Crash Course Of Tealogy

Study of tea is one the subjects which is very immense and there is always more to learn. This is a never ending subject as there are many sub-topics embedded in Tealogy. Tealogy includes the study on tea cultivation, the process involved in making the tea, supplying the tea, packaging the tea, blending of tea and much more.

But there is one thing which we must never forget – “Nothing teaches you about tea more than drinking it.”

Anybody who wants to learn about tea must drink almost all the types of tea available in the world. This gives a better understanding of the world of tea and helps a person understand about the nature of the tea.

Whether it’s a super high-quality 1st flush Darjeeling or terrible puerh from your local Asian market, every tea has a lesson to teach. Knowing what bad tea tastes like helps you understand what it is that makes the good ones so good. It can also be helpful to do comparison tastings focusing on specific types or regions.

The Origin of Tea

Tea has been around for such a long time that all kinds of wonderful myths and stories have evolved to explain its origins.

In China, legend has it that tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. by the somewhat mythical emperor Shennong. The discovery was quite by accident. A servant was boiling his drinking water when a leaf from a wild tea bush fell into it. The emperor drank the infusion before he realized what had happened and there you have it, the first cup of tea.

Another version tells of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, who had taken a vow to meditate for nine years straight. After five years he gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep. He was so furious with himself that he cut off his eyelids and threw them on the ground. A tea tree sprouted from the spot where they had landed and with the help of that plant he was able to successfully complete his meditation.

Types of Tea

All types of tea come from the same basic plant, the Camellia Sinensis plant. The differences between teas arise from processing, growing conditions, and geography.

The six different types of tea – Green tea, Yellow tea, White tea, Oolong tea, Black tea and Pureh tea – are all made from the same tea plant and its cultivars. These categories refer to how much a tea is oxidized or, in tea terminology, fermented. By selectively exposing the tea leaves to the air, tea farmers and artisans can bring out certain flavors and aromas from the leaves.

Generally speaking, the less a tea is oxidized, the gentler and lighter it will be in taste and aroma. Heavily oxidized teas will yield a dark deep reddish brown or earthy infusion, while a white will yield a pale yellow-green liquor.

1. White tea

This is one of the most delicate teas available out in the market. It is made from young leaves that are simply wilted and dried. The name “white tea” is given because of the presence of silvery-white pubescent hairs on the surface of young tea buds and also for the light cream-colored liquor.

They are naturally sweet and have very little less caffeine as compared to other types of teas. White tea undergoes the least processing of all teas. Traditionally cultivated in China, white tea was picked only a few days out of the year, when a white down, known as baihao, appeared on the tender shoots. The tea shoots are allowed to wither then dry to prevent oxidization. This process is a delicate one, requiring strict attention from the tea makers.

The Famous white tea varieties are as follows-

• Silver Needle (BaiHao Yin Zhen)– this tea contains only white, downy buds and the purest, most delicate flavor.
• White Peony (BaiMudan) – this tea consists of buds and leaves covered in silvery white hair. It tends to have a stronger taste and darker color than Silver Needle.It is made from the initial leaves of a tea plant, typically the first leaf and two subsequent ones.
• Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei) – A lower rank white tea, it is made from leaves left over after the Silver Needle and White Peony harvest.
• Tribute Eyebrow (Gong Mei) – Another lesser white tea, it is made from a special tea bush and is processed in a slightly different way than other white teas.

2. Green tea

This is one of the least oxidized teas of all the varieties of tea. It is allowed to wither only slightly after being picked. Since, these leaves undergo minimal withering and only a little bit of natural oxidation, they retain much of their green color and grassy, vegetal taste, similar to green vegetables.

To prevent oxidization, the leaves are heat processed to eliminate the enzyme responsible for oxidization. In China, this is generally done by roasting or pan-firing the leaves, while the Japanese generally accomplish this by steaming the leaves at a high temperature.

