General Instruction for preparation tea

For optimal enjoyment of tea, the water should be fresh, soft and free of chlorine. It should always be considered the manufacturer's dosage and withdrawal times. However, one can assume the following rules of thumb:

BLACK TEA:

When black boiling water should be used to dissolve the fine flavorings from the sheet. A stimulating effect is min at an infusion time 2 to 3 achieved.
Drawing with increasing duration, the first caffeine dissolved by the tannins (tannins) is bound. Thus, the longer pulling tea no longer seems so stimulating.

GREEN TEA:
Green tea should be brewed generally colder. Green tea can be brewed between 50-80 degree hot water. Brewing times varying between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. 2nd Infusion is usually the better. For optimum enjoyment, give special attention to the manufacturer's recommendation.

WHITE TEA:
White tea also should not be brewed too hot. 70 -90 degrees, with a maximum of 3 minutes steeping time here are usually recommended. Even the white tea can be brewed several times. Each infusion will have a different taste level.

YELLOW TEA:
Sensitive as green or white tea, yellow tea with the 80-95 degree hot water should be brewed.

ROOIBOS, HERBAL TEA / FRUIT:
Preparation - Herbal and Fruit Tea
Since ingredients and volume of herbal and fruit teas are very different, there is no general statements on the preparation. Then let the tea brew five to ten minutes.

Tea cultivation and harvesting

Green tea, white tea, oolong tea and black tea come from the leaves of the tea plant Camellia established, the Thea sinensis and Thea-Assamica. An evergreen related to the camellia. Today the world is mainly crossbreeds, Assam hybrids grown.

The quality and taste difference is caused by the cultivation and processing condition. The cultivation area, the altitude, the climate, the Planzentyp and care in Pfückung and processing of tea leaves affect the taste and character of a type of tea ..

For the upscale tea quality, the two youngest leaves and leaf shoots (Tip) are harvested by hand. The world production of high-quality leaf tea is low and much of it is intended for the German tea market.

In China, Formosa and Japan, the tea leaves are processed mainly to green tea, primarily for their own consumption. In Assam, South India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Africa, mostly black broken tea and CTC Fanning is produced
Due to the increasing automation on the tea plantations, most of the world production is produced as broken tea. These are mechanically crushed leaves as Broken, Fannings and Dust Tea for the tea bag production. Here, especially in the deeper layers, also pesticides and fertilizers used to increase income. However, the residue levels of pesticides are very low compared to other food and tea are also slightly soluble in water.

With high quality, produced with care tea residues were in the numerous studies undertaken by the German tea trade, only rarely detected.

In the northern Indian Darjeeling tea growing area, most of the tea harvest is produced as a leaf tea of ​​high quality and, due to can be largely dispensed with the use of pesticides by the altitude.

White Tea

What's behind it?

Interesting facts about the white tea

Definition, history and production

First of all, you should definitely away from the idea that white tea is a special and very special form of green tea. White tea is something special, that. Sure, but it is produced by a manufacturing process all its own and is therefore also a unique type of tea. The peculiarity of the white tea starts with the harvest. There are basically only the youngest leaves and buds still closed, used for tea. It almost goes without saying that such a selection of leaves can be taken only if harvested exclusively by hand. Machines would simply not be able to distinguish between the darker the leaves old and still bright and tender young shoots. This effort should be highly valued even today. To one kilogram of white tea in the end, about 30,000 buds must be picked. This pure handwork required the workers in the tea gardens from some.

After harvesting the leaves for about two to three hours are spread out for airing. They also usually cool at the same time somewhat. This drying with lots of air and natural light conditions is particularly easy on the tea buds. After the tea leaves have wilted. For this they are either placed in baskets, or spread out on special Welkmatten. The ambient temperature in this production step ideally constant 25-26 ° C. A humidity of around 60% is just as essential. In this manner, a finished product later, which consists of a maximum of 2% anfermentierten tea leaves obtained.

Now following the first drying process. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes and the temperature is raised to about 100 to 130 ° C even. Before the second drying process can connect, the tea leaves are carefully sorted by hand. Inferior material, brown and become putrid leaves will be discarded. Now the tea is ready for the second drying process that takes almost exactly 12 minutes and should be performed at 130 ° C.

