What does the word long leaf tea mean. Long leaf green tea, benefits and harms, how a drink is useful

Often on the packaging of ordinary tea you can read "beach tea". Have you ever wondered where this expression came from?

There is a variety of indicators by which you can classify the whole variety of finished tea. Baikhovy in our, Russian, understanding means "loose", but this is not entirely true. The word appeared in our vocabulary a long time ago - it comes from the Chinese phrase "bai hoa", What means "white eyelash". The Chinese called so one of the components of tea - barely blossoming buds, which are covered with tiny white villi. It is believed that the higher the percentage of such buds - according to the terminology borrowed from the British later they are called tips - in tea, the higher its grade, the more aromatic and tastier the tea. Therefore, when Chinese merchants sold tea with tips to Russian merchants and wanted to emphasize its high value (and at the same time an expensive price), they repeated "bai hoa".

Our tea merchants, who did not know Chinese, decided that the mysterious "bai hoa" is a synonym for high quality, let alone the reasons did not go into. Subsequently definition "beach" came to be used to refer to all loose teas, to distinguish it from the so-called brick or slab tea, which was inferior in quality at the time - although both loose and pressed teas may include bai hoa. That is, not any loose tea is long leaf, but not only loose tea is long leaf.

There has been a similar confusion in Western tea terminology. There, too, there is a classification derived from the phrase "white eyelash" - orange pekoe (abbreviated as OP). More precisely, the word "pekoe". Although at first glance it does not look like our Russian, this is due to the fact that Western countries and Russia purchased tea in different regions of the Celestial Empire, each of which had its own dialect, and, accordingly, pronunciation.

Term "orange pekoe" introduced by Sir Thomas Lipton, a nineteenth-century British tea magnate. Many mistakenly think that "orange" means that the tea is flavored with orange oils. But this is either due to the color of the tea leaf before drying, or, much more likely, marketing considerations. The Dutch East India Company played a central role in tea imports to Europe, and the British then associated the Netherlands primarily with the Orange dynasty (Orange in English). Probably, Sir Thomas found it profitable to "indirectly link" his brand of high-quality tea to the name of the main importer. And later, "orange pekoe" began to mean high quality tea and was determined by the size of the tea leaf - that is, as in Russian history, it means the value of tea, and not the presence of tips in it. Moreover, the term "orange pekoe", despite its Chinese origin, is now used only to classify black teas from India and Sri Lanka.

Irina Katsman

There are more than a hundred types and varieties of tea that you can try today. The most enterprising here were the owners of the tea market - the Chinese, who offer a great variety of green, black, white, red and other types of tea. Reading the information on the packaging, you can often come across the term long leaf. How to understand it correctly and what does it mean?

What is baykhovy

The concept of long leaf tea comes from the Chinese phrase "Bai hao", but in modern terminology it does not mean exactly what the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire meant. Translated from Chinese, this phrase literally means "white cilia." In the narrow sense of the word, the Chinese wanted to convey with such a poetic name the high quality of tea, which included tea buds, small, covered with light villi, resembling closed eyelashes.

At the dawn of trade relations between China, Russia and Western countries, when all the subtleties of tea production were known only to the Chinese themselves, the concept of bai hao began to be associated with a product of the highest quality, and therefore high cost. Very soon, loose tea, regardless of the variety, began to be called long leaf tea, it was easier and more understandable that way.

What does long leaf tea mean today? This is the designation of packaged loose tea, whether black, green, white or other types of tea. This term gives the main information about the contents of the pack. Indeed, in the world there are plated, extracted, granulated and other types of tea that have completely different designations.

The quality and taste of any long leaf tea depends on the proportion of tips - unblown pubescent buds in its composition. The more of them, the more aromatic and delicate the taste, the more antioxidants, vitamins and other useful substances it contains.

The main producers of loose teas are:

• China;
• India;
• Sri Lanka.

It is produced in Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, Georgia, Japan, but in much smaller volumes. In general, there are many varieties of long leaf tea in the world, but the most widespread are black, green, red and white. They can be large-leaved and small-leaved, they are crumbs, they are made from leaves collected in different seasons of the year, and therefore they have completely different taste and aromatic qualities.

