Black tea is a popular tonic drink in our country with high taste and aromatic properties. Tea replenishes the body, relieves fatigue, quenches thirst even in the heat, improves well-being. For this, he has been loved throughout the world for many centuries. The most valuable is black leaf tea.
The technological scheme of its production includes several successive stages.
Wilting
It is carried out to prepare the tea leaf for further processing. With the evaporation of moisture, the area, volume and mass of the sheet decreases, turgor decreases. Withering can be natural and artificial. In the first method, tea leaves are spread in a thin layer on a flat surface, the process takes 18 hours at an air temperature of 25 degrees. For the artificial method, special filling machines are used. The process takes up to 8 hours at an air temperature of 40 degrees.
Twisting
Curling a tea leaf into a tube is done using special machines - scooters. As a result of this operation, mechanical damage to the surface of the sheet occurs, cell juice flows to the surface and envelops the tea leaves from the outside. The formation of acids, esters also begins, the color of the leaves changes from green to copper.
Fermentation
The time for this step is 4-8 hours. The first phase of fermentation goes from the beginning of the twisting process, the second takes place in a special room at room temperature, very high humidity (up to 96 percent) and a constant flow of oxygen. As a result, the leaf becomes dark brown, improves aroma and taste.
Drying
It is carried out in order to stop the enzymatic processes and biochemical reactions. After drying, the tea leaves become black, the content of essential oils is reduced by 80%. Tea is dried first at 95 degrees to a moisture content of 18%, and then at a temperature of 80-85 degrees to a residual moisture content of 4 percent.
Sorting
When sorting, leaf gulls are separated from broken ones, and gentle ones from harder ones. As a result of this process, black leaf tea is divided into large and small (broken). Leaf tea is already divided into leaf first (from the kidney and the first leaf), second and third (from the second and third flush leaves, respectively)
The benefits of black tea
Black leaf tea contains many useful substances in the composition. For example, it contains carotene - provitamin A, which is responsible for the vision, health of the skin, nails and hair, as well as for the proper functioning of the body's systems.
Vitamins of group B are also contained in tea, so people with diabetes, gout, and peptic ulcer should pay attention to such a drink.
Vitamin C is partially lost in the production of tea, however, a certain amount is also found in the finished product.
Very high vitamin P content in black tea. Its functions include protecting cells from free radicals, restoring their structure, slowing down the aging process, and normalizing pressure. And also this vitamin prevents the molecules of hyaluronic acid from breaking down.
In addition, other substances protect the body from allergic reactions, maintain immunity, and have antibacterial properties. Black leaf tea is also indicated for diseases of the oral cavity, such as stomatitis. And last but not least, it tones better than any coffee!
Tea time: how to make black loose tea?
In order to maximize the benefit of this healing drink, you need to know all the nuances of the process. How to brew black tea leaf? Firstly, the brewing time depends on the type of tea and the hardness of the water used, but on average it is from 5 to 15 minutes. Before use, a clean teapot is rinsed with boiling water. Secondly, there is such a rule: the number of teaspoons of tea should be measured at the rate of 1 teaspoon of black tea per 1 cup of water in the teapot, plus another additional spoon.
First, tea leaves are given 5 minutes to lie in the kettle, then pour water with a temperature of about 70 degrees. Let it brew, pour it into cups and enjoy a drink.
So, black leaf tea, in addition to its unsurpassed taste and aromatic qualities, also has a lot of useful properties. No wonder the British have a habit of having tea every day at 5 a.m. It is time for us to introduce into the tradition the daily use of at least a cup of a fragrant drink.