What is the name of tea from. Useful properties of tea. The use of tea in the food industry and cooking

Basic classification of tea

Teas are divided into many varieties according to various characteristics. Understanding all the diversity is quite simple if you know the main types of classification.

According to the type of tea bush 🌺 there are three types of teas: 🌾🌽🌱

• Chinese variety - it includes Chinese, Japanese teas, Darjeeling, Formosan, Vietnamese, Georgian teas.
• Assamese variety - Indian, Ceylon, African and other teas.
• The Cambodian variety is a hybrid of the Assamese and Chinese varieties grown in parts of Indochina.

Classification of teas by processing method

There are many ways to process tea, including curing, drying, rolling, fermenting, and so on.
Depending on them, many teas are obtained, the names of which are most often associated with color.

Green teas- rich in vitamins and nutrients, high in caffeine. They have a soft infusion from yellowish to green in color, with a bright aroma and rich taste. Various types of black teas are very popular in Russia (in China, black tea is called red). This is the most fermented tea that goes through the maximum number of operations before being sold. White teas are distributed almost exclusively in China, they are made from tender, half-blown leaves.

White tea can be attributed to the rarest and most expensive teas, moreover, it is a very sensitive product for transportation and storage. The production process includes only withering and drying. As a result of brewing various varieties of white teas, a drink with a floral aroma and a surprisingly pleasant taste is obtained. In terms of healing properties, white tea has no equal among other teas.

yellow teas- are close in their characteristics to green. Produced only in the Chinese province of Fujian.

Oolong teas (oolongs) in terms of the degree of fermentation, they are between green and black tea. In our country, this type of tea is also called red. They have a unique taste, which brought them popularity.

Puer- pressed tea, made using a special technology from green tea. Typically, pu-erh teas come in various pressed forms - tiles, bricks, cakes, etc.

By country of origin - teas from different countries

Only a few countries grow most of the world's tea.

The birthplace of tea, China supplies more than a quarter of the total volume to the world market. Here they produce both black and green teas, popular all over the world, and pu-erh and oolong teas made only in China, as well as white and yellow teas.

The second place in production is occupied by India, which mostly produces black, mainly cut and granulated teas. The volume of green tea production in the country is not very large. Also in India, elite Darjeeling tea is produced, grown on highland plantations.

About 10% of the world's tea is grown in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Ceylon teas are very similar to Indian teas.

Japan produces exclusively green tea, mostly for its own consumption - only some popular varieties are exported.

The largest supplier of African tea is Kenya.

Teas are also grown in Uganda, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and other former British colonies.
Tea began to be produced here by English colonists in the 19th century, having brought it from India.

In Africa, only black teas are made.

Type of tea leaf

• High-grade whole-leaf teas;
• Medium grade teas;
• Low grade ground teas;
• Explanation of abbreviations;

According to the method of additional processing

• Fermentation;
• Unfermented tea- it is white and green;
• Semi-fermented- these are yellow, red (oolongs), and blue (purple) teas;
• fermented tea- it's black;
• Smoking;
• Roasting.

By additives in the composition of tea

• With aromatic additives and essential oils (flavored teas);
• With the addition of dried berries and fruits (fruit teas);
• Various mixtures and variations with the addition of flowers and herbs.

For additives, various essential oils, fruits and berries are used.
Tea with bergamot, jasmine is popular, lotus flowers and roses, orange and cherry, as well as various artificial additives, can also be used.

herbal teas

• Chamomile;
• Currant;
• Rose hip;
• St. John's wort;
• Thyme;
• Oregano;
• Mint;
• Kudin;
• Hibiscus;
• Honeybush;

Herbal teas are not only pleasant, but also healthy drinks, each of which can be used both for drinking and for the treatment of various diseases.

Hibiscus tea is made from hibiscus and has many healing properties, for which it is called the “cure for all diseases” in Arab culture. It is used in cold and hot form.

Mate tea is a popular variety of herbal tea from Latin America, which is made from Paraguayan holly. It is drunk from a special calabash with the help of a bombilla tube.

Rooibos tea is a type of African tea made from the plant of the same name. It is a pleasant and healthy drink with beneficial effects on health, without caffeine and high in antioxidants.

As you know, everything new is a well-forgotten old. This expression is the best suited to the topic of today's article. Herbal, fruit and flower teas are growing in popularity, and it's not just about fashion. Very often, those who seriously care about their health give up traditional teas and coffees and switch to herbal teas. The motivation is simple: "regular" tea contains a high content of caffeine and tannin - substances that stimulate nervous system. In addition, few people follow the instructions of tea masters and brew tea leaves correctly - alas, tea leaves that have stood for 2-3 days are not uncommon in our kitchens, and such tea cannot be called tasty and healthy. Yes, and tea can be given to children only after 2-3 years.

Another thing is the good old herbal teas. It was them that our ancestors drank some 500 years ago, before real tea appeared in our country. Strictly speaking, an infusion or decoction of herbs, roots or flowers should not be called tea, because it is not made from the leaves of a tea bush. But we won't be too picky.

Herbal teas are very different: vitamin, healing, cooling or, conversely, warming, fragrant and not very, but in any case, they are all useful. And most importantly - you yourself can collect and compose your own unique tea, you just need to know some important rules. Going for the right grass, remember that nature is very vulnerable - do not tear everything in a row, leave a part of the grass at the place of collection for its renewal. When collecting leaves (strawberries, raspberries, stone fruits, blackberries), cut only a few leaves from the branch, and you need to collect them fully unfolded. When collecting flowering plants such as mint, St. John's wort, thyme, oregano, always leave some plants with flowers for seed to ripen. Jasmine, wild rose, linden flowers should be collected only when fully bloomed. Pick berries and fruits when they are fully ripe. The best time to collect raw materials is the beginning of flowering or the full flowering of the plant. Grass should be harvested in dry weather, immediately after the dew has gone.

Drying herbs is also a science. The collected herbs are dried in a shaded room (under a canopy, in the attic or in a well-ventilated room), until completely dry. Never let the grass rot. Blackened grass should not be consumed!

. Herbs containing essential oils (oregano, calamus, thyme, etc.) should be dried slowly at a temperature of 30-35ºС. This is necessary in order to essential oil didn't evaporate.
. Herbs containing glucosides (tansy, mint, adonis, St. John's wort, coltsfoot) are dried in a dryer at a temperature of 50-60ºС.
. Fruits (rosehip, blackcurrant, barberry, mountain ash), containing a lot of vitamin C, are dried in a dryer at a temperature of 80-90ºС.

It is necessary to store finished raw materials in paper or linen bags, away from strong-smelling products, preferably each type separately. Scented herbs can be stored in glass or ceramic jars with tight-fitting lids. On each bag or jar, be sure to attach a label with the name of the herb and the time of collection. The shelf life of leaves, flowers and herbs is 1-2 years, fruits and berries - 3-4 years, bark and rhizomes - 2-3 years.

Another important skill in making herbal teas is picking a bouquet of herbs. You can, of course, make tea from any one herb, but who will refuse the opportunity to conjure over a teapot? If you use aromatic herbs (mint, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, etc.), then it is advisable to include only one of them in the mixture. Otherwise, the aromas can destroy each other or, even worse, merge into an unpleasant smell. That's why the best option maybe mixing several neutral herbs with one fragrant one.

You also need to know how to brew herbal tea. If you are preparing tea from flowers, then they need to be brewed in a large porcelain teapot with water boiled with a “white key” and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. The leaves can also be brewed with boiling water, or you can boil for 3-5 minutes, but many useful substances will disappear. Dry berries before brewing should be crushed, pour boiling water and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. The roots, bark and coarse parts of plants are finely cut, put in cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, then let it brew for 10-15 minutes. Properly brewed herbal tea has a wonderful aroma, rich taste and bright color, and is also just a storehouse of nutrients. It can even be said that herbal teas can be considered a food product, because they contain a huge amount of biologically active substances: enzymes, vitamins, organic acids, micro and macro elements, etc.