Black long leaf

This type of tea is considered the most common in the world. In the process of its production, freshly harvested raw materials are supposed to pass through the following stages:

• withering;
• twisting;
• fermentation;
• drying;
• final dry sorting.

Black long leaf tea, according to the results of sorting, is divided into whole leaf and small-leaf broken

The best tea is considered to be large-leaf tea marked L-1, which means that the top young leaves and unblown buds are included in the product. A good tea should have the black color of twisted tea leaves. The stronger the sheet is twisted, the better it is considered. If the color of the tea leaves is brown with gray marks, or crumbles instantly if you take it with your hands, then this quality should be questioned.

In general, the assessment of the quality of long leaf tea includes many criteria. These are the size and shape of tea leaves, aroma, seed content, chemical composition, climatic conditions, and so on. If we talk in general about the composition of the tea leaf, then the greatest value in it is:

• vitamins A, C, PP, K, group B;
• extractive tannins;
• polyphenols (tannins, caffeine, catechins, etc.);
• essential oils;
• minerals, etc.

Black tea contains a lot of iron, potassium, magnesium, ascorbic acid, phosphorus and calcium. Factory varieties of tea, whether it be a bouquet, the highest grade, the first, and so on, are determined at the production site by tea-testers during the tasting process. They monitor physical and chemical indicators, compliance with technical conditions and standards. Be sure to check the content of caffeine (from 1.8 to 2.8%) and tannin (from 8 to 11%). The best black tea is produced in Sri Lanka. Ceylon highland is considered to be the standard of quality and taste. Indian can compete with it, but its taste and aromatic properties are inferior to Ceylon.

Bulk tea is sent to tea-packing factories in sealed plywood boxes, which are lined with foil or other materials inside. In this form, tea can be stored for about 5 months.

Green leafy

Green tea is produced using a different technology. There is no stage of leaf fermentation. That is why the tea leaves remain green, more fragrant and retain the maximum amount of nutrients. The best at all times was considered Chinese loose tea, the production of which is concentrated in the southern and southeastern regions of the country. The green long leaf product contains twice as much tannins and catechins as black, and almost 10 times more ascorbic acid. That is why this species is included in the list of the most powerful plant products that have antioxidant properties.

When choosing this product, it is important to pay attention to the color and integrity of the tea leaves. The lighter and more delicate the color, the better and healthier the product. Most likely, all standards were maintained during the production process, the sheet was not overdried or overheated, which allowed it to preserve both the brightness of the color and the saturation with antioxidants. After brewing, which is done with slightly standing and cold boiled water, you should get a transparent drink of a muted green color. A variation from light green to turquoise is allowed here. There is an opinion that the lighter the color of the infusion, the more tips in the brew.

The current standard divides all produced tea into leaf, small and crumb. Inside the standard there is a more detailed division depending on the size of the tea leaves and other characteristics.

Other types

Other types of loose tea include white, red, yellow.

• White is a member of the elite. This is the best product of its kind, with the richest composition. It is produced from young leaves of the spring harvest and tips. They undergo a weak fermentation, after which white villi on their surface become pronounced. The infusion of this tea is almost colorless, the strength is high, the aroma is rich and delicate at the same time. This tea is not subject to twisting.
• Yellow is considered the most difficult in terms of production technology. Here, 2 types of leaf processing are used - steam and drying with drying. Later, the two types of processed leaves are mixed and subjected to curling. Tea is included in the list of exotic varieties. It has a pronounced invigorating effect.
• Red is also complex in terms of production technology. Here the leaf undergoes a triple fermentation, which is not brought to the finish line. Due to this, the edges of the leaves acquire an interesting red color. This drink has a very delicate taste and is stored longer than all the others.

These teas have not found such wide popularity in the world as black and green teas. Why? This is because it is very difficult for a non-professional and a person far from the tea business to appreciate their delicate and unusual taste.

Manufacturers

There are many tea-packing factories in the world. Some are located in the immediate vicinity of its production, others are completely in other regions, where bulk tea is supplied in special sealed containers of 50, 100 or more kilograms. In the domestic market, the most popular brands of long leaf tea are Greenfield, Ahmad, Dilmah and. Their range includes dozens of types of tea grown in different parts of the world. The main part of the production is Indian and Ceylon long leaf product of the Bouquet variety.

