What are the taste properties of long leaf black tea. Long leaf tea - what is it and why is it called that?

An aristocratic drink, a way to a quiet pastime and a relaxed dialogue, a source of vivacity, energy and good mood - long leaf tea, which came to us several centuries ago from China. Locals, selling tea to Russian merchants, called it "boy khoa". The latter, believing that this is the name of an expensive high-quality product, rephrased the incomprehensible phrase into a simpler version - “beach tea”. What does it mean? In the understanding of the modern consumer, this term refers to all loose tea, which is actually incorrect.

Long leaf tea - what is it? This is a variety of white tea, containing in its composition leaves with small white villi (tips) that are barely beginning to open. Essential oils are concentrated in them, the quantity and quality of which determine the aroma and taste of the drink.

Features of the collection of raw materials

Real long leaf tea belongs to the category of expensive and grows in places with good ecology. The process of collecting tea buds, carried out by manually plucking the tops of the shoots, is allowed for workers who lead a correct lifestyle, do not use tobacco, alcohol, do not use cosmetics, do not use spicy-smelling spices in cooking. This is required so that the raw materials collected on the plantations do not contain any foreign odors.

After harvesting, the tea leaves are steamed and dried by hand. As a result, the villi become silvery, and the tea itself becomes incredibly appetizing and fragrant.

Beneficial features

Due to the rich chemical composition of the leaves, long leaf tea has a positive effect on the body:

• strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• regulates the level of hemoglobin and cholesterol;
• normalizes metabolic processes;
• suppresses viral infections;
• improves the condition of the skin and hair;
• fights caries;
• boosts immunity.

The healing properties of your favorite drink are endowed with vitamins contained in its composition. So, vitamin B normalizes the functioning of the endocrine glands, A is good for vision, D is for bones, E prevents aging, PP has an anti-allergic effect.

Vitamin C is characterized by anti-inflammatory action, enhances protective functions. Due to the close relationship with tannin, it is not destroyed by high temperatures.

Chemical composition

Tannins, which are a mixture of various compounds (about 30% of the total composition), allow you to enjoy the fragrance of the finished drink. Most of them are found in green tea.

Also, amino acids are actively involved in creating a fragrant bouquet, which are supplied to the body by another component - proteins; the rich color of the liquid is provided by pigments: chlorophyll, xanthophyll and carotene.

An important component in tea leaves are essential oils. When processing raw materials, most of them (about 70%) quickly disappear and make room for new esters, duplicating the smell of flowers, citrus fruits, vanilla, etc. Improper brewing of long leaf tea causes an irretrievable loss of essential oils odors.

Alkaloids (tannins, caffeines) are special tonic components in tea. Tea contains more caffeine than coffee. But this element is mixed with catechin and tannin, which softens its effect on the body.

Raw material processing technology

Before getting on the table to the consumer, long leaf tea goes through several stages of processing:

• Withering, the main purpose of which is the dehydration of the leaf. The procedure takes from 10 to 24 hours - in natural conditions (in the shade, under awnings), from 3 to 6 - in special dryers. During the withering process, the raw material loses about 55% of moisture, becomes elastic, less brittle, which is very important for its further processing.

• Twisting. Produced by hand or with the help of machines-rollers. When performing this operation, the leaves crumple, additional juice and oils are released, which subsequently endow the drink with a pronounced aroma.

• Fermentation (oxidation process). Twisted leaves are transferred to damp, darkened, cool rooms, where they are laid out in even layers about 10 cm thick. There they darken and release characteristic aromas (floral, nutty, spicy, fruity). Ideal conditions for high-quality fermentation are -15 ° C at a humidity of 90%. The process stops as soon as the tea aroma reaches its maximum condition.
• Drying. During this operation, performed in large ovens under the influence of high temperatures, the released essential oils and tea juice firmly “stick” to the leaf and retain their properties for a long time.
• Sorting. Tea raw materials are divided into large-leaf, medium-leaf (fragments of leaves of medium size), small-leaf (practically dust).

Black tea

The tea market offers a wide variety of long leaf teas. Only five are considered the most popular and generally recognized. Each of them differs not only in aroma and taste, but also in the way raw materials are processed.

