Tea is a drink that is loved by billions of people on our planet. And all thanks to its taste and aroma. There are many varieties of this drink that we use every day, but poorly understand the origin of their names. For example, what does "long" tea mean? Why is it called that way? What makes it different from others?
general characteristics
Tea is classified according to various characteristics, one of which is the method of mechanical processing and the type of tea leaf. Thus distinguish tea:
- loose or loose;
- pressed;
- extracted or soluble.
The first type is the most common. It consists of many individual tea leaves, which are not connected in any way. Where did such an unusual name come from? Its roots go back to hoary antiquity, at a time when one of the rarest and most expensive varieties of tea was called Bai Hao. Translated from the local language, this meant "white villi." But the merchants tried to raise the price of their goods, so with foreigners they said “buy hao” about everything that they sold. So the Russian merchants first heard this word and, not inferior to their Chinese colleagues, used their interpretation of this saying for the same purpose, but already in their homeland. This led to the appearance of the adjective "long leaf", which characterized the variety of tea as rare and high quality. Unfortunately, the drink we buy in the store has long lost all connection with the real “white villi”. Nowadays, almost any loose tea is called baikhov.
Black tea
There are many varieties that belong to this species. But the most common in Europe are only five. All of them are very tasty, have their own special taste and smell. The first of them is black long leaf tea. It is made by drying, after which the leaves are subjected to fermentation, they are dried and sorted. It is very good for health, as it contains minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus), which are necessary for the body. This is the most used long leaf tea. The finished drink should have a dark brown color. If the tea leaves have a grayish or light brown hue, then, most likely, this is a poor-quality product. The tea leaves themselves must be firmly twisted: the tighter the sheet is pulled, the higher the drink itself is valued. After all, he will have the best taste.
Green tea
This subspecies is extremely useful, because its manufacturing technology allows you to save all the healing properties. First it is steamed, then dried in a special way, which was borrowed from the Japanese, or rolled into a pea according to the Chinese method. Green tea in fact has a green color, but the shades vary significantly depending on the variety. If an error was made during the drying of the sheet and the temperature exceeded the norm, then the quality of the finished product deteriorates significantly. This miscalculation is evidenced by the dark green hue of the tea leaves. If it is lighter, then this is an excellent tea that has retained all the vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it will be very useful and also the most fragrant of all varieties.
Red tea
This variety has the same manufacturing technology as black long leaf tea, but its degree of fermentation is lower. This helps the gulls to maintain the best taste and aroma, but the beneficial properties are affected. The color of the sheet is quite interesting: the middle of the sheet has many shades of green, but the edges are darker, turning into black. It is very difficult to make it, because the oxidation process must be interrupted at the very moment when the edges of the leaves become red. Only then does the drying and twisting of the tea leaves take place. All this is repeated at least three times. This variety can be stored longer than the rest, as it is less susceptible to fermentation.
Yellow tea
This type of tea is also obtained by varying the degree of oxidation of the leaves. Thus, according to this sign, it is between red and black. This allows you to achieve a very specific exotic taste that conquered the tea-pots. The infusion is very strong, which gives an invigorating effect. The manufacturing technology is complex and time-consuming, since all raw materials are divided into two parts: the first is dried and dried, and the second is poured with steam. After they are mixed and twisted. And so it turns out one of the most delicious varieties of this wonderful drink.
White tea
The primary raw material for white tea is green. It is sent for additional weak fermentation. This leads to the appearance of white plaque on the gulls. The finished drink has almost no color, but the infusion is strong, and the taste and aroma are very light and delicate. The healing properties of this tea are high. It can only be made from those leaves that were collected in early September and early April. This is due to the fact that at this time, silver arrows begin to appear from the kidneys. The collected product is sprayed with steam in order to stop the oxidation process. After that, it is dried, but not twisted, but packaged in its original form. This variety is stored very poorly, as it has a low degree of fermentation.
Sheet Type Classification
We examined the main varieties of tea. Baikhov tea, however, is also divided into commercial varieties according to the size of tea leaves:
- The first consists of large coarse leaves. On a branch they are located below the fifth leaf. This is the cheapest variety of long leaf tea, as the number of useful properties in it is minimal.
- The second consists of leaves growing at the receptacle level of the tea bush. They are less crude than in the first case. The Chinese love to use them in a special technique for making a tea drink. Its essence lies in the fact that the leaves are curled into balls.
- The third is of higher quality. The raw materials here are sharp, long leaves, which are fifth or fourth in a row. Tipsa (tips of the kidneys and their dust) can be added to them in small quantities.
- The fourth consists of fourth or third leaves and golden tips. On the packaging of such tea, manufacturers always write the word "golden", and the composition must necessarily reflect the ratio of tips and tea. Fakes are very common, so you should be vigilant.
- Fifth - the "clean" type, which only the top leaves (not lower than the fourth) and only the golden tips have the right to get into. The name written on the package always has the prefix “finest”. The price of such tea is very high, but its taste and aroma are worth the money spent.
Place of manufacture
Our country is very fond of and value long leaf tea. GOST 1939-90 was created so that the product that is on the shelves of stores is of proper quality. It includes a characteristic for imported teas. The most famous territories - producers of this variety are Ceylon, China and Krasnodar Territory. Ceylon has a sharp taste, strong tea leaves and a reddish tint. Chinese has a milder flavor, which can be different depending on what part of the country it was grown in. Krasnodar - the most exotic and unique tea. It is very sweet, and the richness of its taste is intermediate between the Chinese and Indian "brothers."
Thus, long leaf tea is the most common type. It is divided into several varieties that differ in organoleptic qualities, but each of them is unique and worth it to try.