What a quality black tea. What is the most delicious and healthy tea? Name, types and reviews

Black, green, white - we explain why it's time to switch to tea and which tea is healthier. Pro milk oolong By the way, don't forget!

Many drinks are now called tea, but real lovers consider only black, green, white, oolong and real pu-erh teas. Derived from Chinese camellia leaves, these teas are rich in special antioxidant flavonoids.

Natalia Vyaznikova

All types of tea are made from a tea bush (in China) or a tea tree (India, Ceylon), although it is also produced in other countries - Kenya, Japan, Vietnam, Nepal.

Each type of tea has its own characteristics of the impact on the body. The beneficial properties of tea depend on the growing conditions of the tea bush and the method of processing. tea leaf. Tea leaves are known to contain theine, or tea caffeine. It has a tonic effect on the body, increases blood pressure, but more gently than the caffeine in coffee. This is due to the fact that theine is in the drink in a bound form, unlike coffee caffeine. Therefore, tea acts softer and longer than coffee.

What determines the concentration of tea caffeine in tea? The smaller and “younger” the leaf, the more caffeine it contains. This means that tea with tips - tea buds - is the richest in caffeine, like highland tea (temperature changes affect the caffeine content in tea leaves, and this leaf grows more slowly in the mountains). The more sunlight the more caffeine in the tea. Therefore, in tea northern countries less caffeine.

Green tea

The taste of green tea is milder than that of black - the leaves are dried and processed almost immediately after harvest, and this stops the fermentation process.

What is useful: Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, a compound that can prevent many diseases, including certain types of cancer and heart disease. Just one cup of green tea a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10%.

Inessa Shkurina

Up to 500 useful substances and compounds have been found in tea, and in the huge palette that exists on the market, you can always find what you like by the degree of fermentation. Certainly, green tea more useful, it contains more useful substances, if it is properly brewed. But for some, this type of tea may not be suitable.

There are very simple requirements for tea. If it is green tea, then the water temperature should be from 60 to 80 degrees; You don’t need to insist for a long time, literally two minutes. Good green teas brew very quickly. Temperature regime- this is a prerequisite: green tea is not brewed with boiling water, because it immediately kills useful material, and burnt leaves can be bitter. Many therefore do not like green tea: they pour a lot, hold for ten minutes, and then say that it is disgusting.

Black tea

Black tea is made from fermented leaves and forms the basis of most flavored teas.

What is useful: black tea protects the lungs from the effects of tobacco smoke, lowers cholesterol levels and, if you drink several cups a day, reduces the risk of stroke.

Inessa Shkurina

Black tea is more fermented, "tolerates" a temperature of 90 degrees. It is important to select good water, and the tea itself is better to buy in specialized stores, there are enough of them. If you buy bagged tea in supermarkets (people appreciate it, bagged tea is fast), you need to look at the time of collection on the pack, because when tea is transported in bags, it loses its aroma and properties, and if it is packaged on the spot, freshness lasts longer . And it is better, of course, to choose vacuum packaging.

White tea

young leaves white tea processed the least, so its taste is the softest, and beneficial features teas are better preserved.

What is useful: What makes white tea different from other types is that it can improve glucose tolerance and lower cholesterol levels.

Oolong combines the qualities of black and green tea: it is only half-fermented - the edges of the leaves and part of their surface.

What is useful: the enzymes of this tea are capable of dissolving dietary fats, which are stored in fatty tissues, so the use of oolong contributes to the loss of excess weight - of course, if in addition to it you drink enough plain water.

What kind to start with if you want to become a connoisseur of tea - or just to finally find the exact tea that you can enjoy every day? Let's figure it out in this article. And first, let's remember

What kind of tea is there?

When people talk about "tea varieties", what do you think they mean?

Everyone knows that tea is a plant, a tea bush. Plants different varieties, from a botanical point of view, have different decorative or physiological characteristics. For example, two varieties of peonies or tomatoes may differ in external data, have different colors and shapes of petals, the size and taste of fruits, etc. And many still think that green and black tea are made from different plants. Actually there is one kind tea plant- camellia sinensis - and many of its varieties. The type of tea (green, black, yellow, etc.) depends on the processing of the tea leaf.

