Red tea in the understanding of the Chinese and Europeans is not the same thing. In Europe, the so-called semi-fermented drink, which has a red-brown color and a dark reddish infusion (the name is chosen by the color of the leaves). In China, they consider it a fermented version, which we call black (the name is based on the color of the brewed drink). High-quality red tea is determined by appearance: the leaves are thick dark in color, twisted longitudinally.
If we talk about the red tea that we refer to as such in our latitudes, then this is oolong. The name does not characterize the drink itself, but the way it is processed (fermentation). It is made from leaves with a lot of moisture and a fine structure. Tea labeling experts still use Chinese terminology.
Red Chinese tea requires a special way of care and processing. High-quality varieties can be produced only in China and Taiwan, where all the traditions of its processing are strictly observed. It is believed that the occurrence of this tea is accidental. It is associated with a jump in air temperature and strong fog, due to which the leaves acquired new properties.
Red tea has fermentation up to 60%, it is weakly oxidized and has a special taste. It belongs to the elite varieties of high-quality drinks. Some of its species are made from the youngest leaves collected from bushes that grow only in the highlands.
The collected leaves are laid out in a special way for drying (for about fifteen hours), then, when they become soft, they are twisted. Processing technologies for different types of tea are different. This can be a tight curl of the leaves (manually or by machine) or squeezing until it is isolated and impregnated with juice. Also, the technologies differ in the process of fermentation (only the edges of the leaves are oxidized or completely).
Tea leaves differ in shape. In quality varieties, the leaves are twisted longitudinally and the gulls look like thin sticks. A dark brown color and a spark called a spark are characteristic of all varieties of this type, without exception.
Red tea has a number of beneficial properties. Their presence is due to the fermentation technology itself. Exposure to sheets of moisture, heat and air leads to the breakdown of the cell structure, as a result of which new elements are created in the sheet (flavins and others). Due to this, a large number of useful substances (vitamins, polyphenols, amino acids, various types of sugar) are concentrated in the tea leaves. Therefore, such tea well and quite quickly strengthens the immune system and generally favorably affects the whole body. It stimulates the activity of the brain, has a certain analgesic effect, increases the elasticity and strength of blood vessels, improves the activity of the kidneys and cellular metabolism (removes toxins).
You need to brew tea with boiling water at 95-100 degrees. Different varieties are infused from two to seven minutes.
"Red bathrobe" - tea, which is the most expensive in the world. The name comes from the Chinese "Da Hong Pao" and is associated with the legend of giving his immortal saint to an old woman who shared the last guest of rice. The tea bush appeared from the saint's staff, which he thrust into the ground.
A tea leaf was sent to the emperor, and the brewed drink saved his beloved concubine from the disease. In gratitude, the emperor endowed the magic tree with a red outfit from the royal shoulders. Tea began to be called the "emperor of rocky oolongs." It is grown in the north of the Chinese province of Fujian. Leaves are collected from six bushes, over 350 years old, near Tianxin Monastery. For a year you can collect no more than half a kilogram, so its cost reaches almost 700 thousand dollars per kilogram.