All herbal teas can be conditionally divided into vitamin and medicinal. As the name implies, vitamin herbal teas can be safely drunk all year round as much as you like and at any time, but you need to be careful with medicinal teas. Such teas are prescribed by doctors, and you can drink them for a limited time. Herbs that are part of medicinal tea may have contraindications for certain diseases.

In the morning, you can drink a tonic vitamin tea, consisting of strawberry leaves, angelica, lemongrass, lavender, leaves and flowers of clover, lovage, etc.
. In the evening, on the contrary, you need to drink soothing herbal teas - St. John's wort, raspberry leaves, peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, Ivan tea, cherry leaves, primrose, etc.
. In winter and early spring, it is good to prepare multivitamin herbal teas from raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, nettle, carrot, barberry, rosehip, sea buckthorn, mountain ash leaves.
. But in the summer it is best to drink tea from fresh herbs and leaves - this is the best time for "live" vitamins.

Here are some sample recipes for collecting vitamin herbal teas.

Cowberry: 2 g heather flowers, 2 g rosehip leaves, 10 g strawberry leaves.

Rowan: 30 g rowan berries, 5 g raspberries, 2 g currant leaves.

Strawberry: 10 g strawberry leaves, 2 g mint, 2 g St. John's wort.

Primrose tea: 5 g of primrose leaves, 5 g of St. John's wort.

Rosehip honey tea: 20 g of rose hips, 15 g of honey, 5 g of lemon juice.

Vitamin: 20 g of rose hips, 10 g of rowan fruits, 5 g of oregano leaves.

Restorative: 3 g strawberry leaves, 3 g blackberry leaves, 3 g black currant leaves, 10 g thyme, 10 g St. John's wort. 1 tbsp mix brew 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes.

General strengthening No. 2: 6 g of rose hips, 6 g of sea buckthorn, 2 g of centaury herb, 2 g of licorice root, 3 g of dandelion root, 20 g of honey.

General strengthening No. 3: 30 g rose hips, 20 g blueberries, 10 g bird cherry berries, 30 g nettle leaves. 1 tbsp mix brew 200 ml of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, leave for 1 hour. Drink with honey.

General strengthening No. 4: 30 g of rose hips, 10 g of lingonberry leaves, 30 g of nettle, honey. 1 tbsp mixture pour 400 ml of boiling water, cook for 10 minutes, insist in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink hot. This tea is contraindicated for constipation.

Medicinal herbal teas are used only on the recommendation of a doctor and under his supervision. Doses and the number of herbs in the collection of medicinal teas are not strictly mandatory, it depends on the state of health and your well-being, they can be reduced, but you should not increase them. Unlike vitamin teas, which can be drunk at any time of the day or night, medicinal herbal teas are consumed 20-30 minutes before meals. The prepared tea can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Usually medicinal teas are prepared in a water bath. To do this, the dishes with the collection filled with boiled water are placed in a vessel with slightly boiling water and boiled. Infusions are prepared in a water bath for 15 minutes, decoctions - 30 minutes. Then the medicinal tea is removed from the fire and infused: infusions - 10-15 minutes, decoctions - 30 minutes. After that, the resulting tea is drained, the remaining raw materials are squeezed out and all the liquid is filtered through gauze. Then the finished medicinal tea is topped up with boiled water to the original volume.

The judicious use of natural remedies will help alleviate your condition and get rid of the disease. However, you should not self-medicate, exceed the indicated doses of herbs and use unknown herbs. It is fraught with poisoning!

Here are some herbal tea recipes.

Diuretic tea: 5 g sainfoin, 5 g St. John's wort, 5 g black currant leaves.

Blueberry tea (for colitis): 2 g blueberries, 2 g chamomile flowers, 2 g peppermint, 2 g nettle leaves.

Sweating tea: 10 g of raspberries, 10 g of linden flowers. 1 tbsp mixture brew 2 stack. boiling water, insist 5 minutes, drink hot.

Healing tea for colds: 10 g of chamomile flowers, 10 g of linden flowers, 10 g of black elderberries, 10 g of peppermint. 1 tbsp brew the mixture with a glass of boiling water, wrap for 30 minutes, strain. Drink hot.

Breast tea: 40 g of coltsfoot leaves, 30 g of plantain leaf, 30 g of licorice root. 1 tbsp mixture brew 2 stack. boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 2 tbsp. every 3 hours. This tea helps to get rid of phlegm in the lungs.

Warm tea: 10 g ginger, 10 g cinnamon, 10 g cloves. 1 tsp mix brew 200 ml of boiling water, insist a little. Ginger improves blood circulation, has antiseptic, expectorant, stimulating properties. This tea is very peculiar, sharp.

Calming tea: 10 g of lemon balm leaves, 10 g of veronica leaves, 30 g of strawberry leaves, 40 g of hawthorn fruit. 1 tbsp mix brew 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 5-7 minutes. Drink with honey.

Calming tea #2: 30 g strawberry leaves, 20 g peppermint, 40 g hawthorn fruit. The mixture is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe.

Calming Tea #3: 10 g of peppermint, 10 g of lemon balm, 10 g of valerian root, 10 g of leaves and flowers of prickly tartar. 1 tbsp pour 200 ml of boiling water over the mixture, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Drink half a glass 3 times a day.

Calming Tea #4: 10 g peppermint, 10 g motherwort, 10 g valerian root, 10 g hop seedlings. The mixture is brewed and taken in the same way as in the previous recipe.

Separately, it must be said about herbal teas for weight loss. Such teas gradually restore metabolism, promote the breakdown of fat, remove toxins. Of course, you will not achieve a miraculous instant effect, but by taking herbal tea for weight loss for a long time, you will significantly improve the general condition of the body.

Multivitamin tea for weight loss: 30 g of buckthorn bark, 10 g of dandelion root, 10 g of parsley fruit, 10 g of peppermint. 1 tbsp mix pour 200 ml of boiling water for 15 minutes. Take 2 tbsp. in the morning on an empty stomach for 2 months.

Rowan tea for weight loss: 70 g of rowan berries, 30 g of nettle leaves or wild rose. 1 tbsp mixture pour 400 ml of boiling water for 10 minutes, leave for 4 hours, strain. Take half a glass between meals 3 times a day.

Blackberry tea for weight loss: 80 g blackberry leaves, 10 g birch leaves, 10 g coltsfoot leaves. Pour boiling water over the entire mixture in a ratio of 1:20, leave for 15 minutes. Take 1 stack. before breakfast and lunch.

Tea for weight loss based on buckthorn bark: 30 g of buckthorn bark, 20 g of peppermint leaves, 30 g of nettle leaves, 10 g of calamus root. 1 tbsp pour 300 ml of boiling water over the mixture, leave for 4 hours, strain. Take half a glass 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Be careful! Teas for weight loss are contraindicated in case of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, general weakening of the body, urolithiasis, as well as during pregnancy and lactation.

And finally, a few words about the benefits and harms of herbal tea during pregnancy. The safety of herbal teas during pregnancy is controversial. Experienced herbalists claim that some of them can have a beneficial effect on the course of pregnancy and the condition of the fetus, but contraindications are also known. For example, chamomile tea can be drunk, but a little and infrequently - no more than one cup a day, but if there is a threat of miscarriage, this dose can be fatal. Teas containing ginseng, pennyroyal, black cohosh, mugwort, slippery elm, fennel, licorice (or licorice), fenugreek, sage, hops and wormwood are generally forbidden to drink during pregnancy. These herbs can tone the uterus and provoke a miscarriage. If you do not know exactly what the effect of a particular herb on uterine activity is, it is better not to risk it.

