With the development of technology, the standards of tea production are gradually improving and as a result, different types of tea are becoming more and more popular. Because of the rigorous production process of tea, the taste of it is better guaranteed. At the same time, after the internet surveys and people's feedback it is easy to see that different types of tea have different effects and are beneficial to people's health. So, do you know how the process of making tea ? The steps involved the production of tea determined its quality. Here we will talk about the process of making tea and what we should to look for in the process.
Steps of making tea
As we all know, tea has a long history in China, so we have a strict procedure for making it. Firstly, picking the tea leaves at the right time is an important first step, good quality tea leaves need to be pick from the bud of the tea tree before the Qingming Festival. This is because it is at this time of year that the young shoots are of the best quality and have the best flavor, so people chooses to pick tea leaves at this time of year. The second step is withering, which means we need to leave the freshly picked shoots in the sun to allow some of the moisture to disappear, while protecting the polyphenols from oxidation and retaining the aroma of the tea leaves in preparation for the subsequent process. This is why this process is called withering, which we can also call dehydration. The third step is fermentation. Fermentation is the process by which the cells inside the tea leaves are destroyed and then the oxidation of the tea elements is promoted. After fermentation, the color, aroma and flavor of the tea leaves will change. Of course, different types of tea have different fermentation methods. Therefore, the success of the fermentation of the tea leaves also indirectly determines whether the tea is good or bad, and whether the taste and flavor are fragrant, which is a very crucial step. The fourth step is steaming. The principle of steaming is to use high temperature and pressure to heat the tea leaves to soften the stalks and leaves, making them easier to shape, and also to evaporate the water in the tea leaves so that they dry quickly. The next step is to knead the tea leaves. Kneading the tea leaves helps to set the tea leaves better and also helps to increase the strength of the flavor of the tea leaves. However, after this step, some types of tea will have a bitter taste when tasted, which is normal as the flavor will vary from tea to tea, depending on the method of kneading. The last two steps are sifting the tea leaves and drying them. The point of these two steps is to pick out the bad tea leaves and to ensure the quality of the tea leaves. The tea leaves are then dried. The dried tea leaves can be stored for a longer period of time to prevent mould and to ensure the quality and the flavor of the tea.
The steps of making tea are like a crafting process of carving. The more serious you are, the better the results it will give you back. The more time and opportunity you have to try the process of making tea by yourself, the more you may have different opinions. So, how much do you know about the types of tea?
Flower tea
With the passage of time, there were fewer types of tea from the beginning, and gradually became more and more diverse. For example, flower tea was a new type of tea that appeared later. Flower tea is unique to China and is now widely popular worldwide. At the same time, flower tea has a unique symbolic meaning. This is why people choose to send flower tea as gifts to friends on special holidays. So, do you know how scented tea is made? In fact, most scented teas are made by the mixed fermentation of flowers and black tea, which is similar to the fermentation process we mentioned earlier, except that the fermentation process involves other teas that are more conducive to the taste of tea, which is a key step in making scented tea. In addition, there are many different types of scented tea, such as rose tea, jasmine tea and chrysanthemum tea, which people often eat.
Of course, different types of flower teas symbolize different meanings, such as rose tea, which means romance and constant, faithful love. Jasmine tea stands for loyalty, simplicity and innocence; it also symbolize respect and friendship. In addition, floral teas have different therapeutic effects on the body. For example, rose tea contains high levels of vitamin E and is therefore very effective for people's beauty. Jasmine tea has a cleansing and detoxifying effect and is also helpful for upset stomachs. This is why more and more people are insisting on drinking flower tea every day because of its health benefits". Tea is one of the world's most popular beverages and is consumed by more than two-thirds of the world's population. In addition, many epidemiological studies provide evidence for the anti-cancer properties of tea, and although it is not possible to determine the extent to which tea affects cancer, animal studies have also shown that tea polyphenols can inhibit the formation and growth of various tumours". According to Smith et al. [1], now, most of the flowers we see can be used to make tea, but they have different effects and flavors, so people will have different choices. While many flowers can be used to make tea, one should also be aware of their effects. Some flower teas are suitable for everyday consumption and have no ill effects or burden on people's bodies, but others can be a burden on people's bodies over a long period of time and may cause discomfort. Therefore, when consuming some of the more specific types of flower teas, it is important to be clear about whether it is suitable for you.
We can not deny that tea has become an integral part of our daily lives, which is why people like to brew a pot of tea whether when entertaining friends or after a meal. It is evident that tea has become a part of people's lives.
References
[1] Smith, D., Daniel, K., Wang, Z., Guida, W., Chan, T. and Dou, Q., 2003. Docking studies and model development of tea polyphenol proteasome inhibitors: Applications to rational drug design. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 54(1), pp.58-70.