The most common type of tea in existence is black tea. You can determine the quality of the product by:

• black color of the finished drink;
• the degree of twisting of the sheet (the denser - the higher the quality);
• aroma - bright and appropriate variety;
• the size of twisted leaves, large-leaf long leaf tea is considered the highest quality.

The calorie content of 100 g of dry raw materials is approximately 151.8 kcal; 1 gram of tea is consumed per cup of aromatic drink.

Varieties of black tea

Depending on the place of cultivation, black teas are divided into the following varieties:

Indian.

• Darjeeling is the most expensive tea in the world. It is marked with a detailed indication of the place of cultivation, sometimes even a plantation, the date of harvest, the age of the bushes.
• Asamsky. Black long leaf tea in finished form is a rich infusion of orange or reddish color. Less aromatic than Darjeeling, but stronger.
• Nilgiri. Mediocre taste. Not very aromatic.
• Sikkim. The variety combines the light color of the finished drink and a delicate smell.

Chinese.

• Keemun. Rarely sold as a single variety, they are often the basis of many teas. The brewed infusion has a red color.
• Lapsang. It is prepared in a special way: pine needles are burned in the ovens where tea leaves are dried. The resulting smoke fumigates the raw material, saturating it with a specific aroma. The best varieties of black long leaf tea are considered, in which the taste and aroma are not suppressed by smoke, but are subtly combined with it.
• Yunnanese. It has a dark brown color, a specifically pronounced "earthy" taste.

Ceylon.

• Orange peco. The infusion is red-brown, almost black. Strong and fragrant. The taste is rough. Aroma is vague.

Green tea

The most fragrant of all types is green tea. The color of the finished raw material is as close as possible to natural due to the gentle (shorter than that of black tea) fermentation process. The leaves retain not only their color, but also a maximum of useful substances, which has a beneficial effect on human health. The criterion that determines the quality of the product is the color of the drink: the lighter, the better.

One way to properly brew green tea:

• bring the water to a boil, or rather, until the moment when bubbles begin to appear at the bottom of the kettle;
• cool to 70-80 ° C;
• place ½ teaspoon of tea leaves in a container for tea leaves;
• pour 1/3 of water, after 2 minutes top up to half, after another 2 minutes top up to 2/3 teapot;
• insist until tender (8-10 minutes);
• pour into cups.

100 ml of the finished drink in its pure form (without additives) contains from 3 to 5 calories. This is negligible, so lovers of green tea can not limit themselves in its use. In addition, the properties of this product will improve metabolism, help get rid of extra pounds.

Other types of loose leaf tea

Complex processing technology is characterized by red tea; young buds of small size are used as raw materials, its leaves at the exit have an original color: black at the edges and green in the central part. The drink belongs to the elite variety, has an amazing delicate taste, thick and complex aroma. Brewing is done with almost boiling water; infusion time from 2 to 7 minutes.

Yellow tea is considered one of the most expensive. Young kidneys are taken as raw materials. The amber-yellow drink has a special taste that is difficult to confuse with any other. Aroma with smoky notes, tea leaves of the same color and size. A characteristic sign of yellow tea is a pink edge on the cup after drinking the drink.

White tea in terms of its healing properties is many times superior to all others. For raw materials, buds and 1-2 young leaves are used, plucked during 2 morning hours for only 2 days in early autumn and early spring. Tea leaves after preliminary preparation do not curl, unlike the previous types. Unsurpassed taste, divine aroma, almost colorless shade after brewing make this tea an elite drink, considered a guarantee of health and youth.

Introduction

Tea is one of the most common tonic drinks. It is characterized by high taste, qualities, exquisite aroma, good stimulating and therapeutic effect.

Tea has an antiseptic and bactericidal effect, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism, prevents the formation of stones in the kidneys and liver, increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, is used for radiation sickness, hepatitis, dysentery, tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, for gastric disorders, with typhoid. Green tea is indispensable for senile capillary fragility, hypertension and severe hemorrhages.

Currently, tea is grown in more than 25 countries in Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Its main producers are India, China, Sri Lanka, Japan and Turkey. In our country, tea is grown in the Krasnodar Territory, where frost-resistant Chinese varieties Thea Sinensis are cultivated.

