By Kamel Lawand Sponsored by Les Thés

By Kamel Lawand Sponsored by Les Thés

Tea meaning in Chinese

Tea Families Camellia Sinensis Originating in China Small shrubs can grow to 5m high if unattended Requires high altitudes & cold climate Can be harvested (plucked) 4-5 times yearly (limited production) Camellia Assamica Originating in India, & found in most of the world Small shrubs can grow to 12m high if unattended Requires a lot of rain, and adapts to hot climate Can be harvested (plucked) every 15 days (mass production)

Tea Cultivation Tea is cultivated on the mountain slopes It needs humid weather Cold nights (Camellia Sinensis) Rain

Tea Producing Countries China India Sri Lanka Malaysia Turkey Iran Africa (few countries) Others.

Tea Leaf (camellia sinensis) changes in chemical composition with shoot maturity & season First Shoot ( May) Leaf T. Polyphenols Caffeine EGCG EGC Theanine Bud + 2leaves 198 15.5 78.5 21.4 31.07 Third 160 14.6 48.6 20.5 23.39 Second Shoot ( June) Leaf T. Polyphenols Caffeine EGCG EGC Bud + 2leaves 235 21.4 110.2 28.2 Third 191 17.4 108.7 26.5

Tea Processing Plucking: picking the tea leaves as per the required quality (bud + 2, 3, 4 leaves) Withering: spreading the leaves in a windy place in order to let the tea leaves lose their stiffness and most of its water Rolling: tea leaves are rolled in some cases, after the withering stage Drying: the tea leaves are let to dry (green tea) Fermentation (oolong & black tea): 6 48 hours Firing: wok (oolong), oven (black tea)

Tea Processing

Tea Buds - Low in chlorophyll - Non fermented - High in L-Theanine - Highest in anti-oxidants White Tea

Green Tea Long Jing Or Dragon Well Fresh Tea Leaves Bi Luo Chun

Oolong Tea 3 Leaves are the characteristics Of the Oolong tea Oolong get fermented around 6 hours Oolong leaves are rolled Prior to the wok firing Shui Hsien Black aged Oolong

Pu Erh Tea Pu-Erh tea is cultivated from aged tea trees. The leaves are dried and pressed in some shapes mainly circular disks The tea leaves are kept in a dark place to mature and get some age slowly, which enhances the tea quality. Some are steamed in order to speed-up the maturity black pu-erh

Black Tea Commercial Black tea is The final product of the Camellia Assamica, which is produced in variable qualities depending on the market needs GFOP BOP PF PD Darjeeling is called the Champagne Of the tea, cultivated in the Darjeeling Region of India. SFTGFOP1 TGFOP

Tea Preparation Water needs to be of neutral type, spring water is optimum Water temperature varies: 80 C - 85 C for White tea 90 C - 95 C for Green tea 95 C - 100 C for Oolong tea 95 C - 100 C for Black tea 95 C - 100 C for Pu-Erh tea (green & black)

Tea Steeping Time Type Water Temp. Steep Time Infusions White Tea 65 to 70 C (149 to 158 F) 1 2 minutes 3 Yellow Tea 70 to 75 C (158 to 167 F) 1 2 minutes 3 Green Tea 75 to 80 C (167 to 176 F) 1 2 minutes 4-6 Oolong Tea 80 to 85 C (176 to 185 F) 2 3 minutes 4-6 Black Tea 100 C (212 F) 2 3 minutes 2-3 Pu-erh Tea 95 to 100 C (203 to 212 F)Limitless Several Herbal Tea 100 C (212 F) 3 6 minutes Varied

Tea Characterization The TEA is categorized by its: Color Aroma Taste Body

Tea Soup

Tea Taste Astringent: almost sour feeling in the mounth Brothy: comfortable savory quality Complex: multiple flavors come across Floral: smells and tastes strikingly like flowers Malty: combination of flavor and body similar to malt