Indian and predominantly black, with a pronounced strength and even astringency. Chinese ones are more tender, fragrant, mostly green. It produces most of the world's varieties of red, green, yellow and white tea.

Kenya has become quite successful in business, having entered the market quite recently. Astringent tea with a beautiful amber tint is produced here. These are predominantly black varieties. Japan produces only green leaf, black and others are not popular here. The Japanese Gyokuro, Matcha and Genmaicha are known all over the world.

Long leaf tea is a product that has already conquered the world. It is preferred by more than half of tea lovers in general. It's affordable, easy to make, healthy, and comes in a huge variety.

If you try modern black long leaf tea from five different manufacturers, the taste of each will be strikingly different. How can the same variety be so versatile? There is a logical explanation for this, rooted in the history of China and our country as well. Let's take a closer look at what it is.

How are tea leaves selected? There are 11 in total, by which quality is determined. All of them are arranged according to the following principle:

• The cheapest varieties are made from large sheets without adding buds. Twisted into tubes or balls;
• A rank higher than the previous ones - the tips of the plant and young leaves are mixed. A small content of shoots in expensive varieties is acceptable;
• With the addition of Golden - made from the tender parts of the plant (tips, tips, young leaves);
• With the postscript Finest - the most expensive varieties. Such black and green tea is made from selected raw materials.

Baikhov tea what is it

Have you ever heard the name "Baihao Yinzhen"? It is known to any true connoisseur of herbal drink. This is not green tea, as many people think, but a rare variety that came from the Middle Kingdom, also known in our country as Bai Hao. It is translated into Russian as silver needles or villi. Looking at the structure of the tea leaves, it becomes clear the origin of the name - these are light-brown sticks with pointed ends, covered with white fluff on top. What does long leaf tea mean? These are not only the leaves to which we are so accustomed, but also the buds of the tipsa bush, which have begun to bloom. The more the latter, the more valuable the product.

Tea and the Emperor: From the 12th to the 18th century, this drink was only available to the nobility, produced exclusively for the imperial palace. For its export, the death penalty was supposed, which did not stop the smugglers who received huge money from European buyers.

What can be considered real long leaf tea? With the beginning of international trade, enterprising Chinese merchants began to apply the well-known name to other varieties. Thus, many nobles from Russia and European countries received the wrong tea drink at all. Only over time did they manage to figure out how to identify a real product. It is produced in two counties - Zhenghe and Fuding, and also has its own differences. The Zhenghe product is darker and larger, while the body of the tips in the Fuding variety grows small and the taste comes out lighter.

Long leaf tea today - what does the market offer us?

As can be understood from the foregoing, it will be possible to buy the same drink, produced by only a couple of provinces, by laying out a tidy sum. But, this does not mean that tea, which has received overwhelming popularity, is not produced elsewhere. Today, tipsy buds are grown both in various cities of China and in neighboring countries, more often sold by weight.
What are the big manufacturers? The concept of "beach tea" is not a registered trademark - it's just the word "Bai Hao" translated in our own way. Today, it is customary to call loose varieties of the product. Therefore, the company can release green tea or any other, giving it this name.
How is the real Baihao Yinzhen assembled? Just like 800 years ago, the requirements for the personnel working on the plantations are extremely high. The person must be cleanly washed and dressed. The use of perfumes is prohibited.

What kind of tea to buy?

Despite the differences between the modern product and the original white Bao Hao, it deserves attention. Over the years, manufacturers have bred many worthy species containing a lot of useful properties that have good taste. Take a closer look at the existing ones:

• Black: During manufacture, the leaf is rolled and fermented to naturally obtain the desired level of oxidation. The production of expensive varieties provides for the presence of a technologist who manually determines the readiness of the product. Finally, drying is done.
• Green: There are several ways to make green tea - in some cases it is cured, in others it is not. The process of bringing the humidity up to 60% and the two-stage procedure for getting rid of moisture remain unchanged.
• Yellow: A popular product in China. Roasting and steaming are added to all of the above operations. It is aromatic and has a strong stimulating effect on the human body.
  Red: Light fermentation gives this type of tea a burgundy-brown hue. Like the previous type, it is roasted and has a pronounced floral smell.