The tea plant has the appearance of a bush up to 1 m high. The raw material for the production of tea is young three-leaved shoots of this perennial tropical plant. The leaves have an elliptical shape, sawtooth teeth, on the lower surface of the leaf there are stomata and silver-white unicellular hairs up to 1 mm long (“baijoa” is a white eyelash). This is where the name "beach" came from - loose tea.

The best tea is produced by the apical part of the shoot, consisting of an unblown leaf bud and two or three young leaves (flushes). Tea from old rough shoots and leaves is of poor quality.

The composition of the tea leaf includes various substances: water, tannins, nitrogenous and mineral substances, carbohydrates, alkaloids, essential oils, dyes, organic acids, vitamins, enzymes, etc.

In tea infusion, the most important are its extractives (water-soluble), the content of which is approximately 33--43%, in green leaf tea there are slightly more extractives.

The most important components of the tea extract are tannins (8-19%), caffeine (1.8-3.5%), essential oils (0.006-0.021%).

Tannins, or the so-called tea tannin, determine not only the organoleptic properties, but also the biological value of tea.

General characteristics of black long leaf tea

Black tea - as food and trade

Fermentation is the main technological operation in the production of long leaf black tea. It starts already at the moment of twisting. However, it is also carried out specially for 3-5 hours with free access of air and a temperature of 22--24 ° C. Tea acquires a copper-red color, the amount of catechins decreases, the bitter taste disappears, a tannin-protein complex is formed, aromatic aldehydes accumulate due to the oxidative deamination of free amino acids and other aromatic substances - during the hydrolysis of starch, proteins, tannins and other substances, phenolic substances during deep fermentation are in an oxidized state, give the tea leaves a dark color, form the taste and aroma of tea.

Drying of tea is carried out to stop the enzymatic processes to a moisture content of 3-5%. Dry the tea with hot dry air. During drying, part of the aromatic substances is lost, the content of vitamin C and water-soluble substances decreases. The tea leaves turn black. Dried tea is sorted according to the size and quality of the tea leaves into different types and varieties of factory tea, which, after blending, is divided into commercial varieties.

Long leaf black tea should be smooth, uniform, well twisted. The tea leaves are black, brittle, more or less thin, depending on the variety, without graying, without admixtures of wood and tea dust.

The infusion of black long leaf tea is bright, transparent, golden-copper tones, with its inherent aroma and pronounced tart taste, which forms the body of tea.

Consumer value of long leaf black tea

The quality of tea depends on the time of collection, the place of growth, the age of the flush and other factors. Long leaf tea is black, green, yellow and red.

Long leaf black tea is obtained as a result of the following operations: withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, sorting and packaging.

The main purpose of withering is to give the tea leaf the softness and flabbiness needed to curl it. When a tea leaf is dried with warm dry air, its moisture content decreases, enzyme activity increases, and partial hydrolysis of starch, proteins, chlorophyll and vitamins occurs.

Twisting is carried out on machines - rollers, as a result of which the cells of the tea leaf are destroyed and the cell juice is released, which facilitates the fermentation process. The tea leaf is twisted into a tube, a ball, peas, etc. The cell sap envelops the tea leaves and is fixed on them during the drying process. To improve the quality of tea, the rolling process is repeated several times with simultaneous sorting of the tea leaf.

In contact with atmospheric oxygen, under the influence of cell sap enzymes, the constituent substances of the tea leaf are oxidized.

Fermentation is the main technological operation in the production of long leaf black tea. It starts already at the moment of twisting. However, it is also carried out specially for 3-5 hours with free access of air and a temperature of 22--24 ° C. Tea acquires a copper-red color, the amount of catechins decreases, the bitter taste disappears, a tannin-protein complex is formed, aromatic aldehydes accumulate due to the oxidative deamination of free amino acids and other aromatic substances - during the hydrolysis of starch, proteins, tannins and other substances, phenolic substances during deep fermentation are in an oxidized state, give the tea leaves a dark color, form the taste and aroma of tea.

Drying of tea is carried out to stop the enzymatic processes to a moisture content of 3-5%. Dry the tea with hot dry air. During drying, part of the aromatic substances is lost, the content of vitamin C and water-soluble substances decreases. The tea leaves turn black. Dried tea is sorted according to the size and quality of the tea leaves into different types and varieties of factory tea, which, after blending, is divided into commercial varieties. Long leaf black tea should be smooth, uniform, well twisted. The tea leaves are black, brittle, more or less thin, depending on the variety, without graying, without admixtures of wood and tea dust. The infusion of black long leaf tea is bright, transparent, golden-copper tones, with its inherent aroma and pronounced tart taste, which forms the body of tea.

