What do the English and the East Frisians have in common? They are avowed tea drinkers. Green and black tea are particularly well known and loved. Rightly so, because they not only have a stimulating, beneficial effect, but also serve our health with their ingredients. Green and black tea are made from the same leaf material. Black tea is produced by fermentation after withering, which gives it its dark leaf and infusion color. This process is crucial for the taste and aroma of black tea. Green tea is the non-fermented variety. To prevent the tea from fermenting, the enzymes are destroyed by briefly scalding it in boiling water or by treating it with steam. Finally, the tea is rolled several times and dried.
Tips for enjoying tea
Of particular importance for a real tea enjoyment are the quality and quantity of the tea, the temperature and quality of the water, and the time the tea steeps.
- Rinse the teapot with hot water first.
- If the same variety is always used, it is recommended not to rinse the teapot and teacup, because in the long term it creates a patina that enhances the taste.
- A lightly heaped teaspoon of black tea is brewed with a cup of water, for a pot of six cups you need three to four teaspoons. For a cup of green tea is enough on average a slightly smaller amount than for black tea (three to four teaspoons are enough per liter).
- Black tea is poured over with bubbling boiling water, green tea, however, with about 70 degrees Celsius. So that the tea can steep well, it is favorable to use large tea strainers; cotton nets are also well suited.
- For black and green tea is a pulling time of two to five minutes – depending on taste. Longer pulled tea soothes, but the taste suffers from the bitter tannins.
- Fresh, bubbling boiling water brings out the flavor best. The water should be as low as possible lime and chlorine (hardness range 1, hardness grade 0 to 7). In the case of hard or chlorinated water, it is advisable to boil it for two to three minutes. In a pinch, you can also resort to special water filters.
- Who likes to use tea bags should better not squeeze them. This only brings more bitter substances in the drink, but not more flavor.
- Storage: Tea should be stored cool and dry. Well suited are light-protected glasses.
Where does good tea come from?
The range is wide. There is an abundance of teas available:
- Assam is the largest growing region in the world and is located in northeastern India; a dark, strong and spicy tea is grown here. If the water is very chalky, for example, an Assam is recommended as a strong tea.
- The leaves from the Darjeeling Valley on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, have rather a sweet aroma.
- The Ceylon tea tastes tart and fruity. The name Ceylon tea is no longer true, because the island is now called Sri Lanka, yet the term has persisted.
In the harvest, especially the first and second flush are significant. The spring harvest (first flush) is light, floral, bright – the summer harvest (second flush), however, stronger. The rest of the harvests are more of simple quality.
Famous blends
Earl Grey is a blend of Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon and Chinese Keemun tea. It is flavored with bergamot oil, which gives the typical citrusy taste. A good East Frisian blend consists of about two-thirds Assam tea and one-third Ceylon or Sumatra/Java tea. The typical English Breakfast Tea, on the other hand, contains two-thirds fruity Ceylon tea and one-third strong Assam.
Tea – a natural medicine
Tea is a stimulant, but tea is also a natural medicine. According to new findings by U.S. researchers, green and black teas strengthen the immune system. In one experiment, eleven test subjects each drank half a liter of tea per day. As a result, their immune systems proved stronger against infections than those test subjects who drank coffee. The amino acids L-theanine contained in the black and green teas stimulate the so-called killer T cells of the human immune system. These cells have a protective function in the body and can recognize and fight cells that are infected with viruses.Even before that, research showed that consuming certain types of tea can reduce the risk of cancer.
Black tea keeps teeth clean
Medical researchers at the University of Illinois have found in a study that regular black tea consumption lowers the risk of dental caries. The ingredients in black tea stop the growth of acid-forming bacteria in plaque, which are responsible for the development of tooth decay. As the researchers noted, black tea also inhibits the bacterial enzyme glycosyltransferase, which converts consumed sugar into a sticky adhesive substance that plaque uses to adhere to teeth. In test subjects who rinsed with black tea five times at three-minute intervals for 30 seconds, the bacteria that cause tooth decay stopped growing as well as producing acid.