We will not go into botanical details. After all, for the buyer, taste, aroma, color matter. ready drink. These indicators are determined commercial grade.

Commercial grade of tea - an indicator of quality

The trade grade of tea consists of many factors. In addition to the variety of tea plant (Chinese, Assamese, Cambodian), the following are taken into account:

• the place of growth of the plant itself (this is country of origin, the most famous are Chinese, Indian, Ceylon, Kenyan and other teas from Africa, Georgian, Vietnamese, Japanese and, of course, native Krasnodar, characteristics plantations),
• time and conditions of collection (which leaves are collected, manually or by machine, collection season, etc.),
• features of sheet processing (drying, twisting, grinding and many more special processes).

And that's not all - many varieties of tea are obtained by blending and additional aromatization(There is nothing wrong with this if the flavors are natural).

All these factors affect the final grade of tea. And as a result, we can read on the pack, for example, "Chinese green large-leaf tea (... company name)". Here every word matters.

Blending is another reason for the variety of teas

Blending (and in simple terms - mixing) is carried out by tea-packing factories. Each blend gets its own unique name and sometimes becomes the "face of the firm." The composition of such a mixture may include 1-2 dozen varieties of tea leaves grown in different countries.

Which tea maker is the best?

IN Soviet time we had access to one type of tea, which many still miss ("with an elephant"). Then the country rushed to the other extreme, and only imported tea could be bought in stores. Now the choice is great, there would be money.

It is very difficult to choose the best tea manufacturer. Mainly because the same company produces 3-5 different brands of tea in several price categories - expensive, medium, economy. And ardent adherents of Greenfield tea, in fact, choose the same manufacturer as economical lovers of the Princess Nouri brand (both are made by the Orimi Trade company). Therefore, the definition of "the best tea producer" is very conditional.

Of the Russian tea producers, we note the following companies:

• "Orimi Trade", she owns the brands "Princess Noori", "Princess Kandy", (as well as Gita, Java), as well as Tess, Greenfield,
• "May"- and this is not only May Tea, but also Lisma, Curtis,
• Unilever- "Conversation", Brooke Bond, Lipton (the owner of the company is England, but the production is located in Russia).

Among foreign teas, the most famous "Dilmah"(supplier of Ceylon tea), English Twinnings, « Ahmad, Ceylon "Riston"(positions itself as "premium English tea"), « Akbar".

When selecting tea varieties for the rating, we were based on customer reviews and research results. We did not consider rare, elite and expensive varieties that are sold only at auctions or in tea shops of a narrow specialization. The ranking contains popular trade grades of black and green tea, which are easy to find in stores near your home.

Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Its history is much longer and more colorful than coffee, and its homeland has been reliably established. Today, the production of this product is carried out in many countries of the world, but China still holds the first place in terms of quality, production volume and a special attitude towards tea drinking.

Varieties and producers

In the store you can buy bagged, small-leaf and large-leaf green tea at a variety of prices. If you focus on the cost, then in Russia you can buy a really high-quality varietal product in the range from 7 to 800 dollars per 100 grams. Moreover, Chinese elite twisted tea is the most expensive, followed by Japanese, Indonesian, Ceylon.

The largest producers, as well as tea plantations, are concentrated in China, both in the south of the country and in the north. Hundreds of types of tea are produced here, from rare and expensive to simple, affordable, designed for everyday use. Good green tea is always large-leafed, and the stronger it is twisted, the stronger the infusion will be, the more delicate the taste and the healthier the drink itself.

Green differs from black in that it almost does not go through the fermentation stage, that is, it does not oxidize under the influence of external factors and its own enzymes. This allows the sheet to keep everything useful components without change and transformations into other compounds. To prevent fermentation, the collected leaf is slightly dried in vivo, and later subjected to high temperatures. This can be roasting in the oven, after which the leaves are manually twisted and dried completely.

Depending on the twisting option, teas are distinguished:

• strongly twisted along the sheet;
• strongly twisted across the sheet;
• slightly twisted.