How to brew and drink long leaf tea?

In countries where tea has become a national culture - these are China, Japan, England, special attention is paid to the process of drinking it. Show a Briton how we drink this drink here - casually, spontaneously, to chat with a neighbor, and he will be horrified. He won't say it out loud, but he will think to himself that such behavior is barbaric.

The cultural value of tea drinking lies in the observance of the rules, thanks to which a person separates himself from the animal world and contacts with his society. Therefore, it was inherent in the first place to the kings, educated aristocrats, and only then entered the masses.

Today, long leaf tea, like any other, should be brewed based on the basic rules:
Quality and temperature of water: the liquid should be soft, not containing a large number of metals. If one is not at hand, it is enough to let it stand. Re-boiled water is never used, moreover, it should not be brought to a temperature of 100 degrees at all, otherwise oxygen disappears from the composition, and with it the liveliness of taste. It is better to remove the kettle when it reaches 70-90 degrees.
The quality of the dishes: have you already seen how lovers of a vegetable drink rinse the kettle with boiling water? This is done to get rid of the smell. It is absolutely not important what the container is made of - as long as it does not enter into a chemical combination with water. Clay, porcelain, faience are preferred.

Duration of infusion: pour tea leaves to a quarter of the size of the vessel. After 50 seconds, fill it completely. Such actions will first capture the main part of the taste, making it strong, and then bring the product to perfection. Two minutes is enough for him to gain the necessary power.

With what to drink long leaf tea?

Do they drink it with sugar? Of course, a certain part of people, and all over the world, are very fond of this option, which is not traditional. A real connoisseur of a vegetable drink will never sweeten it, so as not to lose subtle notes in the aroma, preferring other additives that decorate them:

• Milk - an Englishman, whether an ordinary resident of the country or the queen herself, will definitely pour milk into a cup. He will do this at the beginning, before he pours the tea leaves. So two noble liquids will mix evenly, and fragile porcelain will not crack from overheating;
• Lemon - today it is not known for certain where the tradition of adding lemon came from. There is an opinion that a similar method was invented in Russia. Even in the West there is an expression "Russian tea", referring specifically to this method of preparing the drink.
• Desserts - in terms of food, the UK is similar to the CIS. Sweets and desserts are a must. In the old days, the ladies were even allowed to loosen the corset during tea drinking, as after overeating, they would lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen. But on, this procedure is exclusively isolated and does not imply the presence of dishes on the table.

From all of the above, we can conclude that each country has its own values ​​regarding the use of the drink under discussion. This does not mean that someone has them better. It's just that each nation has its own preferences and goals, and good tea is always in place.

Tea is a drink that is loved by billions of people on our planet. And all thanks to its taste and aroma. There are many varieties of this drink that we use every day, but we do not understand the origin of their names. For example, what does "long leaf" tea mean? Why is it called that way? What makes it different from others?

general characteristics

Tea is classified according to various characteristics, one of which is the method of mechanical processing and the type of tea leaf. This is how tea is distinguished:

Loose or long leaf;

Pressed;

Extracted or soluble.

The first type is the most common. It consists of many individual tea leaves that are not connected in any way. Where did such an unusual name come from? Its roots go back to hoary antiquity, at a time when one of the rarest and most expensive was called "bai hao". Translated from the local language, this meant "white villi". But merchants tried to overprice their goods, so in front of foreigners they said “bai hao” about everything they sold. So Russian merchants first heard this word and, not yielding to their Chinese counterparts, used their interpretation of this saying for the same purpose, but already in their homeland. This led to the emergence of the adjective "beach", which characterized the variety of tea as rare and high quality. Unfortunately, the drink that we buy in the store has long lost all connection with the real "white villi". Nowadays, almost any loose tea is called long leaf tea.

There are many varieties that belong to this species. But the most common in Europe are only five. All of them are very tasty, have their own special taste and smell. The first of them is black leaf tea. It is made by drying, after which the leaves are fermented, dried and sorted. It is very beneficial for health, as it contains minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus) that the body needs. This is the most consumed long leaf tea. The finished drink should have a dark brown color. If the tea leaves have a grayish or light brown tint, then most likely it is a poor-quality product. The tea leaves themselves must be firmly twisted: the tighter the leaf is pulled together, the higher the drink itself is valued. After all, it will have the best taste.

