Interesting facts about tea
Tea is an aromatic hot beverage, which is infused with hot water. Whether tea bag or loose tea, it does not matter. During the brewing process, the tea releases various ingredients and aromas into the water. Tea has a calming, healing, stimulating, metabolism-stimulating effect, is rich in vitamins, helps with digestive problems or even with coughs and colds.
In short, tea is rich in effects and taste.
The legends - How it all began
China
According to a Chinese legend, in 2737 BC a Chinese emperor boiled water under a tree to quench his thirst. As he did so, a light wind blew leaves from a wild tea tree into the water. The emperor drank the bright green mixture and he found it delicious. This is how tea was discovered.
India
In India, another legend is told that a prince named Dharma, decided to travel to China to preach the teachings of Buddhism. The prince made a vow that he would not sleep for nine years. At the end of the third year, however, Dharma was about to fall asleep. To escape sleep, he picked leaves from a wild tea bush and put them in his mouth. When he began chewing the leaves, they had an invigorating effect and helped the prince stay awake for the remaining 6 years of his mission.
Tea growing regions
India
One of the most famous tea growing areas in India is the Assam region. It is located at an altitude of 1000 meters, in a tropical climate. There grows on about 2000 plantations mainly strong and spicy tea with dark infusion. The name of the tea plant is 'Thea assamica', which can grow up to 20 meters high. However, the best known growing area is in the north of India, where the world-famous Darjeeling tea is produced on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, at an altitude of over 2000 meters. Close to the vegetation line, the tea plant grows and thus develops a very flowery-fine, full-bodied tea aroma. Due to the ideal conditions and the careful handling, the tea is also called "the champagne among teas".
Sri Lanka
Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka has been known worldwide for over 100 years and has a tangy, fruity-tart flavor and a reddish-brown infusion color. The best qualities come from about 2000 meters altitude and are also suitable for harder water.Sri-Lanka belongs with its Ceylon tea to the largest tea producers in the world.
China
In China, a rich variety of tea has developed over the years. The country, which is also known as the country of origin of tea due to its more than 4000 years old tea culture, mainly grows various types of green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, pu-erh tea and flavored tea. Black tea in particular is gaining much popularity worldwide due to its aromatic and smooth taste and relatively low tannic acid.
Taiwan
Taiwan is mainly known for its specialty oolong tea, but also for green tea production. Tea has been grown on the island for about 300 years, so tea from Taiwan often still bears the old name of the island- Formosa.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, large quantities of tea with a strong character are produced year-round on the two islands of Java and Sumatra. Tea plants for high-quality green and white teas and oolongs are grown at an altitude of about 600 to 1400 meters. However, the majority of tea is used for blends, such as East Frisian.
Nepal
This small kingdom in the Himalayas is in close proximity to the famous Darjeeling tea growing region in India. Nepal's teas are similar to Darjeeling tea not only in taste but also in character, making the tea increasingly popular worldwide. Nepal has been one of the youngest tea growing countries for 140 years.
Africa
In Africa, tea plantations were established only at the beginning of this century. Besides Kenya, which is the continent's most important tea-growing country with a black tea production of about 240,000 tons, there is also tea cultivation in Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Zaire and Zimbabwe. Almost all of the tea produced there is CTC Broken tea, which is destined for tea blends sold by bulk packers around the world. Upscale tea quality in Africa is found primarily in the highlands of Kenya, where a Ceylon-like tea with a fruity, tangy flavor is produced.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, tea cultivation has a century-old tradition. Especially in North and South Vietnam, a considerable variety of tea, such as jade oolong, green tea and jasmine tea, is grown in the highlands. Tea from Vietnam has a very pleasant character, which is why many oolong varieties are produced in the Taiwanese style.
Japan
Sencha tea is the main tea produced in Japan today. This tea has a light green infusion color and is so popular because its production pays special attention to the preservation of natural fragrance and aroma. This preservation provides the fresh aromatic flavor, with a hint of sweetness and a subtle bitterness. Tea has been grown in Japan for over 1000 years. The first tea plant was brought back by a monk from a trip to China and planted in the monastery.