If the sheet is twisted along the axis, it takes the form of twigs, sticks, spirals. This option is very popular in Japan, and a prominent representative is the famous Gekuro and most of its varieties.

Plantations in China have existed for thousands of years.

When the leaf is rolled across, it can resemble balls, scales, and is labeled Gunpowder in China and Sencha in Japan. In China, such teas are also called pearl, and if they contain many tips, they are called golden or imperial. The balls can be different sizes and forms, their diversity is very great.

Loose-rolled tea is a product that is naturally dried, so it can look like flattened blades of grass. It either does not curl at all, or is slightly wrinkled. The most popular product is called Long Ching.

Leaflets are twisted not only to increase their presentability. This is a way to keep the beneficial components of the tea inside longer and increase the shelf life. Weakly twisted leaves give a weak infusion, delicate, with a slight floral or citrus aroma. Strongly twisted ones are always more saturated, with a rich multifaceted aroma and taste. The color of green tea can vary from light green with a silvery sheen to dark green.

If at correct brewing the taste of tea is pronounced herbal - this is a low-grade product. A good and expensive product has a whole bunch of aromas from citrus to floral and light herbal, there may be a natural sweetness and honey flavor.

The most famous varieties

In the tea industry, there are many ways to attract people to a product. special attention. This is mainly advertising, beautiful packaging, original slogan. But for many centuries there are those who are in constant demand and love without any popularization.

Xi-Hu Long-Jing - large-leaf green tea from the island of Xihu

Below are the most important varieties of green tea that have received the mark of the best:

• Xi-Hu Long-Jing - Chinese large-leaved from Xihu Lake. Collected and produced since ancient times, today it is divided into 13 varieties, the best of which are considered the first three presented great content unblown buds collected in early spring. This tea has the lightest infusion color, which can be emerald green. The taste is very rich, the aroma is dense floral. It is brewed for about a minute and served in clear glasses to enjoy the subtle tinge of the infusion.
• Taiping Hou Kui is a tea that is harvested from a limited number of plantations and only on a sunny day. There are strict rules for the selection of raw materials. This is a tea bud, which is hugged by two young, freshly blossomed leaves of the same size as the bud. Such a product is called tea with sharp tea leaves.
• Bi-Lo-Chun - goes through the stage of manual twisting, from which the tea leaves take the form of small coiled spirals, which are also called snails. Inside the variety, there is a division into 7 sub-varieties, and the lower the type, the weaker the taste and aroma. When brewed, Bi-Lo-Chun gives a light emerald color of the infusion, fresh fragrance, thick, rich taste. Fruity notes are felt in its taste. It is also customary to serve the drink in transparent glasses. The largest plantation is located in Jiangxi province.
• Yongwu is one of the most expensive Chinese teas. Grown in small plantations located on wet and damp mountain slopes, where they rarely get Sun rays. It goes to the domestic market, therefore it is rare outside the country.
• Gunpowder - tea leaves look like gunpowder balls, refers to pearl teas, is consumed very sparingly, as it has a very dense and rich taste.
• Chan-Mi is the main loose tea in China, the second name is “eyebrow”, which is derived from the shape of tea leaves. It has classic taste and fragrance mixed with flowers, herbs and citruses.
• Huang Shan Mao Feng - the highest Chinese tea, the tea leaves have a light yellowish color, the taste is sweetish, the aroma is fresh and rich. Tea leaves resemble sparrow tongues.
• Maojian is a large group of teas, the production of which is the upper bud with a leaf. Infusion after brewing acquires amber, delicate taste with a pleasant aftertaste. To get the true Maojiang for 1 cup, you need to take 2 tsp. tea leaves.
• Tien Shan Yin-hao - natural flavored Jasmine tea. The infusion is light and transparent, the taste is classic, and the aroma is rich floral.
• Dong Yuang Dong Bai is a light yellow drink with a bright floral aroma and a multifaceted aftertaste.

Chinese teas are considered the most fragrant and delicate in taste. This country produces great amount varieties, different in organoleptic properties and unimaginable in shape. Japanese teas darker in color and less fragrant. The most popular are Sencha, Bancha and Gyokuro. A product from India is considered the lowest grade, although it is in demand due to its affordable price. He can give light spicy taste and aroma.

