Different Types of Tea:
(I said this would be a big chapter, and it is, but I have decided to break it up a little, makes it easier for me. So, I hope you will persevere with me. I only hope that no-one is in a hurry to read this story on tea as it is going to be prolonged. It is such a big subject.)
The main headings for TEA are:
- Black
- Oolong
- Green
- White
 |
| Courtesy of Wikipedia |
1. BLACK TEA
- Is more oxidised and stronger in flavour than the other teas.
- In Chinese, "black tea" is a classification for post-fermented teas such as Pu-erh tea and rooibos (will talk about this later)
- Retains its flavour for several years
- Accounts for over 90% of all tea sold in the west.
- usually graded on one of four scales of quality
- Whole leaf teas are highest quality, followed by the broken leaves,
- Whole leaf teas are produced with little or no alteration to the tea leaf
- Whole leaf teas are widely considered the most valuable, especially if they contain leaf tips.
- Broken leaves are commonly sold as medium grade loose teas
- Smaller broken varieties may be included in tea bags.
- Leaves are oxidised under controlled temperature & humidity- called fermentation
- level of oxidation determines the quality of the tea.
- Then the leaves are dried to arrest the oxidation process.
- Finally, the leaves are sorted into grades according to their sizes
- Brewing of black tea varies around the world and we will discuss differences at a later date, along with serving of the tea.
- Popular varieties of black tea include Assam, Nepal, Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Turkish & Ceylon teas
 |
| Black Tea |
 |
| Black Tea |
Pictures courtesy of
Wikipedia
"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? how did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea." Sydney Smith, Lady Holland's Memoir (1855), Vol. I. P. 383.
No comments:
Post a Comment