Tea Facts
350 AD. Tea was first described in a dictionary as tea was first described in a dictionary as "tu" (a drink made from boiled leaves). |
1644 The first 100 pounds of tea were shipped to England by the Dutch. |
476 AD. The first bartering of tea was conducted along the Great Wall. |
1657 The first coffee shop in England began serving tea. |
780 AD. A first professional study on tea was written by LuYu, an adopted son of Buddhist monks. The book covers the topics: Origin and cultivation of the tea plant, areas of cultivation, tea production, methods and utensils of tea preparation. |
1658 The first advertising with leaflets for tea appeared in England, according to which tea should keep the body and mind healthy until old age. |
620-907 AD The art of tea preparation and production was refined and perfected during the Tang Dynasty. |
1717 The first tea store was opened in London by Thomas Twining. |
960-1279 AD. Traditions of flowery teas were mainly developed in the Sung Dynasty. |
1720 East Frisia developed its own tea culture after tea came to East Frisia via Holland. |
1279-1368 During Mughal rule, tea lost its popularity. |
1773 Freemasons dumped 342 boxes of tea into the sea to protest high taxes. This act later became known as the "Boston Tea Party" and is still considered a prelude to the American War of Independence. |
1368-1490 Tea consumption flourished again with the production of new teas such as oolong and black tea. |
1778 Prussian King Frederick II failed to stop tea consumption in Germany. |
1492 In Yi-Xing (China) the first teapot was created |
1810 Chinese immigrants brought various tea plants from Fujian province to Formosa (Taiwan). |
1610 First green and black teas were brought to Holland from China and Japan by the Dutch East India Company. However, due to the long sea journey, the quality of the tea suffered considerably. |
1860 A young Scot named James Taylor grew the first tea in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). |
1618 Vasily Storkov brought tea from China to Russia for the first time by an arduous overland route. |
1908 A tea merchant named Thomas Sullivan stuffed tea samples into small silk bags and accidentally invented the tea bag. |
The perfect preparation
General rules of tea preparation:
- The flavor of the tea becomes stronger with a larger quantity of tea leaves
- The longer the tea brews, the more intense the flavor becomes.
- The fresher the tea, the better the taste.
- The hotter the water, the shorter the steeping time.
- The infusion time can be shortened depending on the level of water temperature.
- Different types of tea require different water temperatures.
- The perfect water temperature is different for almost every tea.
- Boiling water can destroy delicate green and white teas.
- The strength of the infusion and correspondingly the taste of the tea can be better controlled with smaller teapots.
For a quick cup infusion, disposable paper filters are most suitable. They are ideal if many different types of tea are to be prepared, as the paper filters are neutral in taste.
The tea can unfold very well in a cotton net, but the net should be constantly maintained by washing it out, because over time the taste of other infusions soaks into the net, and so the tea aroma can be affected.
It is better to avoid using metal teaspoons and tongs when preparing tea. The tea leaves can only develop to a limited extent and the prolonged metal contact during the infusion time can impair the taste.
How to store the tea properly?
To preserve the flavor of your favorite tea as long as possible, the tea should always be stored in a cool place and protected from any heat radiation. A temperature of around 19 °C is optimal. In addition, the tea should be stored in an opaque tin. Wooden, porcelain, and metal tins are particularly suitable for this purpose, because they protect the tea best from sunlight and thus guarantee almost perfect preservation of the aroma. For additional protection, they should seal the tea airtight to prevent moisture from getting to the tea. If all these factors are followed, the tea can be stored for up to 3 years without losing its flavor and quality.
Hot tea in summer
To avoid excessive sweating in hot temperatures, should you drink only iced soft drinks? Many people would answer "yes" to this question, but right there lies a very interesting misconception. Drinking cold drinks in very hot weather only cools the body in the short term, but in the long term the body is stimulated to sweat. The body must heat the cold drink to the regular body temperature so that internal organs cannot be damaged by the cold. This process costs the body strength, resulting in even more sweating and exhaustion.
Drinking tea against the heat?
One tip to avoid unnecessarily revving up the circulatory system in hot temperatures is to consume tea. By regularly taking tea in hot temperatures, a so-called evaporative cooling is created on the surface of the human skin, which cools the body. The result of this process is that you sweat much less and also feel much better overall.