Black leaf tea

Long leaf black tea is obtained from green leaves that are slightly dried, withered, fermented, dried, sorted and packaged.

During withering, the moisture content decreases to 60%, the composition of aromatic substances changes, the amount of extractive substances increases, and a specific tea format is formed.

The wilted leaf is twisted to destroy its cells. The better the leaf is twisted, the more juice is released from the cells, the tea is obtained with higher taste qualities.

As a result of fermentation, the leaves darken, acquiring a brown color and a pleasant aroma of tea.

After fermentation, the tea is dried, its moisture content is reduced to 4%. Dried tea is sorted according to the size of the tea leaves into large (leaf) and small.

Green tea

Green tea leaves are not subjected to withering and fermentation, it is steamed at a high temperature for 1.5-2 minutes. Under such conditions, enzymes are rapidly destroyed and there are no noticeable changes in the chemical composition of tea.

Green tea is distinguished by a less bright infusion, a more tart taste, it retains tannins, chlorophyll, vitamins and other biologically active substances.

Yellow tea has a bright yellow infusion with a reddish tint, the taste of the infusion is pleasant, not sharp, and has a mild astringency. Yellow tea is produced in China. To obtain yellow tea, young shoots are taken, mainly the buds of the tea place. All grades of yellow tea - only high-quality. The aroma of yellow tea is unusual, it is the smell of a flowering field on a hot day.

Red tea is produced only in China. A distinctive feature of red tea is the red color of the steamed tea leaf along the edges and greenish in the center. This is due to the fact that at the time of acquiring such a color, the fermentation of tea leaves stops. Semi-fermented tea leaves retain twice as much extractives, so it is more valuable in terms of taste than black tea.

Flavored tea is produced from long leaf black tea, natural and artificial substances are used as flavorings.

Natural flavors are essential oils, flowers and other parts of fragrant plants (mint, jasmine, rose, geranium, etc.). Assortment: Nikitin Cherry, Nikitin Strawberry, Bergamot tea, etc.

Bergamot flavor is obtained from the leaves of a tropical citrus tree. Tea acquires a tart taste and an unusual smell, tonic properties.

Apply artificial flavors - synthetic aromatic essences. The quality of tea with such aromatization is lower.

Extracted (instant) tea is obtained by drying the extract of black or green tea. Powdered tea is produced in laminated paper bags, syrupy - in glass jars, bottles.

Pressed tea is produced by pressing benign tea production waste (crumbs, siftings). Such tea is produced in brick (black and green) and brick (green).

Tea bags - tea in bags for single brewing. Filter paper for tea bags is made from natural materials. In the production of tea bags, the smallest tea leaves are used, which are obtained by grinding the leaves with special machines. Teabags are convenient to brew, they are well dosed, but teabags are less aromatic than loose teas.

Assortment: Princess Noori, Cheerfulness, Conversation, Brooke Bond, Dilmah, Ahmad Tea London, etc.

Trade varieties of tea are usually named after the place of growth: Ceylon, Chinese, Indian, Krasnodar, Georgian, etc.

The main operations for obtaining commercial varieties of long leaf tea at tea-packing factories:

• - passing tea through magnetic devices;
• - preparation of the mixture according to the recipe;
• - mixing in blending drums;
• - packaging.

In terms of quality, long leaf black and green tea is divided into commercial varieties: “Bouquet”, highest, 1st, 2nd and 3rd (table).

Characteristics of the quality of commercial varieties of black long leaf tea

The name "bai" comes from the Chinese word "bai hao", which means "white cilia". These silvery hairs cover the tea buds as well as the underside of the young leaves. Kidneys during fermentation are painted in golden color (English - golden tips) - golden tips.

The presence of "golden tips" in tea characterizes its high quality.

The assortment of long leaf tea is varied. On tea packages, after the country of manufacture, letters are applied:

T - "type" - unblown buds of the tea place, giving the tea infusion a delicate taste and aroma.

F.P. - "Ef-pi" - tea contains slightly twisted leaves.

Long Leaf - "long leaf" - long leaf tea.

