water with high hardness and the presence of various impurities. It is best to pre-filter or defend a small amount of water intended for brewing tea. Literally a pinch of soda and a little sugar will help reduce stiffness.
• Dishes. Clay or porcelain teapots are considered ideal vessels for tea. With a more democratic choice, glassware is also suitable. The main thing is not to use iron teapots.
• Temperature. The optimal state of water for brewing tea is considered to be the moment of boiling, the so-called white key. Water that is boiled for a longer time becomes harmful to the human body. Not brought to a boil - simply will not be able to brew tea properly.

How the Thais make tea

Have you ever tried blue tea? For those who have ever been to Thailand, it is not a secret that this drink is prepared from the petals of the trifoliate clitoris. Did you get these flowers in your hands? Then we will tell you how tea is made in Thailand.

Heat the kettle with a few rinses of boiling water, add a few tablespoons of the dried plant and pour boiling water over it. Immediately drain the first water to remove dust and dirt. Then pour boiling water over the tea again and let it brew for just a few minutes. A nice bonus of such a drink is its repeated brewing. For at least 15 times, you can enjoy the taste and color of this tea to the fullest, just like when you first brewed it. By the way, you can drink it both hot and cold - it perfectly quenches thirst in any state. The amount of drink you drink is also not particularly limited, as it has virtually no side effects.

You can change the color and taste of such an original drink by adding lemon slices and a couple of spoons of honey to it. In general, the taste of blue Thai tea is quite specific - it resembles a weak iodine solution.

Delicious and he althy fillers

For those who are bored with daily tea with or without sugar, there are a great many recipes to enhance its palatability. For example, not everyone knows how to make tea with ginger. But it's very simple - you need to add literally a couple of slices of fresh ginger to the drink already poured into cups. It is permissible to use the dried root of this spicy plant. In this case, it is necessary to reduce its amount by at least half, since its concentration in this form is much higher.

For special gourmets, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg will be a nice addition to tea. These spices will add a special piquancy and comfort to the drink.

The classic way to diversify the taste of your favorite drink is to add fruits and berries - both during the brewing process and in the cup. The fragrant, rich taste of this tea will warm you on a cold winter evening and fill your body with valuable vitamins and minerals.

Ivan-chai: how to collect and make tea at home

The benefits of brewed fireweed (also called Ivan-tea) have been known since time immemorial. And recently it has become much more popular than ordinary store-bought tea. After all, plants collected and dried with their own hands bring not only physical healing to the body, but also improve the state of mind, filling you with special energy.

The main criterion for collecting willow-tea is the ecologically clean area in which it grows. Choose places away from roads, majorsettlements and industrial enterprises. This plant is collected during the period of active flowering, and you can collect not only flowers, but also upper leaves. The collected raw materials are washed in running water, laid out on clean sheets of paper and dried in the shade for a day.

The next stage of harvesting is the organization of the fermentation process. To do this, slightly dried leaves and flowers are folded into any glass container, covered with a damp towel and sent to a dark and cool place for 36-48 hours. Then Ivan-tea is dried in the oven, cooled and transferred to tin or glass jars for storage. It is important to periodically stir the contents of the jars to avoid the process of mold and decay.

Brewing Ivan tea is very simple. It is enough to pour 2 teaspoons of the dried plant with a glass of boiling water and wait 10-25 minutes. If desired, you can add fresh or dried fruits and berries.

Secrets of delicious tea

Did you know that fruit trees are specially planted on tea plantations? Pear, plum, apricot and peach are especially often used. This is done so that in the process of growth the tea is saturated with pleasant fruity aromas, absorbing the energy of trees during the flowering period.

Another rather surprising fact about tea is the ancient Indian custom associated with its collection. If you believe the old stories, then before this difficult process was entrusted only to young girls who had not reached the age of puberty. Moreover, cutting off the shoots, it was impossible to touch them with your fingers.- only two nails. Only such tea was considered truly tasty and of high quality.

In closing

So, today we introduced you to the methods of harvesting tea depending on its variety, talked about the intricacies of collecting and drying tea leaves, and also shared the secrets of getting a truly tasty and fragrant drink. Now you can easily treat your guests with Ivan-tea decoction prepared with your own hands, as well as surprise you with stories about ancient tea traditions and how to make tea correctly, over a cup of fragrant and he althy drink.