From past until present day, Chinese people have divided tea leave from different variety species that they are grown, the harvesting period and the process which kept secretly depending on regional.
.Type of Chinese tea is generally known:
1 Green Tea
2 Oolong Tea
3 Black Tea
From these three types of Tea. Chinese Tea are also divided into various types such as
- White Tea.
- Yellow Tea.
- Blue green Tea.
- Red Tea.
- Purple Tea
The above types of tea mentioned, people hardly know about, because they do not produce industrialize.
So, let’s find out about Green Tea
Chinese Green Tea is unfermented. When a tea leaf has been collected, workers will dry the leaves on the grill and blow with hot air about 40-50 degrees Celsius to reduce moisture from the leave. Normally, they allow 30% of moisture remaining in the Tea leaves, and at the same time destroying enzyme in tea leaves prevented fermentation. This process can take up to10-18 hours depending on the tea leaves.
At the mean time, workers should stir tea leaves to make tea sieve release the moisture equally. Some Tea factories get rid of moisture by using hot air, however, this depending on the need of their customer order, such as customers from Japan. Why Japanese like tea leaves that reduce moisture by hot air steam, because the heat will stop the enzymes in the tea leaves as a result of stopping fermentation. So, the will get very dark green tea leave. The leaves will be selected and roll, then it will be roasted in a pan by hand, the heat should be no higher than 50 degrees and roast until the moisture left only 3%. To roast Tea leave, worker must have high skill and patience.
After been collected from the plant, Tea leaves can not keep long. Nowadays, good quality of green tea can be kept not more than two years. If the moisture content over 2-3% will be more opportunity to be deteriorated.
How about Oolong Tea?
Oolong (Oolong or Wulong) tea is no different than other Green Tea, during the harvesting. However, the difference is the process. Compare with Black Tea, Oolong tea is in the middle of the process between green tea and black tea. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea. Letting the substances that contained in tea leaves to interactions with air fermentation is a technique of each factory and depending on the type of tea leave. When tea leaves had been collected, the leaves are withered on the shade for about 5 hours, then pan-fired for 10 minutes, rolled and twisted.
The leaves are then oxidized to determined color. The fermented leaved are reheated in an hour on loss shape basket for 3 hours to stop oxidation. They are pan-fired again over lower heat for up to 12 hours before packing.
Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea, nice green color, good taste and price is expensive, however, Oolong tea could be very bad taste. The price of per kilogram can start from a few hundred dollars per kilograms to several million dollars. So, when buying tea leaves, never let the name to be confused. Remember that Oolong tea is not always all good.
Why do we called Black Tea?
Black Tea is fully fermented. The harvesting and pan-fired processes are not much different from Green Tea or Oolong Tea. The difference is that when fermented tea leaves will be left to ferment longer until the leaves are dark and get strong taste. In the past, the Chinese were travel and trading with various provinces, specialty with Mongol people who live up North. When they travelling form one place to another place, the Chinese drinks tea on a regular basis. So, during the journey they always keep tea leaves to drink. The preservation of fermented tea leaves start to occur, in order to store the Tea leave easily and not to waste space. Therefore, they compressed tea leaves in to small pieces. These compressions are called Brick Tea, because it is like a brick. When they need it, breaks in to small piece just enough for drinking each time. This Brick tea is has strong point can be used as currency in the trade such as some tribal people who trade with China, did not except the Chinese currency. Today the importance of brick tea has gone out. Leave just the original history of black tea and decorated in the Cabinet. If the brick tea made from tea quality and well maintained, the value will increase and price will be high, if it rarer as can comparable to best wine.
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Article from articlesbase.com
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