For pregnant women, vitamin herbal teas can be a good way out.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women: 10 g rose hips, 10 g black currants. 1 tbsp mixture pour 400 ml of boiling water. Leave for 40 minutes in a sealed container. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women No. 2: 10 g of rose hips, 10 g of raspberry leaves, 10 g of currant leaves, 10 g of lingonberry leaves. 2 tbsp collection, pour 200 ml of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, insist for 45 minutes. Drink half a glass 2 times a day.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women No. 3: 10 g rose hips, 10 g rowan fruits. 2 tbsp mixture pour 600 ml of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.

As for the kids, any vitamin herbal teas can be given to them, only, of course, diluting them by about half.

Happy tea!

Larisa Shuftaykina

tea bush branch

The classic pressed teas include Pu-erh from China's Yunnan province.

Extracted teas

As for the extracted teas, they are produced either in the form of a liquid extract, or in a dry, crystalline form (powder from one way or another dehydrated brewed tea), they are given common name instant teas. Its weak bouquet is usually made up for by aromatization.

granulated tea

Granulated tea. International marking - CTC(English) Cut, tear & curl) - tea, the leaves of which, after oxidation, are passed through rotating rollers with fine teeth, which cut and twist them. This slicing method produces less waste than traditional cutting. Not only the first two or three sheets are used as raw materials, but also the fourth and fifth sheets. CTC tea is brewed stronger and has a more tart flavor and brighter color, but less rich flavor than loose leaf teas. The method is used mainly in India and Ceylon. The volume of production of granulated tea is very high - in 1997, 87.9% of the total volume of finished products of the world's leading tea producers were CTC teas.

Tea bags

herbal teas

Exists large group drinks - herbal, berry, flower infusions, brewed leaves of other trees and shrubs, which are traditionally called teas, although they do not contain tea tree leaves themselves:

• Oregano tea
• Rooibos, aka Rotbush, aka Rooibos
• Koporye tea, prepared from Ivan-tea using a technology similar to real tea, including pre-drying, rolling, short-term enzymatic oxidation and final drying.
• and etc.

Many of them are very popular due to the combination of medicinal action and peculiar taste. Herbal tea today is called herbal tea.

Use

The tea drink is prepared mainly by brewing: dry tea is poured with hot water and infused for some time. The dosage of dry tea, steeping time and water temperature depend on the type of tea and tradition. In most traditions it is believed that the higher the degree of fermentation of tea, the higher the temperature of the water should be. Green, white and yellow teas are brewed with low temperature water (60-80 °C), black teas are brewed with boiling water, the oolong brewing temperature varies depending on the fermentation. Pu-erhs are brewed with boiling water or even brewed, like coffee: pour tea into cold water and bring it to a boil over a fire). The amount of dry tea per serving of the drink ranges from approximately 0.5 to 2.5 teaspoons.

In any tradition, making and drinking tea usually involves the following steps:

• general preparation for tea drinking,
• measuring and preparing the brew,
• water heating,
• preparation of dishes for brewing,
• brewing,
• tea spill,
• actually drinking tea.

Each more or less isolated tea-consuming geographical area or country has formed its own "tea traditions", differing in the way of preparation, circumstances and order of drinking tea. These traditions were observed more or less strictly in the past, and they are still being followed to varying degrees.

China

Tea drinking in China

In China, they drink all types of teas, but mostly green, yellow and oolong teas, including additionally flavored ones. The consumption of black teas is small, most of them are exported. Tea is drunk hot, in small sips, without sugar and other additives, since additives, according to the Chinese, barbarously distort the taste of the drink.

Tea is a common daily drink for the Chinese, and there are many traditions in Chinese culture associated with drinking tea on certain occasions. Joint drinking of tea is considered to be a kind of “rallying act” of a family or team; the offer of a cup of tea can be interpreted in different situations as a sign of respect, an apology and a request for reconciliation, a demonstration of gratitude. It is curious that, according to tradition, tea should be served by the younger (by age or position) to the elders, but not vice versa.

Tea is brewed in large teapots made of porcelain, faience or clay with a plug-in strainer, where tea leaves are placed, insisted, and then poured into cups or bowls. For individual tea drinking, as well as for tea sampling, a gaiwan can be used - a small (usually no more than 250 ml) bowl with an extension at the top and a lid, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the upper part of the bowl. Tea is brewed in a gaiwan and drunk from it: the lid moves slightly, forming a small gap with the walls of the bowl, and tea is either drunk directly from the gaiwan or poured into a separate drinking cup. The minimum gap between the lid and the bowl ensures the preservation of the aroma of tea and prevents tea leaves from entering the drinking cup (or into the mouth of the person drinking the tea).

In China, a large number of various hybrids of a small teapot and a gaiwan are produced, one of the types of which is the brewing tea mug, which is now widely used in Russia - a tall mug with a handle and a lid, in which a glass-strainer for tea is enclosed. It is devoid of the main inconvenience of gaiwan - the need to hold the lid and maintain a gap between the lid and the wall of the bowl.

On solemn occasions (at official receptions, special occasions, as well as simply as an attraction for tourists) tea drinking can take place in accordance with a set of special rules. Such a formalized tea drinking is called "Chinese tea ceremony".

Japan

Tea ceremony

The Japanese drink mostly green tea, less often yellow. Yellow teas are brewed in Chinese style, in gaiwan, insisting no more than 2 minutes. Green teas are drunk both in the usual leaf form and in the form of a powder. In the second case, tea leaves are ground in a porcelain mortar before brewing. The normal amount of tea leaves for 200 g of water is 1 teaspoon of powder (or 1.5-2 tablespoons of leaf tea). Tea is brewed in porcelain globular teapots, often, according to Chinese custom, with tea strainers. The water temperature for brewing tea does not exceed 60 ° C, the brewing time does not exceed 4 minutes. Under such conditions, tea cannot be fully extracted, but the drink retains a maximum of aroma, which the Japanese value most of all in it. The tea has a faint, pale green color. It is drunk slowly, in small sips, without sugar or other additives. Traditional Japanese cups do not have handles, and their volume is small, from about 50 to 150 ml.

Tea in Japan accompanies every meal. It is drunk before meals and after meals, usually washed down with rice. In addition to everyday tea drinking, tea is drunk during the Japanese tea ceremony. In such cases, a special, ceremonial tea is prepared. The leaves are ground into a fine powder, which is brewed at the rate of approximately 100 g of tea per 500 ml of water. The resulting drink has the consistency of liquid sour cream, it is very tart and extremely aromatic.

Unlike the Chinese, who believe that tea can only be drunk hot, the Japanese also willingly drink cold green tea.

Tibetan nomadic tradition

Tibetans use brick green tea. In strongly brewed tea (50-75 g per liter of water), 100-125 g of melted yak butter and salt are added. The resulting mixture is hot whipped until a homogeneous thick drink is obtained.

Tibetan tea is unique in taste, very nutritious and has a strong tonic effect. It restores strength very well and relieves fatigue, which is extremely important when hiking in the mountains. At least until the 20th century, Tibet retained a measure of the distance traveled on foot in the mountains, expressed in bowls of tea. Three large bowls are equal to about 8 km of the way in the mountains. Tibetan tea is drunk not only in Tibet, but also in the neighboring highlands.

In the Tibetan tradition, milk tea is an indispensable attribute of hospitality. The guest is poured a full bowl of tea, from which it is customary to drink no more than half during the conversation; when the guest's bowl is empty, the host pours tea for him. When the guest gets drunk, he simply puts a full bowl after the next addition. Thus, while the feast continues, the bowl cannot be empty. Immediately before leaving, the guest should drink the tea remaining in his bowl to the bottom, thereby demonstrating gratitude and pleasure from the treat.