Green tea

This subspecies is extremely useful, since its manufacturing technology allows you to save all the medicinal properties. First, it is steamed, then dried in a special way that was borrowed from the Japanese, or folded into a pea according to the Chinese method. Long leaf green tea is actually green in color, but the shades vary considerably depending on the variety. If a mistake was made during the drying of the sheet and the temperature exceeded the norm, then the quality of the finished product deteriorates significantly. This miscalculation is evidenced by the dark green shade of tea leaves. If it is lighter, then this is an excellent tea that has retained all the vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it will be very useful and also the most fragrant of all varieties.

Red tea

This variety has the same production technology as long leaf black tea, but the degree of its fermentation is lower. This helps the tea leaves retain their best taste and aroma, but the beneficial properties suffer. The color of the leaf is quite interesting: the middle of the leaf has many shades of green, but the edges are darker, turning into black. It is very difficult to make it, because the oxidation process must be interrupted at the very moment when the edges of the leaves have acquired a red tint. Only after this does the drying and twisting of the tea leaves occur. All this is repeated at least three times. You can store this variety longer than the others, as it is less susceptible to fermentation.

yellow tea

This type of tea is also produced by varying the degree of oxidation of the leaves. Thus, on this basis, it is between red and black. This allows you to achieve a very specific exotic taste, which conquered the tea lovers. The infusion is very strong, which gives an invigorating effect. The manufacturing technology is complex and time-consuming, since all raw materials are divided into two parts: the first is dried and dried, and the second is steamed. After they are mixed and twisted. This is how one of the most delicious varieties of this wonderful drink is obtained.

White tea

The initial raw material for obtaining is green. It is sent for additional weak fermentation. This leads to the appearance of white pile on the tea leaves. The finished drink has almost no color, but the infusion is strong, and the taste and aroma are very light and delicate. The healing properties of this tea are high. It can only be made from those leaves that were collected in early September and early April. This is due to the fact that at this time silver arrows begin to appear from the kidneys. The collected product is steamed to stop the oxidation process. After that, it is dried, but not twisted, but packaged in its original form. This variety is stored very poorly, as it has a low degree of fermentation.

Classification by leaf type

We have reviewed the main varieties of tea. Long leaf tea, however, is also divided into commercial varieties according to the size of tea leaves:

The first consists of large rough leaves. On the branch, they are located below the fifth leaf. This is the cheapest sort of long leaf tea, since the amount of useful properties in it is minimal.

The second consists of leaves growing at the level of the receptacle. They are less coarse than in the first case. The Chinese love to use them in a special cooking technique. Its essence lies in the fact that the leaves are twisted into balls.

The third one is of higher quality. The raw materials here are sharp, long leaves, which are the fifth or fourth in a row. To them can be added in small quantities tips (the tips of the kidneys and their dust).

The fourth consists of fourth or third leaves and golden tips. Manufacturers always write the word “golden” on the packaging of such tea, and the composition must necessarily reflect the ratio of tips and tea. Fakes are very common, so you should be vigilant.

The fifth is a “pure” type, which includes only the top leaves (not lower than the fourth) and only gold tips. The name written on the packaging always has the prefix "finest". The price of this tea is very high, but its taste and aroma are worth the money spent.

Place of manufacture

In our country, long leaf tea is very much loved and appreciated. GOST 1939-90 was created to ensure that the product that is on store shelves is of proper quality. It includes characteristics for imported teas as well. The most famous territories producing this variety are Ceylon, China and the Krasnodar Territory. Ceylon has a sharp taste, strong tea leaves and a reddish tint. Chinese has a milder flavor that can vary depending on which part of the country it was grown in. Krasnodar - the most exotic and unique long leaf tea. It is very sweet, and the richness of its taste is intermediate between the Chinese and Indian "brothers".

Thus, long leaf tea is the most common type. It is divided into several varieties that differ in organoleptic qualities, but each of them is unique and worth a try.