Are you a lover of delicious and fragrant tea? Then this article is for you! Today we will talk about how to collect, dry and make tea of various varieties. We will introduce you to the traditions of different countries and tell you the secrets of making this tasty and healthy drink.
Tea picking features
If you want to know how tea is made, first you need to familiarize yourself with the harvesting process. Very important factors affecting its quality are the time and the correctness of its collection. Since if you forget the age of the young shoots, it is possible to collect already coarsened leaves, which significantly reduces the overall taste. That is why on plantations in high season the harvesting process does not stop. Most often, tea leaves are collected three years after planting. Every 2-3 days young juicy shoots cut off from the bush, including only the upper leaves and buds, which did not begin to bloom. Only these parts of the plant are saturated with tannin and caffeine, for the sake of which this drink is consumed. You may not be surprised at the rather high cost of
good tea - because in order to collect a kilogram of this plant, you must pick from five to ten thousand leaves. Pretty painstaking task, isn't it?
Drying
This section will discuss how tea is made after harvest. Fermentation during the drying process is a necessary stage through which each tea leaf must pass in order to saturate with taste and aromatic qualities. For example, to obtain a white variety of
tea, the tea leaf is dried for a short time, then dried in the oven with strong ventilation. Green tea is obtained as a result of repeated repetition of drying and drying operations. But for the oolong variety, the leaves must first be dried, slightly dried, twisted and dried to a state of complete drying.
The process of drying the sheet is not much easier than collecting it. It is very important to observe the correct temperature and time conditions. Unfinished tea leaves quickly mold and rot, but overdried become too fragile and bitter. With proper drying, tea retains all the essential oils and is ready for long-term storage and transportation.
About black tea
Since this variety is the most popular in our country, it is fair to single out a whole section for a story about how black tea is made. The process of collecting tea leaves is quite standard - only the top 3 leaves are still used. The collected raw materials are subjected to drying - easy drying to remove excess moisture in natural conditions. That is, tea leaves are left in the fresh air for about a day. The dried leaves are sent for twisting. Expensive varieties of tea are manually twisted, all the rest go through the process on specialized machines. Crumpled, twisted leaves, saturated with their own juice, are sent for fermentation. During this procedure, they oxidize and slightly fade, which gives black tea a specific taste. And finally, the last stage is the final drying in order to remove residual moisture and disinfection. Careful observance of all the above conditions is the answer to the question of how to make tea.
The right brewing process
To get a truly expertly brewed tea, you need to make a lot of effort. After all, if you do not follow some rules, then you can spoil the taste of even the richest variety.
- Water. One of the most important components, of course, after the tea leaf itself. Her choice should be approached extremely responsibly. Do not use water with high hardness and the presence of various impurities. It is best to pre-filter or defend a small amount of water intended for brewing tea. A pinch of soda and a little sugar will help reduce stiffness.
- Tableware. Clay or porcelain teapots are considered an ideal vessel for tea. With a more democratic choice, glassware is also suitable. The main thing is not to use iron kettles.
- Temperature. The optimal state of water for brewing tea is considered to be the moment of boiling with the so-called white key. Water subjected to longer boiling becomes harmful to the human body. Not brought to a boil - simply can not make tea properly.
How do Thais make tea
Have you ever tasted
blue tea? For those who have ever been to Thailand, it is no secret that this drink is prepared from the petals of a triple clitoris. Did these flowers fall into your hands? Then we will tell you how tea is made in Thailand.
Warm the kettle with a few rinses with boiling water, pour a few tablespoons of the dried plant and pour boiling water. Drain the first water immediately to remove dust and dirt. Then pour boiling water over the tea again and let it brew for just a few minutes. A pleasant bonus of such a drink is its multiple brewing. For at least 15 times, you can enjoy the taste and color of this tea in full, as well as during the first brewing. By the way, you can drink it both in hot and in cold form - it perfectly quenches thirst in any condition. The amount of drink you drink can also not be particularly limited, since it has virtually no side effects.
You can change the color and taste of such an original drink by adding slices of lemon and a pair of spoons of honey into it. In general, the taste of blue Thai tea is quite specific - it resembles a weak iodine solution.
Tasty and healthy toppings
For those who are bored with daily tea with or without sugar, there are a great many recipes to improve its taste. For example, not everyone knows how to make tea with ginger. But it’s very simple - you need to add a couple of slices of fresh ginger to an already poured drink. It is acceptable to use the dried root of this spicy plant. In this case, it is necessary to reduce its amount by at least half, since its concentration in this form is much higher.
For special gourmets, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg will be a nice addition to tea. These spices will add to the drink a special piquancy and comfort.
The classic way to diversify the taste of your favorite drink can be considered the addition of fruits and berries - both in the brewing process and in the cup. The aromatic, rich taste of this tea will warm you on a cold winter evening and fill the body with valuable vitamins and minerals.
Ivan tea: how to collect and make tea at home
The benefits of brewed fireweed (also called ivan-tea) have been known since time immemorial. And recently, it has become much more popular than regular store tea. After all, plants collected and dried with their own hands, not only bring physical health to the body, but also improve your state of mind, filling you with special energy.
The main criterion for collecting willow tea is the environmentally friendly area in which it grows. Choose places away from roads, large settlements and industrial enterprises. This plant is collected during the period of active flowering, and it is possible to collect not only flowers, but also upper leaves. The collected raw materials are washed in running water, laid out on clean sheets of paper and dried in the shade during the day.
The next stage of harvesting is the organization of the fermentation process. To do this, slightly dried leaves and flowers are folded into any glass container, covered with a damp towel and sent to a dark and cool place for 36-48 hours. Then, Ivan tea is dried in the oven, cooled and transferred to tin or glass cans for storage. It is important to periodically mix the contents of the cans to avoid the process of mold and rot.
Making ivan tea is very simple. It is enough to pour a glass of boiling water 2 teaspoons of the dried plant and wait 10-25 minutes. If desired, you can add fresh or dried fruits and berries.
The secrets of delicious tea
Did you know that fruit trees are specially planted on tea plantations? Especially often used are pear, plum, apricot and peach. This is done so that in the process of growth the tea is saturated with pleasant fruit aromas, absorbing the energy of the trees during the flowering period.
Another rather surprising fact about tea is considered to be an ancient Indian custom associated with its collection. According to old stories, earlier this difficult process was trusted only to young girls who did not reach puberty. Moreover, breaking off the shoots, you could not touch them with your fingers - only two nails. Only such tea was considered truly delicious and had high quality.
Finally
So, today we introduced you to the methods of preparing tea, depending on its variety, talked about the intricacies of collecting and drying the tea leaf, and shared the secrets of getting a truly tasty and aromatic drink. Now you can easily treat guests with your own prepared broth of willow-tea, as well as surprise you with stories about ancient tea traditions and how to make tea correctly, with a cup of a fragrant and healthy drink.