Ways of preparing and drinking tea similar to the Tibetan ones were developed by the steppe peoples, who were mainly engaged in cattle breeding: Mongols, Turkmens, Kirghiz, Kalmyks. As in Tibet, tea among these peoples is made from brick green tea with salt. Other ingredients are milk (cow, sheep or camel), butter or cream, sometimes flour or small cereals overcooked with butter. Very little water is used during brewing, and sometimes, if clean water is not found, tea is simply brewed with milk.

Thailand

Thai tea

Thai tea, also known as Thai iced tea or "Cha-yen" (Thai: ชาเย็น), is a strong brewed red tea with anise, red-yellow paint, sometimes other spices, sweetened with sugar and condensed or whole milk and chilled with ice . Milk is added to tea just before drinking. In Thailand, this tea is served in a traditional tall glass and sold in a transparent plastic bag with ice.

India and Sri Lanka

The custom of tea drinking was borrowed by the inhabitants of India and Ceylon from the British. Until the 19th century, only Buddhist monks drank tea in India. Tea has never been a mass traditional drink, as in England or Russia, in these countries, and it is not even now. Used in India and Sri Lanka mainly masala tea: black tea, which is served with sugar, milk and spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc.), and sugar and spices are added to the water before boiling it. The brewing rate is 1.5-2 tablespoons per glass, tea is brewed in one step, immediately filling the kettle with water completely.

Prepare in India and iced tea. To do this, brew 3 teaspoons of tea for 300-350 ml of water, cool, pour the infusion into a glass with a volume of 0.5 liters, filling the remaining volume with ice and lemon (half a lemon in slices, or squeezed juice of a whole fruit), add sugar.

Africa

"Mint tea"

The details of the cooking process vary from place to place. Usually attaya is brewed once, there is also a tradition of brewing the same tea three times, in this case, after pouring the first portion, water is added to the teapot, fresh mint is added, boiling is repeated, then sugar is put, brought to a boil again, after which the drink is poured in the same way as the first time. The third time, the preparation follows the same pattern as the second. At the same time, each next tea leaves put more mint and sugar. The first brew is very strong and tart, the last one is the sweetest and most minty. Attaya tea is quite popular, it is served in catering establishments, and is also available cold, in jars.

Fruit tea

Sweden

Central and South America

In the Central and South America tea is not very popular. In these countries, the drink mate is more popular, as is tea brewed from pieces of dry leaves, which contains similar alkaloids. Latin American tea is a cold drink that is prepared either from mate or from a mixture of black and green long leaf tea in a 2: 3 ratio. Lemon juice and zest are added to the brewed and chilled tea, after which ice and diced pineapple soaked in rum and sprinkled with powdered sugar are poured into it.

Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, the tradition of tea drinking has firmly entered the culture and life of the population. Most people drink black tea with milk. There are special recipes for brewing tea. Tea is served in bowls. Tea is the most widely consumed drink in Kazakhstan. Not a single feast is complete without tea. In Kazakhstan, according to statistics, 22 thousand tons of tea or 1.34 kilograms of tea per person per year are consumed, which is twice as much as in Russia, but 1.89 times less than in England.

Kyrgyzstan

Tea traditions in Kyrgyzstan depend on the region. IN northern regions the Russian separate method of brewing tea with the addition of milk is used. In the Issyk-Kul region people often drink salted tea. In the southern regions, tea is drunk like in Uzbekistan, without milk, green tea is also popular. In public establishments in the south, sugar is not served with tea.

Uzbekistan

The tea tradition of Uzbekistan has some characteristic features. Uzbeks mostly drink green tea (black tea is more popular only in Tashkent). Any meal begins and ends with tea, and the order of serving dishes is the opposite of the traditional European one - sweets, pastries, dried fruits are served first, and only then comes pilaf and other heavy and fatty foods, after which tea is served again.

Tea is brewed in porcelain teapots. The teapot is warmed up or rinsed with boiling water, tea leaves are poured into it, immediately filled with water by a quarter, after 2 minutes - half, after another 2-3 minutes - boiling water is poured over the teapot and topped up to ¾, and after another 3 minutes - topped up. Before drinking, tea is poured several times (at least three times) - poured into a bowl and poured back into the teapot. This is called "marry tea". It is believed that in this way the tea is better mixed and more fully releases the substances contained in it. They drink tea from bowls.

An interesting feature of the Uzbek tradition of tea drinking is the inverse relationship between the amount of tea poured into a bowl to a guest and the attitude of the hosts towards him - the more respected the guest is, the less tea the owner pours into the bowl. The normal amount is about a third of the bowl, for a few sips, but with great respect they can pour even less. The basis of this tradition is that in Uzbekistan, as often as possible, turning to the hosts for more is considered a manifestation of the guest's respect for the house. By pouring a minimum of tea, the host gives the guest the opportunity to respect the house without unnecessary difficulties, and also shows that he himself is not a burden to once again serve the guest. An uninvited, unwanted guest is poured a full bowl.

An indispensable element of life in Uzbekistan is a teahouse, which is called here a teahouse (Uzb. choikhona) - this is a place for everyday communication, business negotiations, and for breakfast and lunch.

Iran

The Iranian way of drinking tea is common in Iran itself and in the border regions of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Iraq. Here they drink black tea (local or Chinese), medium or strong brewed. The peculiarity of the Iranian method is in the utensils used. Tea is drunk from ormuds (other pronunciations are armud, armuda) - special vessels such as a small flower vase (a jug with a “waist”) made of glass. Tea in ormud is visible through the light, so its “correct” shade is especially appreciated - the drink should have a bright cognac color with a reddish or raspberry tint, and it must be transparent. They drink it in small sips, with crushed sugar. Usually tea is flavored with ginger or cinnamon, which is put directly into ormuds.

England

The British are considered the most tea-drinking nation in the world - on average, one person has 2530 g of tea per year (more than four times more than the average for Russia) (see). Tea is drunk at least three times a day: for breakfast, at one in the afternoon and at five in the evening. Traditional English tea drinking is not much inferior to the Japanese tea ceremony in terms of the degree of formalization. It grew mainly out of the Five o'clock Tea tradition (see History section). At present, the exact adherence to this tradition can only be found in a few of the best tea houses - due to the increased pace of life, everyday tea drinking in families and most establishments Catering greatly simplified, up to 90% of tea consumed in England now is packaged.

For an English traditional tea party, a table, service, tea, and snacks are required. The table is ordinary, covered with a tablecloth, preferably white, with blue shades. On the table there must be a small vase with fresh flowers, preferably white color. Napkins, cloth or paper to match the tablecloth. A set of dishes includes a tea pair, a dessert plate, a teaspoon, a fork and a knife for each participant, as well as a teapot (large - one for all, or small ones - individually for each), a jug of boiling water, a milk jug with milk or cream, a strainer on a stand , sugar bowl with refined sugar, preferably white and brown. Dishes should be of the same type, from the same service. You also need a fabric cover for the teapot (tea-cosy).

Tea is offered to guests to choose from several varieties, among which are obligatory Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong, Assamese, Darjeeling. Various mixtures may be offered. It is considered prestigious for the host to offer guests his own mixture.

English tea snacks are traditional English pastries, such as gingerbread, teacakes (fried raisin rolls), large-mesh waffles, as well as various creams, jams, butter and salt - everything that can be put or spread on pastries. Sugar is taken from the sugar bowl with special tongs. Pastries are eaten from plates with a knife and fork.

