Tea

Tea is a caffeine-containing beverage, an infusion made by steeping the dried leaves or buds of the shrub Camellia sinensis in hot water for a few minutes. In addition, tea may also include other herbs, spices, or fruit flavours.

Cultivation and classification

Tea is grown primarily in China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Nepal, Australia, Argentina, and Kenya. (Note that in the tea trade, Sri Lanka and Taiwan are still referred to by their former names of Ceylon and Formosa, respectively.)

Related Topics:
China - India - Bangladesh - Pakistan - Iran - Republic of Korea - Sri Lanka - Taiwan - Japan - Indonesia - Nepal - Australia - Argentina - Kenya - Ceylon

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Divisions of tea by processing technique

The four main types of tea are distinguished by their processing. Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub whose leaves, if not quickly dried after picking, soon begin to wilt and oxidize. This process resembles the malting of barley, in that starch is converted into sugars; the leaves turn progressively darker, as chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. The next step in processing is to stop the oxidation process at a predetermined stage by removing the water from the leaves via heating.

Related Topics:
Evergreen - Shrub - Oxidize - Malt - Starch - Sugar - Chlorophyll - Tannin

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The term fermentation was used (probably by wine fanciers) to describe this process, and has stuck, even though no true fermentation happens (i.e. the process is not driven by microbes and produces no ethanol). Without careful moisture and temperature control, fungi will grow on tea. The fungi will cause fermentation which will contaminate the tea with toxic and carcinogenic substances. In fact, when real fermentation happens, the tea must be discarded.

Related Topics:
Fermentation - Wine - Microbes - Ethanol - Fungi - Carcinogen

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Tea is traditionally classified into five main groups, based on the degree or period of fermentation (oxidation) the leaves have undergone:

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; White tea(??): Young leaves (new growth buds) that have undergone no oxidation; the buds may be shielded from sunlight to prevent formation of chlorophyll. White tea is produced in lesser quantities than most of the other styles, and can be correspondingly more expensive than tea from the same plant processed by other methods. It is also less well-known in the western countries, though this is changing with the introduction of white tea in bagged form.

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; Green tea (??): The oxidation process is stopped after a minimal amount of oxidation by application of heat; either with steam, a traditional Japanese method; or by dry cooking in hot pans, the traditional Chinese method. Tea leaves may be left to dry as separate leaves or rolled into small pellets to make gun-powder tea. The latter process is time consuming and is typically done only with pekoes of higher quality. The tea is processed within one to two days of harvesting.

Related Topics:
Green tea - Steam

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; Oolong (烏龍茶) : Oxidation is stopped somewhere between the standards for green tea and black tea. The oxidation process will take two to three days.

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; Black tea/Red tea (??): The tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize. Black tea is the most common form of tea in the western countries. The literal translation of the Chinese word is red tea, which may be used by some tea-lovers. However, red tea may also refer to rooibos, an increasingly popular South African tisane. The oxidation process will take around two weeks and up to one month. Black tea is further classified as either orthodox or CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl, a production method developed about 1932). Unblended black teas are also identified by the estate they come from, their year and the flush (first, second or autumn). Orthodox and CTC teas are further graded according to the post-production leaf quality by the Orange Pekoe system.

Related Topics:
Black tea - Red tea - Rooibos - South African - Tisane - Crush, Tear, Curl - 1932 - Orange Pekoe

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; Pu-erh (普洱茶/??) : Two forms of Pu-erh are available: green (青饼) and mature (熟饼). Mature Pu-erh is made from green Pu-erh tea leaf that has been allowed to go through a second stage of oxidation. This is done through a process similar to composting, except that both the moisture and temperature of the tea are carefully monitored. The tea is then usually compressed into various shapes including bricks, discs or spinning tops. While most teas are consumed within a year of production, pu-erh can be aged for many years to improve its flavour. Outside of Yunnan province, China where the tea is produced, the term Pu-erh is used directly to refer to the mature form of the tea. The tea is often steeped for long periods of time or even boiled (Tibetans boil it overnight). Pu-erh is considered a medicinal tea in China. Teas that undergo the composting such as mature Pu-erh are sometimes collectively referred to as Black tea (??) in Chinese. This is not to be confused with the western term Black tea, which is known in Chinese as Red Tea (??).

Related Topics:
Pu-erh - Composting - Yunnan - China - Tibet - Medicinal

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; Yellow tea (??): Either used as a name of high-quality tea served at the Imperial court, or of special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase.

Related Topics:
Yellow tea - Imperial court

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Variations

There are several tea preparations available which do not fit into the usual nomenclature:

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; Chong Cha (虫茶) : Literally worm tea, this brew is made from the seedlike frass of 2 species of moth larva, which feed (non-exclusively) on the tea plant. This tea is used in Chinese medicine for coping with summer heat as well as for treating influenza symptoms.

Related Topics:
Chong Cha - Frass - Summer - Influenza - Symptom

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; Kukicha (??) : Also called winter tea, kukicha is made from twigs and old leaves pruned from the tea plant during its dormant season and dry-roasted over a fire. Popular as a health food in Japan and in macrobiotic diets.

Related Topics:
Kukicha - Winter - Twig - Pruned - Dry-roasted - Japan - Macrobiotic diet

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Tea gallery

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Image:Twinings Gunpowder tea in tin.jpg|Tin of Twinings Gunpowder

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Image:Twinings Gunpowder tea in pile.jpg|Pile of Twinings Gunpowder

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Image:Gunpowder tea in pile.jpg|Pile of typical Gunpowder tea

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Image:Lipton Earl Grey in pile.jpg|Pile of Lipton Finest Earl Grey

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