Beneficial features

Green tea is the most useful due to the content of vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, antioxidants in it. It is rich in fluorine, iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, and antimicrobial components. It has a high biological activity, which is expressed in the following effects on the human body:

• strengthens the immune system;
• makes vessels elastic and reduces their permeability;
• heals the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract;
• activates mental and physical performance;
• useful for weight loss;
• has an antitumor effect;
• removes toxins, including salts of heavy metals;
• strengthens the skeletal system.

Green tea retains its beneficial properties only when properly brewed. Boiling water is destructive for them. The water temperature should be from 60 to 80 degrees, and the infusion time lasts from 1 to 3 minutes. If the drink is overexposed, it can become bitter due to the high caffeine content. Important Ingredient in brewing is water. It must be necessarily soft, spring, so as not to spoil the taste of the drink.

A cup of green drink promotes weight loss

You need to know when is the best time to drink this tea. This time is from morning to 16-18 pm. Green tea is a highly energizing drink, so it is not recommended in the evening. Pregnant women and children should not get involved in tea.

The best green tea

If we talk about which green tea is better, then this is a product of an early spring harvest with a lot of tips. It is considered the most fragrant, delicate in taste and useful. Such raw materials are always treated with care, excluding the possibility of damage, as it costs ready tea expensive and acquired by people who know a lot about it.

The best green tea is produced in China, and has been doing this for thousands of years. Many works of Chinese sages are devoted to the benefits and beauty of the tea leaf. In Russia, 50% of the product sold on the market is purchased in China, the rest in Sri Lanka, Georgia, Vietnam, Japanese varieties are very rare.

1. Greenfield Flying Dragon is a Chinese leaf from a plantation in Hunan. Gives a light color infusion, light floral aroma with herbal notes. Does not have bitterness and astringency;
2. Princess Java Best - inexpensive Chinese with a mild taste, light infusion, good tonic;
3. Ahmad Green Tea - introduced Chinese variety Jang Mi, which has a mild pistachio flavor. Gives a light infusion with a slight astringency.

When buying tea, you need to pay attention to the completeness of the information provided on the package. It is best to opt for loose teas, which are sold through a network of specialty boutiques. Here you can not only see tea leaves, but also taste the desired variety. It is important to check the timing of tea production, the less time has passed since the moment of collection, the more aromatic and healthy the drink will be, because spoil the taste of the tea itself. expensive variety can long shelf life under wrong conditions. Buying such tea is even dangerous.

Homemade green tea

In Russia, black and green tea has long been prepared from a wide variety of plant materials. Fireweed was the most popular, although using a similar technology, tea leaves can be prepared from currant leaves, cherries, raspberries, and medicinal herbs. To make your own green leaf tea, you need:

• during the flowering period, collect fireweed leaves;
• spread them on a flat surface in a warm room for several hours so that they wither and lose some of the juice;
• then they are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to the oven for frying to stop the oxidation process;
• after roasting, the final drying takes place, which can be done with or without twisting the leaves by hand.

Store tea in glass or tin cans in a dark cupboard. room temperature. You can add dried currant leaves, cornflower flowers, oregano and other aromatic natural additives to them.

It is not necessary to order a rare and expensive drink far away to enjoy tea drinking. In every price segment, you can find good tea, if you focus on the manufacturer.

What is the best tea? Depends on the situation. In the bustle of work, tea bags are indispensable, for family dinner fragrant leaf is more suitable, and for the traditional tea ceremony only elite varieties.

White collar drink - tea bags

Office workers cannot spend a lot of time drinking tea, so they need high quality tea bags. Popular varieties please strong taste, fast brewing and high content caffeine (70-72 mg per sachet).

• Greenfield. The pride of the European company "Orimi trade", which specializes in the production of high quality tea and coffee.
• Ahmed Tea. A typical English tea with a strong infusion and moderately tart taste. Known worldwide for classic recipes Earl Gray and English Breakfast.
• Brooke bond. The brainchild of the English company Unilever, pleases with a rich taste and strong infusion. Black leaf tea helps to quickly cheer up and work productively.
• Dilmah. Ceylon leaf tea with a reddish infusion, mild flavor. Quickly brewed, perfectly invigorates.
• Maitre de The. French tea manufacturer premium which has absorbed best traditions French tea drinking, dating back to the distant 19th century. This brand symbolizes the sophisticated French approach to the art of selecting and preparing tea, which has conquered the whole world.