Tea is brewed at the rate of one teaspoon of tea per person, plus one more spoon. After the tea leaves fall asleep, water is poured into the kettle (immediately for the entire volume, or in two steps - first up to half, then completely). After infusion for several minutes, tea is poured into cups, after which it is immediately filled with water again, closed with a cover and left to infuse while the tea party drink the first cup. It is not forbidden to fill the kettle again after pouring the second portion of tea, if the quality of the tea allows it.

The British often drink tea with milk. There is no consensus on whether milk should be added to tea or tea to milk, but it is believed that this somehow affects the taste of the drink. According to one opinion, the tradition of first pouring milk into cups arose due to the fact that in the past, porcelain could not withstand a sharp change in temperature and sometimes cracked. George Orwell, in his essay A Great Cup of Tea, recommended pouring tea first, not milk.

Russia

Russians drink mainly black tea, the share of consumption of green and other types is no more than a few percent. It is believed that weak tea is preferred in Russia - the Soviet norm for laying tea for catering establishments was 4 g per liter, which is several times less than the English norm, but in reality, individual tastes regarding brewing here can vary greatly. In Russia, tea can be served at the end of a meal, sometimes separately from it. Tea is served with pastries or confectionery - thus, tea replaces dessert.

Traditionally in Russia, water for tea was boiled in a samovar, capable of keeping the water hot for a long time, as well as heating the teapot for better tea extraction. Now samovars are almost never used, water is boiled in a metal kettle on the stove or using an electric kettle.

For ceremonial and formal tea parties, porcelain or faience tea pairs are served with a cup not big size. Following the English custom, in such cases they prefer to serve tea utensils from one service, although, in principle, etiquette does not prevent the tea table from being served with utensils. various shapes and colours. In everyday home tea drinking, tea is drunk from cups and mugs, often quite large. In some places, the tradition of pouring hot tea from a cup into a saucer and drinking from it is preserved. The railroads retained the custom of serving tea in a glass cup set in a cup holder.

A feature of Russian tea drinking is the two-tea brewing: tea is brewed in a separate porcelain or faience “teapot” teapot much stronger than it is customary to drink. In a preheated teapot for 500-600 ml of volume, 5-6 tablespoons of dry tea or more are placed, depending on the number of participants in the tea party. The kettle is filled with boiling water for 1/3 - 1/2 and brewed for 4-5 minutes, after which you need to add the kettle to the top and you can start drinking tea. Concentrated brew is diluted with boiling water directly when pouring into cups, adjusting the strength of the drink to taste. Sometimes, after a single bottling, the tea leaves are refilled with boiling water and infused, but not more than once and only if the quality of the tea is sufficient.

Depending on individual tastes, sugar, lemon, honey, jam can be added to tea (directly into the cup). Sometimes tea is drunk with milk or cream. Balsam, cognac or rum can also be added to tea. There is a drinking of tea with “bite” sugar: they drink unsweetened tea, while holding a small piece of hard sugar in their mouth so that the sugar is “washed” with tea, or they simply bite off a piece of sugar little by little, washing down sugar crumbs with tea. In the past, drinking "bite" was a tribute to economy, now it is sometimes practiced by tea drinkers, who believe that adding sugar directly to the drink spoils its taste.

The drink chifir (chifir) is also prepared from tea, which is a very strong, often additionally boiled, black tea, which has a distinct psychoactive and stimulating effect, distributed mainly among prisoners.

Korea

Tea came to Korea from China in the 7th-8th centuries.

Koreans prepare tea in dishes similar to Chinese ones, and the sequence of brewing tea is as follows: first, boiling water is poured into a large cup (bowl), then tea, mostly green, is poured with a bamboo spoon.

Fruit teas are traditional in Korea, such as yucha tea made from yuzu.

Making tea in a capsule machine

The action of tea

The effect of tea on the mental state and performance of a person is well known: tea acts as a remedy that simultaneously calms, relieves drowsiness, increases overall performance, relieves headaches and fatigue, promotes creative thinking. Unlike a number of other tonics, including coffee, cocoa, or pure caffeine, tea is long lasting, mild, and does not cause adverse cardiovascular effects at normal doses.

Tea acts on the nervous system, mostly indirectly. Only one group of substances acts directly on the cerebral cortex - xanthines, which facilitate the process of thinking. Alkaloids - caffeine in combination with tannin, theobromine, theophylline and some others - in a normal dose have a calming effect, not increasing, but, on the contrary, removing the CNS excitation. The actual content of caffeine in tea is very low: although dry tea contains more caffeine than coffee beans, it takes noticeably less to brew than coffee. Other substances contained in tea act indirectly - through the cardiovascular and muscular system. The effect of increasing working capacity and efficiency of thinking occurs mainly due to improved oxygen supply to the brain, which occurs due to the effect of tea substances on blood vessels, heart and lungs. Removal of spasms of blood vessels, a general improvement in blood supply to the brain quickly relieves fatigue of nerve cells, and since it is usually responsible for the general feeling of fatigue ( modern man rarely really tired physically) - a person feels rested. This is also partly due to the effect of tea on the mental state in general - a person, feeling better, naturally becomes calmer and more complacent.

About the possible dangers of tea

Modern science has not revealed any obvious negative consequences of drinking normal tea (by “normal” here we mean, regardless of the type, a sufficiently high quality tea that has been properly stored, brewed correctly and not consumed in excessive quantities).

There are ideas about the harmful properties of tea that have not been confirmed by objective verification and, nevertheless, continue to circulate not only in the general public, but also in medical environment. In particular, statements can be found:

• Due to the presence of caffeine in its composition, tea is harmful to the heart and can be dangerous for patients with hypertension.
• Strong tea (or just tannin at a dose of 2.5-3 grams) can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and even constipation.
• Tea is a kind of soft drug.
• Tea, especially strong tea, has a bad effect on the skin, complexion, causes insomnia, urinary incontinence, physical weakness, nervous seizures, dizziness, and blurred vision.

All of the above can be rightfully considered untrue, of course, if we talk about normally brewed high-quality tea, and not about super-concentrated infusions, or, moreover, about chifir. Not in tea narcotic substances and compounds, with the exception of caffeine in extremely small doses. It is impossible to imagine addiction to tea as a narcotic, since a person can always easily refuse tea without experiencing the characteristic physiological manifestations of withdrawal, and addiction itself has a different nature: it is based on improving the general condition of a person who regularly drinks tea. Ready tea contains significantly less caffeine than coffee, and in combination with tannin, forming caffeine tannate. It acts on the heart and blood vessels much softer than pure caffeine, and is very quickly excreted without accumulating in the body. As noted above, tea has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system and is more useful for hypertensive patients than dangerous for them. The idea of ​​the negative effect of tannin on the work of the gastrointestinal tract was tested experimentally and was refuted. The very fact of the existence of entire nations, in which the constant consumption of tea is a national tradition, suggests that tea does not have a harmful effect.

The prejudice against strong black tea is also unfounded. Paradoxically, it is not strong black tea that is more harmful to the body, but, on the contrary, liquid, because, as noted by Professor S. D. Kislyakov, in such cases, the effect of a large amount of hot water ( not at all harmless) is manifested, and beneficial ones do not appear at all. properties of the tea itself.

Only low-quality tea, made with violations of technology, or stored next to harmful substances, can pose a real danger. Tea absorbs vapors of foreign substances extremely easily, and if stored together with pesticides, detergents or other harmful substances, it can become simply poisonous. Poisoning with such tea is especially dangerous because of the extremely difficult diagnosis. A gross violation of tea brewing technology can also be harmful to health. When tea is boiled, boiled, and the brew is heated for a long time, many beneficial substances of tea are destroyed, and usually insoluble alkaloids are released into the infusion, which can have a harmful, in particular, carcinogenic effect on health.

