About tea in general
What is tea?
The tea bush is a subspecies of Camellia trees. It has yellow-white flowers and small fruits, with extremely strong shells, like hazelnuts. The leaves are constantly green, slightly toothed.
For those who want to know a little more: the two main subspecies of the plant are Camellie – Thea Sinensis (Chinese species) and Thea Asamica< /strong> (Indian species). By crossing these two basic types of the Camellia plant, all tea crops around the world were created.
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There are more than 150 different tea aromas and countless combinations of mixing with other substances. The curling of the leaves releases the essential oils that determine the scent and aroma of the tea. By adding the natural flavors of flowers and fruits, the choice becomes very wide.
The alkaloids in tea represent caffeine (theine).
It is obtained by fermenting tea leaves that are almost black after the fermentation process is over, hence the name “black tea”.
It is a group of semi-fermented (oolong/wulong) teas.
It comes from the Chinese CHA’, while in Western European languages we know it as TE, THE, TEE or TEA. The exception is the Portuguese name, which is closest to the original: it is written CHA’ and pronounced [ša’].
Ingredients of green tea that represent antioxidants. There are 4 types of catechins present in green tea, and most of the healing properties of green tea are attributed to them.
The alkaloid contained in coffee beans and tea leaves has a stimulating effect on the body. Tea contains half as much caffeine as coffee. The caffeine in hot tea is partly bound and partly free, which means that it is absorbed more slowly – the effect is somewhat weaker, but longer lasting.
A chilled tea drink, often with aromatic additives that multiply the range of flavors, popular for making punches, great for the summer heat, most often made from rooibos and fruit teas.
Minerals are essential inorganic substances necessary in human nutrition. The ingredients are potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium and in smaller amounts iron, iodine, selenium and fluorine. In addition to the above, tea also contains manganese and zinc.
Semi-fermented Chinese tea.
A process in which green leaves are spread out for drying either naturally or with heated air. This removes moisture, and the leaves become flexible and soft.
Caffeine discovered in tea was originally named tein, although it is the same substance. However, since this substance is bound in tea, it has a different mechanism of action on the human body compared to caffeine in coffee. Namely, the caffeine in tea, unlike coffee, does not have a negative effect on the heart and blood flow, but instead increases blood flow and metabolism in the brain. Of all teas, the most tein (caffeine) is in pu-erh tea, followed by black and oolong tea. Tein wakes up, gives energy, accelerates metabolism in such a way that it uses fat to obtain energy, i.e. raising the temperature (acceleration of metabolism – higher consumption of calories – weight loss).
The amino acid L-theanine is a constituent of tea leaves. Small amounts are found in green and black tea extracts. It works against insomnia and gives a feeling of relaxation and helps concentration, which is in line with the stimulating effect of caffeine in tea.
Depending on the method of preparation and degree of fermentation, tea is divided into white, green (non-fermented), red (semi-fermented) and black (fermented). With numerous blends and additions, as well as differences in climate and soil, there are countless types of tea.
The Latin name of the tea bush is “Camellia sinensis”, and it is also known as Chinese, Yunnan tea. Originally from China (three to four meters tall), today it is grown in regions with a moderate climate. The botanical name of the second of the two original species of tea tree is “Camellia assamica”, which is also known as Assam tea, after the Indian region of the same name.
Tea dust containing pieces of tea leaves smaller than 1 mm, sifted after the rolling process. Used for filling filter bags. Tea of the lowest quality.
Fermentation (boiling) is a natural process of decomposition of complex organic compounds in tea under the influence of enzymes used to obtain black tea. Fermented (black) tea differs from non-fermented (green) tea in appearance and chemical composition, and contains fewer natural ingredients.
Black tea and partly green tea contain larger amounts of fluoride. It is an important mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and teeth and prevents tooth decay.
Tea can be divided into four main groups according to leaf size: tea leaves, broken leaves, chopped leaves and powdered leaves. The gradation of the leaves determines the color, strength and taste of the tea. The higher the degree of gradation of the leaves, the longer it needs to be cooked. Depending on the period of the year the tea is harvested, there are different teas from the spring, summer and autumn harvest. According to which leaves are torn off, teas from the top buds and teas from the first, second and up to the fifth leaves are distinguished, viewed from the top of the twig downwards. The quality and richness of the ingredients are greatest at the top of the twig.
The original group of teas from Yunnan (the Chinese province and ancestral home of tea) which is attributed with medicinal properties. There are two types of pu-erh tea: green and mature. Ripe is made from pu-erh green tea leaves that have gone through the second stage of oxidation. Humidity and temperature are carefully monitored. The tea is then pressed into various shapes: tiles, discs or cones. While most teas are consumed up to a year after production, pu-erh is good for years and still refines its aroma. They often leave it to soak and cook it for a long time before use (Tibetans all night). In China, that tea is used in medicine.