F. at the end - Fannings - "fannings" - tea with fine seeding, high quality, well brewed, used for top quality tea bags.

F. at the beginning - Flowery ("flowerery") from English. "flower" - tea from leaves growing next to the bud of a new leaf; tea has a strong aroma.

P.S. - "pi-es" - tea from the largest parts of the leaves.

F.B.O.GP - “ef-bi-o-pee” - medium-leaf tea that combines strength and strong aroma.

B.R. - “b-pee” - tea contains numerous leaf veins, the standard of broken-leaf tea, has a weak infusion.

C.T.S. - "Ci-Ci-Ci" - granulated tea is prepared according to the accelerated technology: "cutting - tearing - twisting", in such tea part of the taste and aroma is lost. The infusion is bright.

D. - "will give" - ​​tea dust; used for low quality tea bags.

O.R. - "Orange pekoe" - tea from the top, juicy leaves rich in color, taste and aroma.

Quality assessment, storage of tea. The quality of tea is mainly determined by the organoleptic method - by the appearance or harvesting of tea, taste, aroma, color of the infusion, color of the boiled leaf. To assess the appearance, medium samples are poured onto a clean sheet of paper and the group of tea (leaf or small), the degree of twisting of the tea leaves, the uniformity of color, the presence of stems and tea dust are visually determined.

The most important indicator of the quality of the infusion is the aroma. Aromatic substances are concentrated on the surface of the infusion, so the aroma is felt in the first 1.5-2 minutes after brewing. The quality of tea can be judged by the color of the boiled leaf. In high-quality long-leaf black tea, it has a bright copper color. Physical and chemical indicators are also taken into account: humidity (no more than 8%), content of caffeine, tannin, fines, crumbs (from 1 to 3%), metal-magnetic impurities. The content of mold fungi, foreign tastes and odors is unacceptable in tea.

Tea is stored in dry, well-ventilated areas away from pungent products, at a temperature of 15-20°C and a relative humidity of no more than 70%.

Tea is hygroscopic, easily absorbs foreign odors and loses its own aroma. Guaranteed shelf life of tea is 12 months from the date of packaging.

Tea packaging is of great importance. In jars of glass, faience, tea can be stored for a longer time. The main thing is that air does not penetrate into them.

Long leaf black and green tea is packed in soft semi-rigid and rigid packages weighing from 25 to 250 g.

Tea drinks are made from dried leaves of blueberries, lingonberries, wild strawberries, willow-herbs, and other plants. Tea drinks do not contain caffeine. They are produced in the form of mixtures of berry fruits (peeled, fried, crushed), fruit essence, molasses are added.

They produce tea drinks in briquettes weighing 60, 80, 100 and 150 g.

Long leaf black tea is not a curiosity that has recently appeared on the shelves of stores in our country. Despite this, many have a vague idea of ​​how it differs from thousands of other varieties of tea. Let's figure out when such tea came to us and how it should be handled?

Long leaf tea - a guest from the eastern shore

Long leaf black tea appeared in Europe several centuries ago and at that time was perceived as a Chinese exotic. Almost immediately, the meaning of the word "beach" on European soil changed. In Chinese, the expression "bai hua" means, oddly enough, "white eyelashes." What do white eyelashes and black tea have in common? Right! Nothing.

In medieval China, this expression denoted an elite variety of white tea, the production of which was considered a real art. Meeting European merchants, the Chinese immediately realized that the white guests did not really understand the varieties of tea. They passed off ordinary tea as the famous bai hua, thereby increasing its cost at times. Over time, bai hua, which is difficult for European languages, was replaced by the adjective “bai hua”.

The main differences from other types of tea

Long leaf tea is opposed to slab and pressed tea. Its main feature is that it is loose. It is not difficult to guess that this is the most common type of tea in our country.

The color of the finished drink is black. A gray or other shade of tea leaves gives a rhinestone its poor quality. Such tea will be insipid and will not please with a refined aroma.

What else should be remembered when choosing a brew?