With these tips, any tea will succeed:
Black tea
For an invigorating effect of black tea, you should boil the water and pour it bubbling over the black tea leaves. After 1 to 3 minutes, the leaves should be removed from the water. During the waiting time, you can ensure that the aroma fully develops by stirring briefly. Due to the short brewing time, almost exclusively invigorating substances succeed in the black tea, giving you the ultimate wake-up effect.
To get a calming effect of the tea, you should let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes. The longer brewing time allows more tannins to get into the tea and bind the caffeine that was previously released. This process makes the tea healthier and takes away the stimulating effect.
Another important point when boiling black tea is the water. It should not be too chalky, because otherwise a film will form on the tea, this can be avoided with a water filter. In addition, the water should be freshly boiled. However, if the water is boiled too often, it loses its oxygen and the aroma of the black tea can not fully develop.
Probably the best known black tea varieties are grown in Asia and are called Darjeeling, Ceylon and Assam.
Fruit tea
Fruit teas are made from dried components of one or more fruits, making them, strictly speaking, not teas but tea-like products. Fruit tea is brewed with boiling water and has a brewing time of 8 to 10 minutes. The optimal amount is about 12 to 15 g per liter.
Herbal tea
Herbal tea can be composed of an infinite number of different herbal combinations. The best way to develop the aroma of herbal tea is to brew it with lightly boiling water and let it steep for 7 to 10 minutes. Depending on how taste and effect should be, one calculates with about 12 to 18 grams of tea per liter.
The family of herbal teas also includes medicinal teas, such as cough and bronchial teas, but these are subject to the Medicines Act.
White tea
When preparing white tea, care should be taken to ensure that the water is not too hot and not too chalky, as this can adversely affect the taste. The water temperature should be around 75°C and the water should be filtered through a water filter if the lime content is too high. For optimal taste, use 8 to 11 grams of tea per liter of water for the infusion and let the tea steep for 1 to 4 minutes after infusion.
Tip: White tea can be infused several times.
East Frisian tea
Boiling water is used in the preparation of the classic East Frisian tea. For the ideal taste, 16 to 18 grams of tea leaves per liter are calculated, which are poured over with 1/4 liter of water and then left to steep for 5 minutes. Only after the infusion time is the remaining water added. In the classic preparation, a piece of rock candy is placed in a cup and the hot tea is poured over it. Finally, a spoonful of fresh cream is added to the tea.
Green tea
Green tea is obtained from the same tea plant as black tea and differs only in the final product, which is why the two teas have a similar preparation. As with black tea, the quality of the water is very important. You should always use fresh and lime-free water for infusion. You can decalcify very calciferous water with the help of a water filter. For the optimal preparation of green tea, you should let the boiled water cool down to 70 to 80 °C for 5 to 10 minutes and let the infused tea steep for 1 to 2 minutes, as only in this way can the complete aroma unfold.
Like black tea, green tea contains caffeine, although the caffeine content can vary greatly depending on the variety. A good dosage is about 8 to 12 grams of tea leaves per one liter of water. In addition, the tea leaves can be used for a second infusion.
Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea belongs to the herbal teas and can be infused with dried or fresh leaves. For a good dosage, they should pour about 2 grams of the leaves with hot water (65 to 90 ° C) and infuse for 5 to 10 minutes. During the infusion time, the peppermint releases the essential oil menthol to the water, which makes the tea taste very fresh.
Tip: especially in case of gastrointestinal complaints, peppermint tea has a very calming effect.
Chamomile tea
For the perfect preparation of chamomile tea, you should pour boiling water over 2 to 3 grams of chamomile flowers and let it steep for 10 minutes. Chamomile tea has a positive effect on gastrointestinal complaints, such as abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea, stuffy nose or small inflammations. The tea has a calming, decongestant, antibacterial, wound-healing and diuretic effect on us.
Oolong tea
Oolong tea is considered particularly digestible, as it contains significantly less caffeine and tannins than black tea. Oolong has a fruity, slightly smoky flavor and can be infused several times. When infusing, it is important to use fresh water at a temperature of 80 to 90 °C. The ideal dosage is 10 ml. The ideal dosage is 10 to 14 grams of tea per liter. The ideal infusion time of the first infusion is about 3 minutes. However, for the second and third infusion, the tea should definitely be left to steep for 4 to 7 minutes.
Tip: The longer the tea brews, the lower the caffeine content.