Tea Taste Mellow (Black tea) Coppery (Black Pu-Erh, Liu Bao, Darjeeling) Stringent (immature black tea) Smooth (mature tea) Grassy (Oolong, Mao Jian) Musk (Liu Bao, aged tea) Fruity (Darjeeling, Mao Feng, Bi Luo Chun, ) Smokey (Ti Guan Yin, Lapsang Souchong)

Antioxidants

L-Theanine the treasure of Green Tea L-Theanine: A unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans Relaxing effect Lowering blood pressure Improvement of learning ability

Antioxidants 1/2 The main catechins found in tea are: Epicatechin Epicatechin-3-gallate Epigallocatechin (ECG) Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (also known as EGCG) EGCG, found in the highest concentration in green tea and white tea, is the most active and best researched of the catechins. It has been found to be over 100 times more effective in neutralizing free radicals than vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E.

Antioxidants 2/2 Other antioxidants Theaflavin Thearubigin

Anti-Oxidant levels in Tea

Tea Food Pairing Tables 1/6 White Tea Plain Rice Plain Salads This tea is extremely soft that it cannot be combined with strong tastes

Tea Food Pairing Tables 2/6 Green Tea Seafood White Meat Unsweetened Pastries Light Salads

Tea Food Pairing Tables 3/6 Oolong Tea (blue tea) Seafood White Meat Pastries & pancakes Chips & crackers Desserts

Tea Food Pairing Tables 4/6 Black Tea (except Darjeeling) Red Meat Spicy dishes Sweets Rice Thick pastries Creamy Desserts

Tea Food Pairing Tables 5/6 Black Tea (Darjeeling) Red Meat Sweets Thick pastries Creamy Desserts

Tea Food Pairing Tables 6/6 Pu-Erh Tea (digestive) Red Meat Spicy meals Oily food

Black Tea Grades & Terminology (mainly India & Sri-Lanka) 1/2 Production Grade S : Special F : Finest Tea Bud description T : Tippy G : Golden F : Flowery

Black Tea Grades & Terminology (mainly India & Sri-Lanka) 2/2 Tea Leaf Size OP : Orange Pekoe P : Pekoe B : Broken F : Fanning D : Dust Quality Suffix 1: First Flush 2: Second Flush Sup: Superior Quality

Black Tea Grades & Terminology Samples BOP: Broken Orange Pekoe STGFOP: Special Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe PF: Pekoe Fanning SFTGFOP1: Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe 1 st flush GFOP: Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe

Tea Ware Brewing tea taste depends heavily on the pot used Glass, stainless, ceramic, earth pot, silver, etc.. Drinking tea taste depends heavily on the cup used Glass, ceramic, paper, coated paper, plastic, etc.

Tea Storage & Care 1/2 Tea is sensitive to odors, it can capture any bad smell Should be kept in a dark place Away from humidity or moisture Green tea can be matured for couple of years Shui-Hsien (black oolong), Pu-Erh (black & green), Liu Bao; the older the better, it improves with age

Tea Storage & Care 2/2 Metal or ceramic tea pots should be rinsed very well after being cleaned using a detergent If using an earth teapot, use only water for cleaning Same applies to tea cups

Tea Benefits It helps lose weight by increasing the body metabolism It s highly rich in antioxidants to neutralize free radicals It reduces bad mouth smell It reduces thirst It s a good relaxant It s an excellent digestive

Where there is Theanine, there is Caffeine Old leaves (4 th onward) tend to collect Fluoride and light metals like Aluminum & Zinc, which are bad for the health: High Fluoride values tend to weaken the bone structure High aluminum intake might be poisonous on the long run The amino-acids found in the tea drink tend to adhere to the minerals found in the meals (like iron), which turn them unbeneficial

Green tea might harm patients with: Allergies Asthma Chronic sinusitis Some types of cancer Hepatitis B & C Ulcerative colitis Viral infections

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