Page 10 - Something's Brewing - February 2021
P. 10
Page 10 www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk
FEBRUARY. 2021 | VOL. 14
Chinese Tea: Part Two Green
Green tea is the oldest type of Chinese tea.
The leaves are processed by withering,
By Joonas Jokiniemi
panning, rolling, and drying in woks or drying
machines. This is carried out to remove
In this month’s Something's Brewing we will
look at four types of teas made from tea leaves almost all the moisture and bring out the
(Camellia Sinensis), how to prepare them, and natural aroma, green colour, and green
their potential health benefits as perceived by vegetal flavour profile.
the Chinese.
Some of the most famous green teas
are West Lake Longjing tea, Maojian tea, and
White
White tea (‘bai cha’) is allowed to wither and dry Sweet Dew of Mengding.
before use. Two of the best white teas are White
Hair Silver Needle and White Peony and are Green tea is often considered the healthiest
produced in Fujian province. tea because it is rich in antioxidants and
nutrients that are good for the body. The
Chinese believe that it can help clear toxic
Chinese believe white tea can aid in clearing
toxic heat and reducing fatigue. heat, reduce inflammation, help in fat loss,
The potential health benefits of white tea have improve brain function, and lower the risk of
been studied as well, and include reduced risk cancer.
of heart and neurodegenerative diseases,
healthier skin, and reduced risk of cancer. It can Green tea leaves are usually brewed in hot
also help with weight loss and supporting water (158°F OR 70°C) or for about 2- 3
healthy bones. minutes and re-brewed if needed.
If you want to try some high-quality Chinese
green tea, I can recommend this Organic
White teas are known for their unique aromas
and delicate floral-fruity flavours. Longjing West Lake Dragon Well Green
To prepare some white tea, brew it in a glass Tea available on Amazon.
vessel or teapot of boiling water (176°F or 80°C)
for about 3-4 minutes. Oolong
Oolong teas (‘qing cha’ or ‘wu long cha’)
are semi-oxidised teas (green tea is not
You can find both White Hair Silver
Needle and White Peony tea on Amazon. oxidised; black tea is fully oxidised; oolong
teas are oxidised on a scale between around
10% and 90 %). They are produced mainly in
Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan.
The tea leaves are wilted, bruised, partially
oxidized, rolled, and dried. After drying, the
dark Chinese oolongs (e.g. Wuyi rock oolongs
such as Shui Xian, Rou Gui and big red robe)
are roasted over charcoal. the greener
oolongs (such as Tie Guan Yin) are
sometimes charcoal roasted and sometimes
left green.