• The color of the tea leaves should be as close to black as possible.
• The mass itself must be homogeneous. Ideally, the tea leaves are the same size. In a low-quality product, along with small tea leaves, dust and all kinds of garbage come across.
• Do not buy tea with strange unwanted inclusions - pieces of foil, fragments of tea branches, etc.
• Twisted tea leaves are an indicator of high quality. This means that the future brew has undergone fermentation.
• The humidity of tea leaves is evidence of its danger to health. Tea that is too wet will grow mold and become toxic.
• Tea should not be burnt either. To eliminate this option, rub a few tea leaves between your fingers. If they turn into dust, then you have a poor quality product. Another sure sign is a burning smell.
• The smell of black long leaf tea is either sweet or resinous-floral. High-quality tea leaves do not smell like burning, metal, gasoline, fish or cat food

Health benefits and harms

Long leaf tea, like any other type of this drink, can become an ally in the fight against health problems. What benefit will it bring?

• Cheer up in the morning. The content of caffeine in black tea is not less than in coffee. It has a slightly different structure, thanks to which it lasts longer.
• Normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system: cleanses the blood vessels, strengthens their walls, improves the functioning of the heart muscle.
• Saves from diseases of the digestive system.
• Stimulates the production of serotonin, providing a good mood.
• Improves brain reality, helps to concentrate attention, remember even the smallest details.
• It will help keep your teeth healthy and save them from caries (of course, if you drink it without sugar).

No need to think that such tea will bring only benefits. In some cases, it is better to refuse a cup of aromatic drink. Who is at risk?

People with cardiovascular disease. Excessive consumption of this drink can provoke unwanted vasodilation and heart palpitations.

• Suffering from inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
• Hypertension. Black leaf tea increases blood pressure.
• For the same reason, it is contraindicated in patients with glaucoma.
• For those who have trouble falling asleep, it is better not to drink tea at night.
• People with increased nervous excitability.

Brewing Secrets

This type of drink must also be prepared in a special way, given its main characteristic - friability.

Tea leaves can not be poured with boiling water. It will kill all the beneficial properties and significantly distort the aroma and taste. In China, traditionally, such tea leaves are poured with slightly cooled water (up to about 80-90º C). Dishes need to be selected special. Porcelain teapots are best suited for brewing: they are soft in texture and give off heat easily.

The Chinese believe that tea brewing is best left to a woman. Only female energy will make it useful and tasty. It is very important to approach the matter with a good mood. Chinese beliefs say that tea leaves perfectly feel the smallest fluctuations of the soul. Negative emotions will make the drink unfit to drink.

The most popular in the world of all types of tea is long leaf black.

Black tea production. The technological scheme for the production of black long leaf tea includes the following processes: tea leaf withering; twisting alternating with "green" sorting; fermentation; drying in two stages; dry sorting.

In order to change the physical properties and chemical composition of the tea leaf in order to prepare it for further processing,

When withering, as a result of moisture evaporation, the elasticity of the tea leaf decreases, its area, mass and volume decrease. Withering is carried out until the cell protoplasm irreversibly loses its hydrophilic properties and the leaves are not able to restore the lost turgor: when squeezed in the hand, they should stick together into a lump. The moisture content of the leaf decreases from 75–78 to 62–64%.

Along with physical changes in the tea leaf during the withering process, significant biochemical transformations occur: chlorophyll is partially destroyed; changes occur in the complex of polyphenolic substances, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, essential oils; the content of ascorbic acid decreases; the formation of a specific tea aroma begins.

There are two ways to wither tea leaves: natural and artificial. In most tea-producing regions of the world, natural withering is used, in which a tea leaf is spread in a thin layer on shelves (arranged in tiers every 10-15 cm, no more than 10-12 tiers) at the rate of 0.5 kg of leaf per 1 m 2. Depending on the weather and the quality of the leaf, the withering process lasts 16-18 hours, and in humid weather, up to 48 hours. The optimum temperature is considered to be 24-25 ° C with a relative humidity of 60-70%.

The main disadvantages of this method of withering: the dependence of the process on meteorological conditions, the need for large areas and a significant number of workers.

In Russia, artificial withering of tea leaves is used in special continuous-type belt-type drying machines. In this case, warm conditioned air is blown through a thick layer of tea leaves. At the beginning of withering, air is supplied at a temperature of 40 ° C, gradually decreasing towards the end of the process to 38-35 ° C. Under these conditions, the leaf withers in 6-8 hours.