As studies have confirmed recent years, drinking excessively hot tea increases the likelihood of esophageal cancer. True, this does not mean the dangers of tea as such, but the dangers of a certain way of drinking it (drinking hot water is just as dangerous). According to the University of Tehran, warm tea (up to 65°C) is practically safe, the temperature of the drink above 65°C doubles the risk of esophageal cancer, above 70°C - eight times. To a certain extent, the habit of drinking tea with milk protects against danger - the addition of milk cools the drink. There is evidence that the risk of esophageal cancer is significantly higher if hot tea is drunk without any food.

Changing properties when adding milk

Various independent studies claim that when milk is added to tea, it loses a number of beneficial properties. In particular, the positive effect on the cardiovascular system disappears, the anti-cancer effect decreases due to a decrease in the level of antioxidants.

Tea based drinks

In addition to many recipes for tea drinks with various flavors and aromas, which can be considered variants of the tea drink itself, independent drinks are known in cooking, in which tea is used on an equal footing with other ingredients. Among them are:

Custard (egg tea) A popular drink in England made from tea, cream and egg yolks. Take 5-6 tablespoons of black Indian tea per liter teapot, pour 100 g of boiling water, then immediately - 500 g of boiling cream and leave for 10-12 minutes. Then, egg yolks (4-5 yolks and 125 g of sugar) previously ground and beaten with sugar, diluted with 0.5 cups of tea, are poured into the teapot and stirred with a spoon for several minutes to prevent the yolks from curdling. Then the resulting mixture is insisted for another 2-3 minutes. Drink immediately after preparation, hot. The drink has a unique taste and great nutritional value. Grog An alcoholic drink made from very strong tea, rum and sugar. According to one version, it was invented by English sailors after half of the traditional wine serving in the British Navy was replaced with tea. The name of the drink is associated with the nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon. There are many different recipes for grog. So, instead of rum, cognac, brandy or even vodka can be used, the ratio of tea and alcohol in the drink can also vary. Often grog is complemented with spices, in particular, cloves, cinnamon, pepper. Lemon or lime may also be added. In any case, for the "classic" grog, very strong black tea is brewed (approximately 50 g of dry tea per 750-1000 g of water), sugar with water and part of the rum is boiled until the sugar dissolves. The infused tea is mixed with syrup and the remaining rum. Spices can be added to the syrup while boiling, or directly into the finished drink. Grog is drunk hot. Strong grog has an extremely strong stimulating effect, activates cardiac activity and respiration, as a result of which it can be used as a prophylactic against colds in cases of severe hypothermia, for quick heating, to overcome (albeit for a short time) loss of strength and fatigue. Tea jelly Prepared from tea (both black and green or their mixture), fruit juice, sugar and starch. May be supplemented with vanilla, cloves or cinnamon. In tea of ​​a regular or slightly stronger strength (1-2 tablespoons of tea per glass), a large amount of sugar is added, after which starch is placed there; the mixture is stirred until thick and diluted with fruit juice. The drink is chilled and served cold.

Other Ways to Use Tea

Tea can be used not only for the preparation of drinks, it is used in many other ways in a variety of areas.

In medicine

The strong bactericidal effect of tea has been experimentally confirmed. Recipes for the use of tea in the form of a dry powder, leaves, extract or infusion for medical purposes have long been known, including for the treatment of ulcers, burns, washing festering eyes, stopping vomiting. The modern pharmaceutical industry produces caffeine from tea (including tea production waste), and vitamin P from coarse lower leaves. Vitamin P preparations are used, in particular, in the treatment of internal hemorrhages and radiation sickness. Tea extracts are used as a sedative and analgesic, replacing morphine in some cases.

In cooking

The widest culinary use, not related to the tea drink, tea finds in China and other countries of this region.

Powdered dry tea is used as a seasoning for a variety of dishes. It is curious that in China and Burma, the use of tea in cooking in combination with garlic is common. This not only combines the nutritional properties and bactericidal action of both seasonings, but also muffles the smell of garlic, which many consider unpleasant.

Fresh tea leaves are eaten raw as a salad in Burma, and in Tibet they are used as an ingredient in soups. In addition, in these regions, the so-called sour, or siloed tea is prepared. It has several names: leppet-so (in Burma), miang (in Thailand), pickled-tee (English name). In Burma and Thailand, this type of tea is the main one in terms of consumption. Freshly picked tea leaves (usually coarse lower ones, not used for making ordinary tea) are briefly processed in boiling water, dried in the air for several minutes, and then laid in a pit lined with bamboo or stuffed into large hollow bamboo trunks. The mass of leaves is compressed, placed under oppression and isolated from the air. In this form, it is aged from several days to six months. It is transported in a hermetically sealed container. Before use, the leaves are boiled for 1-2 minutes in salted water. They are used as a salad.

In the food and cosmetic industry

Methods have been developed for obtaining yellow, green and brown food dyes from tea. These dyes are used in the confectionery industry (in particular, for coloring marmalade and dragees), their advantage is in absolute naturalness and harmlessness to humans, moreover, tea food coloring contains vitamin P. In cosmetics, tea can also be used as a dye, for example, in the composition hair dyes.

Other applications

Tea oil is produced from the seeds of the tea plant. In composition and properties, it is close to olive oil, especially cold-pressed oil. Used in various industries. In particular:

• as a lubricating oil for high-precision instruments in instrumentation;
• in the food industry - as a substitute for olive oil (only cold-pressed oil);
• in soap making, hot-pressed oil containing saponin is used, due to which soap is obtained with good detergent and bactericidal properties, natural color.
• in the production of cosmetics.
• in the production of tea - for the impregnation of wooden containers, which makes it resistant to moisture and odors.

In China, not only oil, but also cakes of tea seeds containing 7-8% saponin, are used in powder form as a remedy for garden pests, harmless to plants and humans, as well as in the form of briquettes - for washing hair.

Story

Tea was originally used as a medicine. Its use as a drink became widespread during the Chinese Tang Dynasty.

Myths and legends associated with tea

The most famous English tea party is described by Lewis Carroll in Alice in Wonderland. Its members are Alice, the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. Illustration by J. Tenniel for the first edition of Alice, 1865

Until the middle of the 19th century, tea was bought exclusively in China, but as complications in trade with China grew, the British began to develop tea production in the Indian and then Ceylon colonies. It is from India that such famous varieties of tea as Assam and Darjeeling originate. Attempts were also made to grow tea in Africa, some of which were successful and led to the emergence of African (primarily Kenyan) tea. By 1887, the production of the colonies exceeded Chinese purchases. It is curious that coffee was originally grown in Ceylon, but after the death of coffee plantations from a fungus in 1869, it was decided to reorient them to tea. Tea was brought into the UK by clippers. After the opening of the Suez Canal, the speed of delivery has increased dramatically, and its cost has fallen. Since 1870, Twinings has been producing blended (blended) teas, forming the famous English varieties with a constant, recognizable taste, based mainly on Assam black tea: English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast and Prince of Wales.

At the same time, the formation of tea traditions, which the British associate with Queen Victoria, was underway. A great lover of tea, the queen turned its frequent use into a court tradition. She also created "Tea Moralities" - the English rules of tea etiquette, which served as the basis for the modern European tradition of drinking tea. One of the well-known British traditions that developed in the 19th century is five o’clock tea (“five o’clock tea”), an afternoon tea with tea and light snacks. Its most famous display in literature is the “crazy tea party” in the book “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll: the Crazy Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse mouse stopped at 5 o'clock, and now all this trinity must drink tea forever. Five-o-clock appeared in 1840 - Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, the queen's lady-in-waiting, introduced the fashion to have an additional afternoon tea between lunch and the traditionally late dinner in Britain. Anna Bedford had the idea to ask the butler to bring her tea, bread and butter at 5 o'clock, due to the fact that she was hungry long before dinner. Soon she began to invite her friends to visit her living room, making this a small new social significant event. When tea became more affordable in monetary terms, and in view of the fact that the growing middle class tried to imitate the habits of rich people, in the end, it finally became clear that tea drinking is in a good way to gather and entertain a few friends without having to spend too much money, and afternoon tea quickly became an English tradition.

