It is not for nothing that tea is called a magic drink - after all, it is healthy and perfectly quenches thirst. In addition to the usual black and green tea, there are white, yellow, red and even blue tea! What determines the color and taste of your favorite drink?
The main suppliers of quality tea are India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Kenya and China. You can also find products from Georgia, Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Indonesia on the market.
Tea is a capricious and delicate plant. He needs a warm climate, moderate humidity, plenty of sun, clean soil, fresh air, gentle care. When collecting, rolling and drying tea leaves, it is impossible to deviate from many years of experience and traditions passed down from generation to generation.
The most common and popular varieties are native to the Indian region. The higher the tea plantation is located above sea level, the more the invigorating properties of the drink are expressed. In India and Sri Lanka, it is customary to drink energized mountain tea in the morning. and in the evenings - soothing, collected in the foothills.
Tea, which we consider black, is called red in China, and black tea is prepared there according to a special recipe. There are six varieties in total, differing in the degree of fermentation (the process of oxidation of the tea leaf from processing to preparation): black, blue, yellow, white, green and red. Depending on the processing method, tea is able to tone up or, conversely, soothe.
Blue varieties are medium-fermented, also called "oolongs", which means "dark dragon" in Chinese. The leaf, twisted in a special way, really resembles this fantastic animal. There are many shades of oolong teas, from turquoise to blue. The tea leaves acquire such a range due to special processing. The purer and nobler the color of the tea, the higher its price.
White is distinguished by a small amount of enzymes and is processed in a special way, which allows you to achieve a light shade of the decoction and a juicy sweet aroma.
Thus, the color of the drink is determined by the degree of fermentation. Green tea does not undergo oxidation at all, and black tea goes through a full cycle (yellow and red have an intermediate stage).
Grown in Kenya (Africa), tea has a characteristic sour-bitter taste due to the composition of the soil on which the bushes grow. Despite this feature, there are many connoisseurs of African specifics among connoisseurs.
Black tea tolerates transportation and long-term storage better than others without compromising quality, has a pronounced taste and aroma, concentrates tannins, and is less destroyed under the influence of light. It goes well with any fruits and berries, hibiscus flower petals, rose hips, cornflower. roses, from herbs - with mint and St. John's wort. In addition, only black tea can be drunk with milk. Green tea is in harmony with jasmine, lemon, mint, lemon balm. It is customary to drink yellow and red teas only in their natural form, without additives.