Twisting withered tea leaf into a tube (and in some countries - into a ball, pellet) is carried out in order to destroy cells and drain cell sap onto the surface of the leaf to activate oxidative processes and reduce the volume of processed raw materials. This is achieved by crushing the tissues of the tea leaf with the help of special twisting machines - rollers. They come in closed (with a press) or open (without a press) type, as well as single, double and triple action. In single-action rollers, the table or cylinder of the roller performs a flat-translational circular motion; double action - both the table and the cylinder perform a flat-transitional circular motion; triple action - in addition to the indicated movements of the cylinder and table, the rotational movement is performed by the press.

Twisting, being a purely physical technique, promotes deep biochemical transformations of leaf components. As a result of mechanical damage to cellular structures, in particular, the tonoplast, the contents of the vacuoles are mixed with the cytoplasm, the resulting cell sap flows onto the surface of the twisted leaves, enveloping them. At the same time, previously strictly coordinated biochemical processes in the tea leaf are disturbed, and with the free access of oxygen and the catalytic action of enzymes, redox processes are activated. Therefore, twisting is considered to be the first phase of fermentation.

When twisting in the cell sap, uncontrolled biochemical processes that began during withering are accelerated, and new formation and accumulation of malic and succinic acids, esters also occur. The external manifestation of these processes is a gradual change in leaf color - from green to copper-red and brown, and the appearance of a specific aroma.

One of the indispensable conditions for obtaining high-quality tea is the most complete crushing of the cells of the raw material, which determines the high extractivity of the infusion and the speed of brewing in the future.

For better separation of leaves from shoots and good twisting in most countries, including Russia, three twisting is carried out for 30-45 minutes each, depending on the quality and age of the leaf. In open rollers, during the first twist, the most delicate parts are separated and twisted from the flush - the apical bud and the first leaf. The entire mass of raw materials is then sent to flat sorting machines in order to separate under-twisted leaves for the so-called "green" sorting, which lasts 10-12 minutes. The under-twisted leaves again go to the second twisting, already in closed-type rollers with a press. After the second twisting under pressure, "green" sorting is again carried out and the process is repeated again, but with stronger pressure, which makes it possible to bring the number of crushed cells in the leaves to 78-85%. The fractions obtained during sorting are not further mixed, but are processed separately.

Fermentation starts from the moment the leaf is rolled and is the most important technological process in the production of black tea and affects the quality of the resulting product. The time allotted for fermentation is 4–8 hours, including 2–3 hours for the twisting period. The second phase, fermentation itself, is carried out in a special room at room temperature (22–26 ° C), high relative humidity (96 -98%) and a constant supply of oxygen at a layer thickness of fermenting tea of ​​4-8 cm.

In the process of fermentation, which proceeds with the help of its own oxidative enzymes - mainly polyphenol oxidase, the tea leaf completely loses its green color and smell of greenery, acquiring a brown color and a pleasant aroma of fermented tea. By the end of fermentation, the bitter taste of non-oxidized tannin and other phenolic compounds in the tea disappears and a pleasant, milder taste characteristic of black tea is formed.

The most significant changes during fermentation occur in the group of phenolic compounds, in particular, (tea catechin is condensed and condensed. At the same time (according to A. L. Kursanov and M. N. Zaprometov), ​​dimeric catechins (flobafens) of tea are mainly formed, giving water the solution has a pleasant slightly astringent taste without bitterness and a characteristic golden-red color.It has been established that dimeric catechins retain the P-vitamin activity characteristic of monomers.

Oxidation of catechin to orthoquinones occurs under the action of polyphenol oxidase. Further conversion of orthoquinone to oxycatechin or oxidation of oxycatechin to paraoxyquinone proceeds spontaneously without the participation of enzymes and is accompanied by the destruction of chlorophyll. Quino-ny, interacting with the amino acids of the tea leaf, impart additional tones to its color. The essential oils contained in the raw materials partially change, and their amount increases due to aldehydes and ketones formed during the deamination and oxidation of amino acids by orthoquinones.

At the same time, during the fermentation process, the content of ascorbic acid drops sharply, and the amount of mono- and disaccharides also decreases.