Tea in Russia and the USSR

Main article: History of tea in Russia

Tea has been known in Russia since the 16th-17th centuries, first brought in the 17th century from China. Despite the absence of its own production and, as a result, the high cost, over the next two centuries tea became in fact a “national drink” in Russia, just like in Great Britain. In the 19th century, the first, not particularly successful attempts were made to organize their own tea production. After the October Revolution and the formation of the USSR, the task of developing its own cultivation and production of tea was set at the state level, which made it possible by 1970 to satisfy the USSR's demand for tea by 67-75% (in different years). With the collapse of the USSR, part of the tea production remained in the national republics, where it was, in most cases, abandoned. Domestic production was almost completely stopped, only a few enterprises remained, at present Russia consumes almost exclusively imported tea.

Tea consumption in Russia, which amounted to Soviet times about 1.2 kg per person per year, fell sharply in the 1990s and now reaches only 600 g per person per year. Nevertheless, Russia remains a tea-drinking country.

Tea in art and literature

Tea in Russian literature

The first mention of tea in Russian literature.

Antioch Cantemir, in the comments to his Second satire “On the envy and pride of the malevolent nobles” (written in Russia, went on lists, published in 1762) notes:

Everyone knows that the best tea (a fragrant and tasty leaf of a so-called tree) comes from China and that, putting a pinch of that leaf into hot water, water that becomes, by attaching a piece of sugar, a pleasant drink.

Tea in Russian painting

Tea harvest in 2003-2005

Collection of tea in 2005 - only 3400 thousand tons; China 27%; India 24%; Sri Lanka 9%; Kenya 9%; Türkiye 6%; Indonesia 5%; Balance 20%

Depending on the processing of the tea leaf, and only on this, black, green, red and yellow tea are distinguished.
Black tea is a leaf that has gone through all the stages of processing (withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, sorting).
Green only twisting and drying takes place. It is also called unfermented. Between them - yellow and red teas. This is a leaf that has been withered, partially fermented, rolled and dried.
Yellow tea is closer to green, red - to black. According to the nature of mechanical processing, black and green teas are divided into loose, pressed and extracted.

Loose or long leaf teas are the most popular. The name "bai" comes from the Chinese "bai-hoa" - "white eyelash". This is how tips are poetically called - a barely blossoming bud with a slight coating, which gives the tea a special subtlety. The more tips in loose tea, the higher the value of tea. Long leaf black teas are subdivided into leaf (large), broken (medium), small (cuttings, crumbs) and flower ones. Usually broken varieties contain a high proportion of younger shoots, while leafy varieties consist of more mature and stiff leaves. There is also a more complex single international classification leaf and broken tea, depending on the type of leaf.

Loose and broken teas:
"Flowery Pekoe" (Flowery Pekoe - "FP") - tea containing not too twisted sheets;
"Orange Pekoe" (Orange Pekoe - "OR") - the second leaves, giving an orange color;
"Peko" (Rekoe - "P") - tea containing thick, hard, not too twisted leaves;
"Pekoe souchong" (Pekoe Souchong - "PS") - tea containing the largest parts of the leaves.

Broken (medium) black teas:
"Broken Orange" (Broken Orange - "BOP") - tea with a significant admixture of leaf buds. Primary among broken teas;
"Broken Pekoe" (Broken Rekoe - "BP") - tea containing many leaf veins;
"Broken Pekoe Souchong" (Broken Pekoe Souchong - "BPS") - tea containing the largest parts of the leaves twisted into balls;
"Pekoe Dust" (Pekoe Dust) - the most crushed tea.

Small black teas:
"Fannings" (Fannings - "Fngs") - cuttings, powdered tea from old leaves;
"Dust" (Dust - "D") - a crumb, the most crushed tea, is used for packaging.

Flower teas:
Flower tea has no flower aroma and does not contain tea flowers (they are not used in tea production). This tea is of the highest grade, "super", with a very high content of tips, which has a very thin, persistent, surprisingly pleasant aroma and taste. These designations are usually indicated on the labels of imported teas.
On the packages there are also letter designations of tea quality characteristics:
"T" (tip - "tip") - tea of ​​the highest quality, obtained from unblown leaf buds or with a large number of their additives;
"F" (flowery) - flower tea containing young tea shoots;
"F" (fannings) - fine crushed sifting of cut tea leaves or prepared in the traditional way, giving a strong, strongly colored drink;
"O" (orange) - associated with the Dutch royal family of Orange - tea from the second leaves on a branch;
"B" (broken) - the so-called tea from broken or cut leaves, gives a strong infusion;
"G" (golden) - first-class tea with golden infusion;
"P" (pekoe) - tea from shorter and coarser leaves, the cheapest of vintage teas;
"S" (souchong) - tea containing the coarsest parts of the leaves, not very well twisted, gives a weak infusion;
blends of teas of the best grades (special) are also indicated.
In addition, the following notation is used:
"Orthodox", or "Leaf Tea" - leaf tea.
"Blended" - mixtures of different varieties;
"Pure" - pure, not blended tea.

Pressed teas produced from substandard raw materials (stalks, old leaves, tea dust) that occur during the processing of tea leaves at any tea factory. Larger residues are pressed into tiles and bricks, smaller ones are pelletized. Small teas are also used in bags.
Interestingly, we owe the idea of ​​​​producing tea bags to the importer from New York, Thomas Sullivan (1904). Wanting to save money when sending samples to customers, he decided not to pack them in metal jars, as was customary, but in silk bags. Since this was unfamiliar to the merchants, they decided that the bag should be placed directly into the cup, they liked it, and Sullivan began to order tea in such a package.
The first bags were made of silk or cotton, contained 2 g of tea, and the packaging was done by hand. Later, perforated cellophane began to be used for the manufacture of bags, and now a special paper that has been decolorized by oxidation is used, which does not affect the taste of the drink.
The whole packaging process is mechanized: specially designed machines are used that fill thousands of bags of any (round, square, pyramidal) shape every minute. Each bag contains an average of 2.27g of tea.

Extracted teas are produced in the form of a liquid extract or in a dry crystalline form. These are instant teas. They are produced in sealed packaging. Trade grades of tea differ from industrial. They are obtained by mixing various industrial grades. Some specialty teas are named after the one-of-a-kind blends they come in, from a time of day, or from the name of their creator. For example, "English Breakfast" (English Breakfast), "Afternoon Tea" (Afternoon Tea), "Earl Grey". Teas with herbal or fruit additives are not considered real tea.
The tradition of mixing teas of different origins has a long history in Russia. Centuries ago, before there was railways, tea from Asia was transported by camel caravans. The path was long and dangerous, the supply was fickle. Not wanting to lose an ounce of precious cargo, merchants mixed various incoming tea cargoes and sold the mixtures even more willingly than their individual components. This is how "Caravan" tea appeared, which had an excellent taste and was in great demand.
Blending, or blending, is a complex, delicate process that requires the hard work of people. rare profession who taste tea - titesters. They must have an unusually delicate taste and sense of smell and be able to perform a large amount of work at all times.
Tea firms usually have their own mixing recipes. For foreign tea-testers, the main thing is the taste of tea and the color of the boiled leaf. Our specialists identify five indicators: appearance, intensity of the infusion, aroma, taste and color of the boiled leaf. You can mix teas from one country and teas grown in different countries.
If you see "Made in China" on the box, it means that this mixture consists of different varieties grown in China. In the same way - in India, Sri Lanka, etc. Mixtures made up of tea varieties from different countries have special names, such as "Jubilee", "No. 36", "No. 300", "Merchant" and others.