They are found mainly in the bark and peripheral parts of the plant, where they protect the tissue underneath as antioxidants. It is this strong antioxidant effect that makes polyphenols in tea valuable for people to protect against diseases.
Tea from the stems of the South African bush of the same name.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA in cells, which leads to cancer as well as the appearance of tumors, diabetes, arthritis, skin damage, etc. They can oxidize cholesterol, which causes clogging of blood vessels, heart problems and infarction. They, by the way, arise in normal cellular metabolism, but also as a result of external influences: smoking, UV radiation, environmental pollution… In general, an unhealthy lifestyle can result in an imbalance in the relationship between free radicals and antioxidants, which bind to radicals and neutralize them before which cause damage.
In Russia and the countries of Central Asia, an inevitable device for preparing tea that keeps the drink warm.
Our body cannot function without vitamins and that is why we must consume them regularly. Tea contains many vitamins.
Water quality plays an extremely important role in the taste of tea. Soft water with a neutral taste is best. Hard water can change the basic aroma.
To prevent fermentation, freshly picked leaves are briefly fried (or put under steam) and in this way the ferments are destroyed, making fermentation impossible. The result is tea with a green leaf (that’s how it got its name) that contains all natural ingredients, and especially some vitamins (e.g. vitamin C).
Did you know?
The same tea does not taste the same every time, sometimes it is better and sometimes it is worse. Making good tea is not as simple as it seems, you need to follow some rules:
01. Use loose leaf tea. The quality of such tea is much better than that in bags. You must have once felt the wonderful smell that spreads from the tin box in which the tea is kept. The tea in the bag has nowhere near that smell.
02. Keep the tea in a sealed container. So you can be sure that the tea will not lose its taste.
03. The bigger the teapot/cup/pot in which you make the tea, the more space there will be for the leaves to spread and in the end the tea will be better.
04. For black, green, white and oolong tea, use one teaspoon per 2.5-3 dcl of water, this may vary depending on the tea and your own taste.
05. For black tea, the water should be at a temperature of 100 °C. Do not let the water boil for too long, as this will reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, and oxygen accentuates the flavor of the tea. Similarly, at temperatures below 90 °C, black tea will not be good (intense enough). Green, white and oolong teas require a water temperature of 70 °C to 80 °C. At higher temperatures, the tea tastes bitter.
The time the tea leaves are kept in the water varies from tea to tea, but all types of tea must be in the water for at least 30 seconds. Black and oolong teas should be in water for 2-4 minutes, green and white teas for 2-3 minutes. If you keep tea in water for a long time, it usually becomes bitter/astringent.
– The effect of individual teas on metabolism:
Oolong tea stimulates metabolism even better than green tea, but its advantage lies in the fact that it can be left for longer (it oxidizes more slowly) and wakes up better. it strengthens, which is important for athletes and generally people with more demanding physical and mental activities.
Yellow tea has a better effect on metabolism than white tea, while its biggest advantage is that it does not lower blood pressure as much as white tea. Therefore, the House of Tea strongly recommends the consumption of white tea in combination with yellow, green or oolong tea for the maximum effect of cleansing the body of toxins, accelerating metabolism, reducing blood fat, cleansing the skin, complexion, etc.
< strong>– Recommended time of consumption of a particular tea:
Green and oolong tea are recommended to be consumed exclusively during the day as well as yellow tea, and white tea is recommended to be consumed in the afternoon and evening because it relaxes, lowers blood pressure, promotes sleep…
– Recommended daily amount of consumption of individual tea:
Green and oolong tea are recommended to be consumed in a limited amount up to 1 L per day, and yellow and white tea can be consumed almost unlimited – the more they drink, the better they affect the body.
– Duration of individual prepared tea:
When the “fat killer” – oolong tea is prepared, it can be left for the longest time (from 4 to 6 hours), followed by green tea (up to 2 hours), and yellow and white tea the tea can stand at least (up to 1 hour).
– Antioxidant properties of individual teas:
The most prominent antioxidant properties (fight against cancerous diseases) of the teas with the best effect for slimming has white tea, followed by oolong and yellow tea and then green.
– The amount of theine (caffeine) in each tea:
Of the slimming teas, oolong tea it has the most tein (caffeine), green tea has it in a slightly smaller amount, and yellow and white tea have almost no tein (caffeine). Oolong tea therefore wakes you up better than green, and yellow and especially white tea are excellent for falling asleep.
Of all the original teas, the most tein (caffeine) is certainly found in pu-erh tea, followed by black tea.
If you didn’t know: tea provides energy for quality sports training, improves physical activity and endurance for athletes, and accelerates metabolism and the breakdown of excess fats.
The tea house (for now) has one physical store / shop in Split, Kralja Tomislava 6 (next to the Tesla cinema). Using the Internet store / store / web shop you can order online / web shop, sell and buy teas from all parts of our beautiful country (Zagreb, Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar, Šibenik, Makarska, Dubrovnik,…).