Famous Chinese green tea varieties-

• Dragon’s Well (Lung Ching) – Grown in Zhejiang Province, and processed by a flat pressing of the leaves particular to this variety. Delicate flavor with a sweet aroma.
• Pi Lo Chun – Or “Green Snail Spring” – This tea is grown near the summit of Tung Ting Mountain in Jiangsu Province. A refined and mild tea.

Famous Japanese varieties

• Sencha– A pure green steamed tea, with refreshing astringency and grassy or vegetal flavors.
• Houjicha– Roasted green tea leaves and stems, with a nutty or toasty aroma and taste.
• Gyokuro– A pure green steamed tea, with refreshing astringency and grassy or vegetal flavors.
• Matcha– From shade-grown bushes, similar to Gyokuro, Tencha leaves are picked, they are then processed and dried, and then ground in stone mills to a fine powder called Matcha. This powder is traditionally whisked into hot water to become the thick, frothy and bright green beverage.

3. Yellow tea

The processing of yellow tea is same as that of green tea. There is not much difference but once “fixed”, the damp leaves are lightly “sweltered” for six to eight hours at a closed container, which turns them yellow. They have similar taste to black teas, but they are a bit milder.

4. Oolong tea

It is the most widely consumed type of tea in the world. These are available in a variety of shapes and styles like semi-rolled, strip and leafy styles. Oolong tea is made from bruised and semi-oxidized tea leaves. Due to partial oxidation, the leaves tend to develop rich flavors but no briskness although has its own extremely fragrant and intriguing tones.

Famous Chinese Oolongs

• Iron Buddha (Tie Guan Yin)- It is one of the most widespread and popular teas for everyday drinking in China. As a high-quality brew, it has only a mild astringency, so it is a very mellow drink.
• Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao)- Fully-oxidised Oolong, deep, intense all-enveloping flavours that cloak the mouth
• Dan Cong Tea-Produces a rich, orange-brown liquor that can explode on the palate with intense flavours of apricot and honey

Famous Taiwanese Oolongs

• Ali Shan- The high elevation of the tea plantations of Alishan helps to concentrate the sweet flavours of the leaves. Ali Shan has a very creamy feel in the mouth.
• Jin Xuan (Milk)- This hand-processed variety is famous for its creaminess (hence the name)
• Formosa BaiHao- The longest fermented of the oolongs, this type will give you a rich, deep cup, and it’s one of the most prized teas in the world
• Si Ji Chun- Hand-picked and hand-processed using traditional methods, oolongs are the most valued for their richer and more pleasant tastes.

5. Black tea

A undergoes full oxidation. It is usually dark brownish in nature and has higher caffeine content (50-65% of coffee depending on the type and brewing technique) as compared to other varities of tea. This is said to be the common man tea in India and some parts of the world. In India, it is produced in Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri as well as Sri Lanka.

Famous Chinese black teas

• Keemun – a sophisticated tea known for its refined orchid-like aroma and subtle notes of dark chocolate.
• Lapsang Souchong– the tea leaves for LapsangSouchong are actually smoked over a pine wood fire to infuse the tea with a deep, dark, smokey character. This tea is often used in Russian breakfast and afternoon blends.
• Yunnan – teas from Yunnan tend toward being milder or sweeter in flavor, with chocolate or honey tones.

Famous Indian black teas

• DARJEELING – Often referred to as “the champagne of teas,” teas from Darjeeling in India tend to be lighter, with a refreshing astringency.

6. Pu’er teas

Yield a dark, hearty brew that is low in caffeine. The taste is usually earthy and mellow, lacking much of the astringency of other types of tea. Chinese tradition says that Pu’er aids the body with digestion, while new studies indicate that Pu’er may help in reducing cholesterol. There are many famous “vintages” from different regions in China, but true Pu’ers from one of Yunnan province’s mountainous tea farms are considered the most prized.