Flavored teas can be obtained from all types of long leaf teas. Aromatization does not affect the biochemical composition of tea. As a result, tea acquires some one, additional, distinct aroma. Aromatize most often teas of medium quality and only sometimes high.
There are two ways to flavor. One, handmade, has been known since ancient times. Various fragrant flowers, roots, seeds of plants, such as jasmine, anise seeds, iris roots and kukurm are added to the finished tea. Tea, still warm after drying, is scattered in layers, interspersed with layers of flavors, mixed thoroughly. After a certain time, the flavor is manually selected from the tea. Then the tea is dried again and sometimes dry flavors are added - about 2.5 kg per 50 kg of tea. This is an expensive way. The second way is cheaper. This is aromatization with the help of synthetic essences that repeat the formula of their natural counterparts. The presence of flavors is indicated on the packaging.

Russian consumers are skeptical about artificial flavors. But experts from the Institute of Nutrition claim that essences are not harmful to health, and often surpass natural products in quality and taste. Internationally, the quality of tea is rated on a 10-point system, from "rarest" to "lowest". Between them - varieties "highest", "high", "good average", "average", "below average". On the territory of the CIS, mainly varieties "medium" and "below average" are sold.

Trade designations of grades - "highest", "first", "second", "third". As a rule, tea-producing countries and firms specialize in certain types and varieties of tea. Perhaps, only China produces everything, and red and yellow teas are generally made only here. Japan specializes mainly in long leaf green teas, while Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Russia produce only black teas. In Laos, there is blue tea, which is a kind of green tea. Large firms selling tea usually include the name of the company and variety in the name of the tea. In Russia, the name is given according to the area where tea grows, and the grade is indicated: "Krasnodar", "Georgian, extra", etc.

Today we will talk about pu-erh - one of the elite Chinese teas.

IN Lately this type of tea has gained great popularity, largely due to Basta's songs about the so-called "tea intoxication", which, in fact, is nothing more than the result of drinking a large amount of long-brewed tea (or boiling on fire), so that the output is racial Siberian chifir. However, an adequate person will not drink tea like that

A bit about the history of pu-erh.

Over time, it became widespread: it was used by emperors, wandering monks, and wealthy peasants. Pu-erh became most famous in the era of the Qing Dynasty, when the emperor himself gave this tea the highest rating in the All-China tea competition. At the same time, tea began to be delivered to the imperial court, and pu-erh and several other types of teas began to be called imperial.

Pu-erh is traditionally grown in Yunnan province, as is dian hong.

Traditionally, pu-erh is grown on the lands of Yunnan Province (this is in the Six Big Mountains tea"). Tea has been grown in this area since ancient times. It got its name thanks to the name of one of the counties of Puer, where tea was traditionally brought from all the surrounding territories with the aim of selling it at one of the local markets. According to legend, after one of the Chinese emperors first tried this Yunnan variety, he asked what this tea was called. He was told: "This is a simple tea, it was brought from Puer." “Come on, pour me this Puer of yours,” said the emperor. Since then, the tea, which was grown and produced in the Yunnan province, using a special method and bought in Puer, began to be called only that.

The history of the appearance of the variety is as follows: earlier, tea was always brought to the Chinese emperor only from the Yunnan province. But in those days there were no planes, trains or cars - tea leaves were delivered by horse-drawn carts, such delivery took a very long time.
During the long transportation, unprocessed tea leaves, which are afraid of dampness, as well as the sun, quickly deteriorated. How could such a problem be fixed?

Production technology

Useful material

Has one pu-erh interesting feature: over time, this tea, like a good cognac, only gets better. At the birth of a child, the Chinese laid a tile of pu-erh for storage. When it was time to get married or get married, the proceeds from the sale of aged tea, as a rule, were enough for the wedding. The price of pu-erh is growing every year.

What is puer made from?

In principle, a tea bush is the same tea tree, only in miniature, that is, ennobled. It's just that the tea tree is very difficult to climb, so it was constantly pruned, and as a result, over time, the tree became a shrub.

Plain tea is usually made from the leaves and buds of the tea bush, while pu-erh tea is usually made from the leaves of the tea tree. These trees grow mainly exclusively in the province of Yunnan and are preserved only there. The province is located in the south of China and there are excellent conditions suitable for their cultivation. Some tea trees on plantations in Yunnan province even reach 30 m in height, they are, if not 1000, then several hundred years for sure. Tea from these trees is highly valued.

Most often, the second and third leaves are harvested on young branches. In this case, the leaves are selected the largest and juiciest. After assembly, they are sorted, dried and heated in the sun. After that, these leaves are moistened with steam and kept for about a month at a certain temperature. During this time, under the influence of various bacteria, the fermentation process takes place. Tea leaves are oxidized, thanks to which many useful substances are obtained, as well as a specific taste and smell. Then the drying process begins. If you then immediately press the tea leaves, you get a “raw” pu-erh, it is very close in properties to green teas.

Almost all the processes that take place in such tea occur naturally, without any human intervention. The people of China call this pu-erh shen pu-erh.

Shu pu-erh is also called artificially aged tea, which, after several months of storage under certain conditions, becomes comparable in properties to sheng aged for several years.

By the way, I have my own small pu-erh shop where you can buy teas that I have tested. You can also sign up for a free tasting and consult in person.

How to brew pu-erh

In both cases, we need to boil the water first.

Pu-erh is brewed with about 95% water, unlike green or white tea, for which the ideal temperature is 70-80 degrees.

Unlike conventional brewing, the Lu Yu method can only brew tea once. It is also worth noting that only aged sheng or shu pu-erh is suitable for this. Young sheng prepared with Lu Yu's method will have an unpleasant bitter taste.

The tea brewing method called "Lu Yu method" was described in Cha jing (茶經, "tea canon") - the first ever treatise on tea and tea drinking, created during the Chinese Tang Dynasty (3rd quarter of the 8th century) " tea sage" named Lu Yu. Being raised in Buddhist monastery, Lu Yu sees in tea a symbol of harmony and unity of the universe.

To prepare tea with this method, it is best to use a transparent teapot that is designed for open fire.

While the water is boiling, it is necessary to rinse and soak the tea leaf. To do this, pour water at room temperature into the gaiwan with tea. (When brewing pressed teas, they are first broken and ground, and then poured with water). After the procedure, the water, of course, must be poured out.

We carefully monitor the water, when we hear the first clicks (the first wind rustles in the pines), we pour some water from the kettle into the chahai. This is called "keep the water young".

When the "wind in the pines" rustles for the second time (large bubbles appear, and the kettle characteristically "sings"), you need to pour the "young" boiling water from the chahay back into the kettle. This action is called "return water youth."

The water boils again and carefully, so as not to burn your fingers, we begin to rotate the water in the kettle with tongs, twisting the funnel in it.

Pour the soaked gaiwan tea into the water funnel. It is better to prudently form it into a solid lump in order to do this quickly and vigorously.

When the water boils again with the tea, the bubbling bubbles break through the tea floating on the surface, a little foam appears - it means it's time to turn off the fire and cover the kettle with a lid.

It is worth being patient and watching the beautiful picture of the fall of tea leaves. Mindfulness, contemplation and slowness - this is the state that corresponds to this method of making tea.

Pour the finished drink into the chahai through a strainer.

Tea should be poured into cups washed with hot water.

You can see it all visually here:

Happy tea!

P.S. Thank you store