Tea, formed and pressed into briquettes and forms of other types, is ideal for thrifty owners. It is able to be stored for a long time, in addition, it is slowly consumed and has an affordable price. About pressed tea and its brewing is described in the article.
What it is?
Pressed tea was first made in the VIII century. This was done for the convenience of its transportation and increase the shelf life. Still such products were loved by the emperor. Pressed tea is divided into black, green, red, white. Its shape can vary from ordinary briquettes to nests, discs, balls.
Leaves of various varieties and growing regions are pressed. The advantage of the product is that over time its taste and aroma improve, since fermentation is carried out for a long time after molding. Tea is usually made from broken broken leaf, crumbs, twigs, late picking sheets. Raw materials are used to create black, green tea, but the technology is used differently.
Types of forms
Pressed tea in the form is of the following types:
- Bin Cha. It is a common form. Translated from Chinese, it means damn tea. Pancakes can be different in size. Small - 50-250 g, classic - 357-600 g. Large can be in the range of 1-5 kg. Puer tea is usually produced in the form of pancakes, but this form is also used for other varieties.
- That Cha. The shape is like a bowl or nest. Commonly used for red tea or puer. The classic version weighs 250 g. There are nests of 25 and 100 g, which are called Xiao To Cha. Small bowls are convenient for the road.
- Fan Cha. Like a brick. Hieroglyphs with wishes in poetic form are usually printed on the surface. Products differ in weight, it happens from 50 g to 5 kg.
- Jin Cha. It has the shape of a mushroom, is produced in 250 g. This species is loved in Shanghai. Originally created for export to Tibet.
- Jin Gua. Tea is pressed in the form of pumpkins. In China, pumpkin is recognized as a symbol of protection against evil spirits. The best raw materials are used in the manufacture. Perform in the form of a pumpkin only puer. Tea is from 100 g to 3 kg. It is believed that pumpkin-shaped tea, which is a symbol of happiness, can be a great gift.
- Xiao To. Presented in the form of a small nest. Weight is not more than 15 g. This form is in demand, although low-quality tea is used in the manufacture. It is ideal for batch brewing. There are products in the form of lumps, cubes, tablets.
- Lao Cha. This is green pressed tiled tea. It can also be in the form of bricks and pancakes. As raw materials, shoots with leaves that are collected in autumn are used. Processing is carried out in a special way.
Benefit
Pu-erh is one of the common types of tea. It is famous for the following useful properties:
- The drink improves the activity of brain cells, normalizes attention, with it, information is stored faster and easier.
- Tea is able to reduce appetite, speed up metabolism, break down fat, which positively affects weight loss.
- Allows the liver to cope with toxins, reduce the risk of cholesterol plaque formation.
- The work of the heart and blood vessels improves, and the pressure decreases.
- The digestive process is normalized, the feeling of heaviness in the stomach is removed, as well as excessive acidity.
- Present essential oils reduce the number of bacteria in the body, improve the activity of the adrenal glands. And all this reduces inflammation.
- Reduces blood sugar, so the drink is indispensable for diabetes.
The drink is in demand due to its properties compared to other types of tea. The main thing is to brew it correctly, as well as comply with the rules of use.
Who better not drink tea
Tea can be harmful to any person if stored improperly, steamed, or consumed in unlimited quantities. It is better not to use it in such cases:
- during pregnancy;
- high temperature;
- kidney stones;
- vision problem;
- caffeine intolerance;
- insomnia;
- taking medications.
Do not recommend it to small children. The drink is likely to have “tea intoxication,” similar to alcohol. This can be when using a large amount of tea leaves. Do not drink medicine with a drink. Tea is advisable to arrange after a hearty meal.
Production
How is tea pressed? Products are delivered to the workshop in large bags. Raw materials need to be sorted and sorted. The selected tea goes to the processing. Perform its steaming and weighing. Then it is poured onto the fabric and knead with hands, twisted to give a certain shape.
Previously, the sheet was processed completely by hand, pressing was carried out with large stones. Now a special press is used to flatten the leaves. Compressed products are removed from the fabric, moved to wooden shelves. It is tested by a quality control master, and then pancakes, tablets or nests are packaged in paper with the date of manufacture and the name of the plant.
Benefits
Compared to other types of tea, the pressed version has the following advantages:
- Convenience of storage and transportation. Products after pressing are easier to transport even over long distances. It takes up less space compared to the loose view. After buying tea, do not pour it into a separate jar for storage. It remarkably retains its properties in food paper packaging. You can always take small forms with you.
- Long shelf life. Products are stored for much longer compared to bulk. This is due to the fact that she has a smaller area of contact with air. The loss of taste, aroma and benefit is reduced several times. Tea will be protected from external influences.
- Short brewing period. While the tea is being pressed, the leaves are heat treated by steam. They open for brewing noticeably faster compared to loose tea.
- Savings in tea leaves. Exposure to steam can affect extraction. It is faster. To prepare a rich and high-quality infusion, a small piece of pressed tea is required.
- Press products can be a great gift. Tea is conveniently stored, has a health value, is perfectly brewed. You can buy a tile of products with an inscription in the form of hieroglyphs.
Pressed Chinese tea is loved by many people around the world. One has only to try this drink, and it will already be difficult to refuse it.
The subtleties of brewing
How to make pressed tea? For 100 ml of water, 4-6 g of tea is added. Portion nests or tablets are selected. It should break off a small piece of tile or pancake, crumble. Some perform grinding.
Tea is poured with cold boiled water. Rinse it must be, this will eliminate the dust. You can use hot water, which is immediately drained. The second fill is also drained. And the third will give the necessary infusion that can be consumed. Water must be taken at a high temperature - at least 90 degrees.
Tea can be brewed up to 10 times. The procedure of insisting with each subsequent time increases by 10-15 seconds. If you like a strong infusion, then brewing should be done for several minutes. But the number of infusions in this case will be less.
Information in conclusion
These are all recommendations on how to make pressed tea. You need to drink it slowly. After each sip, you should stop to feel the taste and aroma. Such a drink is appreciated for its aftertaste, which may vary depending on the type of tea.