Drying carried out in order to stop the action of enzymes and the biochemical processes associated with it with the help of high temperature at the time of maximum accumulation of valuable substances in the tea leaf and to give the finished product storage stability. However, during the drying itself, purely chemical changes occur in the semi-finished product: partial loss of volatile aromatic substances; further decrease in C-vitamin activity; a noticeable drop in the level of hydropectin and some decrease in the content of caffeine, ammonia nitrogen, glucose, sucrose and starch; further oxidation of polyphenolic substances and the formation of dark-colored melanoidins.

During drying, the organoleptic properties of the semi-finished product change greatly. Its copper-red and brown color gradually fades to black. 70-80% of the essential oils formed during fermentation are volatilized, methyl alcohol, formed as a result of pectin hydrolysis, is completely volatilized. The product acquires the smell and taste characteristic of ready-made tea.

Tea is dried in special machines in two steps: first at a temperature of 90-95°C to a moisture content of 18%, and after a 2-hour break - at 80-90°C to a residual moisture content of 3-4%. Tea is considered dried when the tea leaves do not bend, but break. If the drying regime is not followed, the tea may be under-dried or over-dried ("overcooked"), which adversely affects its quality.

Each of the tea leaf fractions obtained after the first, second and third twisting is subjected to sorting. When sorting dry tea, leaf teas are separated from broken teas, delicate tea leaves from larger ones. At the same time, tea is freed from trifles - sievings and crumbs.

The sorted coarsest particles are passed through tea cutting machines. Chopped teas may be combined with sorted broken teas under the general term "fine" or "broken".

Factory grades of black tea. As a result of dry sorting, long leaf black tea is divided into leaf (large) and broken (small) tea according to the size of tea leaves.

Leaf tea according to the type of leaf, in turn, is divided into leaf first (L-1), obtained from the kidney and the first flush leaf, leaf second (L-2) - from the second leaf and leaf third (L-3) - from the third flash sheet. The highest quality is in L-1 tea, which consists of the most delicate, well-rolled leaves and a significant amount of the so-called golden tips - unblown apical buds of the shoot. Tea L-2 is distinguished by larger, although uniform in color and size, tea leaves, the absence or low content of tips, the presence of slightly twisted tea leaves (up to 10%), and a fairly high quality. Tea L-3 is of average quality, includes a significant amount of thick and coarse tea leaves and up to 20% of insufficiently twisted tea leaves.

Broken tea according to the type of leaf is divided into shallow first(M-1) - the most delicate type of broken teas, containing a significant amount of golden tips and well-rolled tea leaves of natural size (not broken), shallow second(M-2), not containing golden tips, with larger, uniform in color and appearance (harvesting) tea leaves, of which 15% may be insufficiently twisted, and petty third(M-3), mainly consisting of fragments of coarse leaves and particles of stalks ("sticks") of a grayish color, 25% of poorly twisted tea leaves are allowed in it.

Small teas also include crumbs (Kr.) and cuttings (vye). In the total volume of production, siftings account for 15-17%; they are used to make black tile and bagged tea.

In fine tea there should be no admixture of leaf and vice versa. In teas M-1, M-2 and M-3, the content of fines (seeds and crumbs) should not exceed 2%, and there are no crumbs and fines in leaf teas.

Leaf teas, having a more delicate aroma and pleasant taste, are inferior to broken ones in terms of color intensity.

Tea quality is divided into the following factory grades: bouquet, the highest grade of I and II categories, 1st grade, 2nd grade of I, II and III categories, 3rd grade, crumb.

Tea, different in kind of leaf, can be of different varieties (with the exception of crumbs) depending on the aroma, taste, intensity of the infusion, appearance (cleaning) and color of the boiled leaf.

The variety of tea is determined on the basis of tasting in the laboratories of primary processing factories by specialists - tea testers. The conformity of product quality with the requirements of the standard for physical and chemical indicators is also taken into account: the moisture content in tea should be no more than 7%, caffeine, depending on the variety, from 2.8 to 1.8%, and tannin from 11 to 8%.

To pack factory grades of tea, strong, dry, clean, odorless plywood boxes with a capacity of 50 kg are used, lined from the inside with clean wrapping paper, foil and parchment. Tea-filled boxes after utruska immediately

covered with lids (on top of packaging materials), stuffed and sent to tea-packing factories.

The guaranteed shelf life of tea in such packaging is 5 months, after which it is again subjected to tasting and laboratory evaluation to determine the period of further storage.