In order to provide a constant quality of the customer as possible, it is usual to mix the tea from the individual productions together at the end and then be packed for retail. Only as "outliers" are avoided and a consistent standard can be guaranteed.

White tea is one of the six classical Chinese tea kinds and is also still grown and produced in his home. In the meantime, however, it is produced in almost all major Teeregionen. So, in Assam and Darjeeling white teas as well as in Sri Lanka, Malawi and Kenya, he himself playing an increasingly important role.

White tea gets its name from the bright glow on his buds. Fine hairs form a silky fluff and let the finished tea so appear white from a distance. Convinced white tea taste quite quickly with an amazing gentleness, the unequaled.

Originally white tea was reserved for the Chinese emperors. At most, the nobility could cost every now and then even from him. How old is the tradition of the white tea is already, is historically not properly documented. Some sources and documents, however, indicate that white tea can already look back on a 1500 years old history. Even the emperor of the Song Dynasty 960-1279 should be liable to the magic of this mild tea.

Only towards the end of the 19th Century saw a tea trader in Paris this specialty tea and led a variety of ways including one in Europe. However, when we started to conquer the white tea only really in the 1990s. Since then, however, with strongly increasing interest in many tea lovers.

Ingredients

Contains white tea, like green tea and black tea, caffeine. However, the concentrations are significantly lower, which is why white tea indeed looks quite exciting, however, this a very pleasant and gentle way. It is not so hyped up literally by white tea, nor do you worry yourself with a sensitive stomach.

Another very important ingredient are called polyphenols. They belong to the secondary plant substances. These hot not so because they are less important, but because they have long played in the research for the vitamins just second fiddle. As scavengers phytochemicals protect but the cells of our body from harmful influences, support our immune system and affect almost all also happen to be our metabolism. It is rumored the polyphenols that they have a favorable effect on the deposits of fat cells and thus white tea, just like green tea, can support weight loss.

The flavonol glycosides contained protect our heart and affect blood clotting and its thick consistency. Thus reduced with regular consumption of white tea, the risk of heart attacks as well as of stroke. And even small bundle of nerves benefit from this tea specialty. Thanks to an amino acid called theanine, the entire organism is calmed. The daily cup of tea can help to relax twice enjoyed the afternoon so so. Firstly, because of the ritual of conscious time and enjoying company, but also because of the ingredients of the tea. As a regular tea can thus become a source of new strength and inner peace.

Preparation

The starting material for forming delicate white tea tea buds. Meanwhile, you should be absolutely aware also in preparation. Neither too hard nor too hot water to get him good. Both affect the taste, unfortunately extremely negative. Who wants to exploit the full potential of high-quality white teas, so it should invest in a water filter, which filters out most of the lime.

A kettle with built-in thermostat, in which the desired final temperature can be selected, it is worth quite. 75 ° C are considered ideal for the white tea. Probably only the most experienced among tea connoisseurs have a flair for the exact temperature.

Depending on the variety, you should use about 8 to 11 grams per liter of water for the tea infusion. The recommended infusion period ranges from one to four minutes. This depends on the variety of the desired intensity, but also on to the umpteenth infusion it is. White tea can infuse not only repeatedly, you should absolutely do it. Anything else would be a waste. Each infusion tastes different, so the only way to experience the full range of flavors and aromas. A single infusion thus you take the better part of a wonderful teas and waives indescribable impressions on the tongue.

For special types of the perfect brew time can largely differ from those few minutes. This should be taken into account also essential. Otherwise, there remains a variety of flavors in the tea leaf.

Major varieties

The connoisseurs distinguish the white tea roughly between two major varieties, or even families if you will. The Yin Zhen to German silver needle, looks back on a long tradition and is still cultivated and produced virtually unchanged. Only small plantations in the mountains of the southern Chinese province of Fujian cultivate the special tea bushes. The harvest time is very strictly limited to two days in March. Already clock at five in the morning to start the tea pickers, the morning dew still needs to be on the buds.

