Classification of Tea
Black tea has a deep history, even though we have been familiar with it in these days. The history can’t be described just by which the development of tea producing method, but also by which has entwined the nations with each cultural, political, and religious backbone. In history, tea culture was developed in China. The ancient Chinese people drank teas as a miraculous medicine to be perpetual youth and longevity. Even after teas had been exported into Europe by the Dutch East India Company since 17th century, it was exorbitantly high-priced; therefore, black tea was luxury item only the nobility was able to taste it. However, there were three Tomas, who contributed to make black tea popular throughout the world: Garaway, Twining, and Lipton. We can now enjoy black tea with several ways in any situations. You may drink iced lemon tea on the hammock in Hawaii. You may drink a cup of Assam teas with honey or Okinawa brown cane sugar and have a piece of toast at breakfast. However, the teas might not be used in the proper way. In order to enjoy black tea, we need to recognize it accurately. Black tea can be classified into the types of tea plant, the seasons, the regions, the grading, and the method of brewing. First of all, black tea is classified into two categories: tea leaves and beverage. Tea leaves of black tea is defined as being fully oxidized and often yields a full-bodied amber brew. Oxidization is essential in the formation of flavor and aroma compounds, which give a tea its liquor color, strength, and briskness. Black tea usually require 100 percent oxidization by which black tea is generally strong in flavor than the less oxidized teas, such as green tea and oolong tea. Black tea is produced through five manufacturing stages: withering, rolling, oxidizing, and drying. Withering is utilized to remove surplus water from the leaves. Rolling makes the leaves wrapped around itself by using a rolling machine, and it is also described as shaping of tea