Instantly brew and contribute to the rapid recovery of performance. No business meeting, conference or meeting is complete without a tea party. Delicious tea is a guarantee Have a good mood for the whole day, so you should buy only products of decent quality.

Tea leaves from around the world - strong brew, refined taste

True connoisseurs know that the most delicious drink- sheet. Brewing black or green varieties in a ceramic teapot, it is possible to extract an abyss of flavors from the drink.

High-quality products are released to the world market by well-known global manufacturers:

• "Orimi-trade". Aristocratic "Greenfield" and creative "Tess", tea princesses - "Nuri" and "Kandy".
• Unilever. Legendary brands "Brooke Bond" and positive "Lipton", strong "Conversation".
• May Company. Soft sheet "Curtis", rich "Lisma" and budget "May tea".

The presented teas are the most delicious in medium and budget categories. Connoisseurs of elite tastes prefer to buy loose leaf tea in small tea shops. Do you drink tea by the liter? Then there is no need for frills - buy delicious products at reasonable prices.

Top five leafy varieties:

• Ahmad Ceylon Tea - Delicious Ceylon tea collected in the highlands. Excellent quality, deep taste, intense brewing.
• Greenfield Flying Dragon is an amazing green tea of ​​the highest quality, popular all over the world. Soft and slightly tart taste, light infusion, delicate aroma.
• Dilmah Ceylon is a strong black infusion that invigorates.
• Ahmad Green Tea is a pure green drink of high quality.
• Brooke Bond is just black tea with no frills - strong, invigorating, tart.

The presented drinks are leaders in sales all over the world, which is the best proof of their quality. Black and green drinks are made from the best varieties of tea grown in ecologically clean areas. The manufacturer's reputation guarantees correct collection and leaf processing. Enjoy your tea - indulge yourself with the best teas!

For connoisseurs - high ceremony

Experienced tea lovers prefer elite varieties. Plain green or black from store shelves cannot be used for traditional ceremony- You need special drinks.

• Chinese varieties: green and white, yellow and red, oolongs and pu-erh from different provinces.
• Japanese green varieties: pearl "Gyokuro", flowery Sencha Honyama.
• African varieties: and herbal honeybush.
• Rare species: Indian "Darjeeling", daffodil alpine "Wuyi Oolong", healing.

They differ in original taste - among them it is impossible to designate "delicious". Each variety is worth its weight in gold thanks to a palette of unique taste characteristics.

Home collection - how to find your favorite variety?

Tea with pleasure allows carefully selected home collection everyday and expensive varieties.

• Black - drives away drowsiness, adjusts to a working mood. It goes well with honey and lemon, milk and any jam.
• Green - promotes creativity, helps to solve complex problems. Delicious paired with cinnamon, cranberries, ginger and honey.
• Red - increases immunity, pressure. It is preferable to drink it without "flavors" in the form of sugar or honey.
• White - healing drink, restoring nervous system and relieving chronic fatigue.
• is the perfect coffee substitute. Instantly restores vitality, accelerates brain activity.

It is advisable to keep at home several teas of the highest (whole-leaf: pekoe, orange and tips), medium (shredded leaf: broken pekoe and broken orange, medium-leaf) and lower (granulated, bagged) varieties.

Whole-leaf varieties contain many stimulants, so it is preferable to drink them in the morning. Medium-leaf ones have a less invigorating effect, so they are brewed after the end of the working day. The packaged ones are ideal for people who often face deadlines - they allow you to enjoy the taste of tea even with a severe lack of free time.

It is enough to store 5-7 types of drink at home so that each tea party will please with a special taste. Finding your favorite tea is not easy - there are thousands of delicious varieties. However, the search for the best will bring many pleasant moments.

photo: depositphotos.com/Valentyn_Volkov