After harvesting, the leaf buds are laid out in the morning sun. After a few hours of drying the tea is dried in the sun, without any technical influence. This was in the history of Yin Zhen has always been so and will remain so. This is also one reason why this type of tea is produced exclusively in China.

This naturalness in the production calls for a very long infusion period. There is not even rolled the sheet and thus in no way broken or at least bent, benötig the infusion, an infusion time of as much as 15 to 20 minutes.

The second group of white tea is the Pai Mu Tan dar. ins German translates this name means "white peony". This tea also originally had its home in the province Fujjian. But also from Anhui comes good quality since time immemorial. Meanwhile, however, are also found in Nepal or Darjeeling production.

There will not be, used for the Pai Mu Tan like the Yin Zhen, only closed leaf buds, but also young tea leaves that market prices are significantly lower. Also, the brew time is much shorter. Here, the above mentioned times are perfectly adequate to get a wonderful tea.

Behind the name Da Bai, Xiao Bai Gong Shou Mei Mei and also hides the white tea. They vary in characteristics such as leaf size and color of the infusion although minimal, yet clearly different.

There is also a special White Pu Erh tea. It comes exclusively from Yunnan, also a Chinese province. The harvesting time for this tea is in the spring, the production process is particularly tedious and costly. The end result is extremely sweet and results in the cup of a dark color.

Conclusion

The White tea is with us yet, unfortunately, still in the shadow of green tea. And definitely wrong. Neither the taste nor the health benefits of white tea must put his light under a bushel, which affects the quality certainly not.

However, it would be a shame if his first impression spoils of white tea with less high quality cheap goods from the supermarket. If you want to open in the enchanting world of white tea the gate, they should not enter through the back door or a side entrance. The transition to a tea merchant and a detailed consultation should definitely be worth a this tea experience.

For too long, it will certainly not be long before this country the white tea is well known and no less popular as the green tea. He deserves it uncontested.

What do we know about tea?

Tea ... M-uh, how much of this word. I enjoy tea and want to know more about it? I invite you to the table ...

Suggest sit back and pour a cup of tea (green, black, white ... in a bag or brewed according to the rules, with or without sugar, lemon ... or any other up to you). By the way, how many cups of tea do you drink a day? I, for example, about five, more often - it is a green tea with all sorts of fragrant things. 

The first known mention of the case relates to the year 770 BC. e. And the birthplace of tea tree is considered to be China. In just torn sheet contains about 75% water. After drying the sheet it is only 3-5% of water. In tea leaves are substances such as letchatka, cellulose, proteins, fats and chlorophyll pigments, pectins, oxidized polyphenols, non-oxidized polyphenols, sugars, amino acids, minerals, caffeine, starch. It is believed that tea has higher property to the "awakening" of the body than coffee. Now let's talk more about each of the "flowers" of tea. And we will not only compliment the drink, and try to look for the negative side. 

Black 
The most common, and certainly tried it all. Of course, there are many varieties. I think about this tea knows that. Only here will add this observation: you probably noticed that on a mug of black tea after left brown spots, and now imagine your stomach. Unpleasant? ... 

Green 
Not less common, and lately even more popular type of tea. While brewing in green tea is much more minerals than black. Everyone also knows that green tea slows down the aging process. But, for example, a large amount of purines in the body that form toxic urea. The abundance of purines causes metabolic disorders: urea bad comes out of the body. Salts thereof formed needles are then cause gout. Well, does not seem very helpful? Let's move on ... 

White 
She just recently tried this sort of tea. Quite a pleasant experience. As it turned out, white tea is even more useful than the green. It takes minimal processing. And by color, by the way, is not white, but rather dark. It has a more pronounced anti-cancer properties. I advise you to try. 

Blue 
Helps with diseases associated with metabolism, central nervous and musculoskeletal systems, diseases of the throat and respiratory system. Hmm ... I did not try. I think - worth it. Bad sides do not know, it's for the best. 

Yellow 
Similar in color and taste to the green. This type of tea is rare, and the beginning of the twentieth century, its export from China was forbidden! Preparation of yellow tea takes three days, thus preserving its useful properties for a long time. As white tea processing is minimal. 

