My Herbs 1

BLACK TEA
Black tea is fully fermented tea with
stimulating effects which can help reduce
stress and the risk of cancer. It is
one of the most popular types of tea in
Europe, made of fully oxidized tea
leaves. During the processing the leaves
turn red, and that’s why it is also called
“the red tea” in China. Black tea has
a positive effect on the digestive system,
with pleasant astringency and harmonic,
full flavor. There is a big variety
to choose from: top fresh flushes of
Darjeeling, various teas available all
year round, or teas that are part of
a national identity, such as specific teas
in India, Turkey, or Great Britain.
Black tea should be brewed with boiling
water and steeped for two to six
minutes.
WHITE TEA
White tea has regenerative and antiaging
properties and at the same time
reduces the risk of sclerosis. It contains
the highest number of compounds
beneficial to human health,
its flavour is very delicate and very
strong at the same time, and it provides
for great refreshment. White tea
is made out of buds and the youngest
leaves of tea plants and processed only
by drying.
When brewing, it is even more important
than with other types of tea to
pay attention to the brewing temperature,
amount of tea leaves, steeping
time and thorough cleanness of tea
ware. Some people’s experience with
these light tea leaves may be displeasing,
but the blame is usually to be put
on bad preparation.
This bright, transparent infusion of
lower temperature is actually one of the
best tea experiences. White teas (e.g.,
Baihao Yinzhen) offer delicacy combined
with delightful taste, fragrance, and gentle
aroma. Its preparation is similar to the
preparation of green teas but its quality
allows for multiple steeping.
OOLONG TEA (BLUE-GREEN TEA)
Oolong tea is partially fermented tea,
thus standing somewhere between green
and black tea. It has favorable effects on
the human body, while being highly aromatic
and full of flavor, but it is still elegant,
with a long aftertaste and typical
sweetness without astringency.
Oolong’s distinctive semi-green or
blue-green tea is based on a strictly
controlled and often secret production
process. It’s well known that the emphasis
is put on the mechanical disruption
of tea leaves. The oxidation period
of white tea is longer than of green tea
but considerably shorter than that of
black tea, and it’s usually divided into
several stages. Its length can vary between
different types of oolong teas as
much as tenfold. Therefore, the flavor
characteristics and also the appearance
of dried tea leaves of these types of tea
are quite distinctive. They vary between
identically rolled and randomly
folded tea leaves.
Oolong tea is ideal for a bigger company
because it allows for multiple
steeping and contains less caffeine
compared to green or black tea. The
maximal brewing temperature of oolong
tea is 200°F / 90°C with four to
eight minutes of steeping.
PU-ERH TEA
Pu-erh tea undergoes multiple fermentation
processes and has a typically
earthy flavor. This type of tea is considered
to be the oldest tea in the world. It
helps to burn fat and has the ability to
lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.
Pu-erh is also popular for its detoxifying
effects (blood and liver cleansing).
92 MY HERBS MAGAZINE