THE TEA PROCESS

The entire process of producing tea can be broken into the following steps: plucking, weighing, transporting, withering, rolling, oxidization, firing/drying. Tea production falls into one of two styles Orthodox and Non-orthodox or CTC (‘Crush-Tear-Curl’) method, and includes six basic processing steps. These steps can be adjusted depending on the style of tea being produced.

THE ORTHODOX METHOD

The orthodox tea making method is the most commonly used.In this process, the tea leaves go through seven steps: plucking, weighing, transporting withering, rolling, oxidation and drying.

Step 1:- PLUCKING

The leaves are harvested by hand, usually ranging between just the unopened bud to the top three leaves and the bud, depending on the tea being created..

Step 2:- WEIGHING

Pluckers works 8-hour workday in the tea garden and fills several baskets with fresh tea leaves.

Step 3:- TRANSPORTING

Newly plucked tea leaves are transported directly from tea garden to on-site production facility, where the inspecting, sorting and processing of the leaves into white, green or black tea begins immediately.

Step 4:-WITHERING

When leaves arrive at the factory, they are full of moisture. This first stage is to reduce their water content to about 60%−70%. All types of tea (black, oolong, green, white, puerh, and dark tea) go through this process. After the leaves are skillfully plucked from the tea plant, they are spread out onto trays or screens.

Step 5:-ROLLING

The softened tea leaves are rolled, pressed or twisted to break the cell walls of the leaf, wringing out the juices inside. This exposes enzymes and essential oils in the leaf to oxygen in the air – the start of oxidation.

Step 6:- OXIDATION

After rolling, the leaves are laid out to rest for several hours, allowing oxidation to take place. To make a tea with a lighter taste, the oxidation process is stopped when the leaves are light brown. For a stronger tea, the leaves will remain in the warmth until they’re rich and coppery.

Step 7:- DRYING OR FIRING

Once the leaves have been oxidised to the right level, they’re passed through hot air dryers. This further reduces their water content to about 3%, leaving them ready to be sorted and packed.

THE CTC METHOD

The second way of making tea is called the ‘Cut, Tear and Curl’, also known as CTC tea method.

CTC, or Crush-Tear-Curl production is a very different process. All five steps of Orthodox processing are performed, but much more rapidly and in a limited fashion. The leaves are first withered but after this, they are put through a series of rollers, covered in hundreds of small, sharp teeth. These teeth cut, tear and curl the leaves, producing tiny granules which are perfect for tea bags. After this, they go through the same oxidation and drying process as the orthodox method.CTC was invented specifically for the black tea industry, in an effort to save time (a single batch of tea otherwise can take over a day to produce) and money.

Making the perfect cup of tea

Making the perfect cup of tea has little to do with science and technique – it is an art perfected over time with patience and a steady hand. But a few pointers towards the right direction never hurt.There are many varieties of tea, which means there are many different techniques for preparing tea.

•  Use Good Tea

Use the best tea that is available to you. Good tea is a bargain. Use fresh, loose leaf tea for the best results.

• Use Good Water

When making any tea, be sure you begin with good water, it makes up over 90 % of the end product.

• Heat the Pot

Pour a small amount of hot water into the pot to warm it before beginning to make your tea.

• Measure the Tea

The standard guideline for tea is to use one rounded, measuring teaspoon (3 grams) of tea for each 8 ounce cup of water

• Measure the Water Temp

Different teas require different water temperatures for steeping. Using water that is too hot results in bitter tea and is probably the most common error people make when preparing tea.

• Time the Steep

Different teas require different steep times. Refer to the instructions on the bag for the specific steep time for each tea. If tea steeps too long it often becomes bitter.

• Leaf Expansion

All teas require room for the leaf to expand as it steeps. Whatever preparation method you use make sure there is enough room for the leaf to expand 3-5 times in size as it steeps

• Stop the Steeping

Separate the leaves from the liquid in order to stop the steeping.

Tea isn’t nearly as scary as you might think.

Pour it into cups and enjoy!!!