Red 
It improves blood circulation and complexion. Occupies an intermediate position between black and green tea. Has a special flavor and taste, do not allow confusion with other types of tea. Dry tea has a distinctive spicy flavor. 
Well, and all the basic common varieties of tea, there are, of course, purple, pink, blue, orange ... but that's another story. A decision on which type of tea consumed, is still up to you.

Types of Tea

Tea. He is accompanied everywhere these days, and we perceive it as something ordinary, self-evident, that just is. But do we know what is the tea? Do we know the taste of tea? 
There are many people who say, "I do not particularly like tea, I do not like the taste, and I get around without it." In response to this saying I have always conducted an experiment - just regaled the man tea.It is strange, but it works to this day. When asked, "What's that tea? Such a course I like it, "the answer is always the same:" The secret of good tea - to choose and properly prepare. "

As the tea came into our lives?

Legends on this topic there are countless. So do not dwell on them. Suffice it to say that according to their homeland of tea is China. 
Yet the real historical facts confirm that in the year 552 Buddhist monks taught the Japanese art of proper tea. The latter, in turn, improved the process, creating the basis for his famous tea ceremony today. The concept of "Teizmus" appeared a little later, and it notes the almost religious devotion to this drink. 
During Tyang Dynasty (618-907). tea becomes widespread commercial commodity. Tea has become firmly established in all sectors of society and are no longer treated to the benefits available only to the clergy and the elite. 
in 1610 was made ​​the first shipment of tea from Japan sailboats through on. Java to Amsterdam. Since Holland was 50 years, the only tea importer in Europe. In 1669, this business has entered England. Tea-based monopoly of their East India Company lasted until 1833. By this time the tea reached Europe by land around the vessels. 
tea in Russia was in the mid-17th century, when the caravan from Mongolia was delivered 200 bags of tea as a gift to the birthday of the first king of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail I. Tea, delivered caravans, enjoyed greater popularity than that by sea, because he was transported by sea to the tarred vats, why he acquired a musty flavor. It is wanting to drown him, the tea began to be used with sugar. 
In 1662, tea has officially hit the court of King Charles II. From that time in Europe tea is acceptable by all sectors of society. 
immigrants from English in the late 17th century tea reaches American shores. Over the years he has won here and myself a lot of fans, especially in the higher strata of society. So organized Tea Partys. In 1760, tea was in third place on the imported goods in New England. 
During the early 20th century tea became popular not only as a beverage but also fashionable in different social strata. Everywhere began to open the «Tea-Houses», and the hotels offer Tea-Time. 
Around the 1913 Argentine Tango comes to Europe, and it very quickly "connect" with the tea. In the "Golden Twenties" was a megahit Tee-Tangos - in pubs and restaurants after the satisfaction of the tea dance tango.

Tea as a plant

The botanical name of tea was not always straightforward. At present, fixed one name Camellia

sinensis and two subspecies sinensis (China Tee) and assamica (Assam-Tee). 
Modern stores often comes tea grown from hybrids sinensis and assamica. 
Tea, as well as many gifts of nature, contains a large number of required our body substances: caffeine (tones), tannin (stimulates the activity of the brain), antioxidants (found in green tea), vitamins, and more. 
Tea, as well as coffee, harvested by hand. Only the top two frustrated young escape from the kidney. And they will be green or black tea - depending on the subsequent processing. 
After collecting the leaves are placed in the shade and dried, and then wound (other than white). This process can be carried out by hand or in special installations. During this processing of the tea leaf is allocated juice. It is this juice gives rise to the main stage of the "birth" of tea - fermentation (oxidation of the substances found in tea juice). The higher the degree of fermentation - the darker the shade of tea when brewed. This process can last from several hours to several years (for example, are specific types of Puer, which, like a fine cognac, is characterized by the number of years). The final stage is the drying of tea (or broiling) to eliminate moisture. 
Kinds of tea:

• green tea.
• White tea (fermented);
• Puer (postfermentirovanny tea);
• oolong (semi-fermented tea, brown tea);
• red tea (fully fermented black tea);
• flower and tea with spices;
• flavored green and black.