Pu Erh Tea is the kind of tea that needs an acquired taste, you either grow to love it or it is just not your cup of Tea. But there’s more to just tasting, there are many health benefits to Pu Erh.

Let’s get intimate with Pu Erh Tea

Pu Erh Tea Types

There are two types of  Pu Erh – raw (sheng) and shou (ripe).

The raw Pu Erh undergoes the classic, traditional fermentation process which was originally first first produced in the town of Pu’er. Many traditional tea drinkers like to drink raw Pu Erh as the fermentation process honors the long-established method of production. After the fermentation process, these raw Pu Erh would be tightly compressed into tea cakes and left to age naturally. Raw Pu Erh tea cakes will be left to age for about 20-40 years till it reaches maturity. Although raw Pu Erh can be drunk before maturity, many tea drinkers will let it age and mature like fine gourmet wine as mature raw Pu Erh brews extraordinary tea like no other.

The ripe Pu Erh undertakes a much more modern and quicker process. The ripe Pu Erh leaves are covered and dampened, which quickens and cuts shorts the fermentation process to months as opposed to the 20-40 years that Raw Pu Erh tea takes to age.

4 Main Health Benefits of Pu Erh tea

Pu Erh Tea has been touted as a healthy fermented tea that is jam-packed with a multitude of health benefits for the body for centuries. And yes, these health benefits have been backed up by research.

1: AIDS DIGESTION AND WEIGHT LOSS

There has been much research on humans, rodents, and cell lines and they have each confirmed that Pu Erh tea indeed displays weight-loss and blood lipid lowering effects. The main bioactive components in Pu Erh tea are theabrownin (TB), polysaccharides, polyphenols, and statins and they down-regulate the biosynthesis of fat and up-regulate the oxidation of fat to cut weight and reduce the content of lipids in blood. So now you know, for maximum weight loss results, Pu Erh tea should be consumed on a regular basis and especially after a heavy oily meal.

2: PACKED WITH ANTI-OXIDANTS

If you think that green tea has the highest level of anti-oxidants, think again. According to this research, Pu Erh tea has been found to ‘inhibit tumor cell growth in rodents’ and drinking Pu Erh on a regular basis would be a natural “anti-tumor agent’ with almost no side effects.

3: GOOD FOR THE HEART

Pu Erh Tea has been the subject on many researchers’ lips as it has been said that it is a natural way to lower bad cholesterol. Indeed, much research has shown that regularly drinking Pu Erh Tea has been known to lower bad cholesterol levels in the body, which keeps the risk of heart disease at bay.

4: HELPS PREVENT DIABETES

In 2015, the Journal Food and Function published a study establishing that Pu Erh Tea was able to ‘lower sugar levels in vitro and in mice.’ This could be the start of progressive research where Pu Erh tea could help with people exhibiting pre-diabetic symptoms or people with type 2 diabetes.

So, which Pu Erh Tea is better?

Based on this research, both ripe and raw pu-erh tea extract are similar in terms of ‘caffine content, enzyme inhibition and antimicrobial activities’ but raw pu-erh has a slightly ‘better antioxidant capacity owing to its higher polyphenol content.’ It is also important to note that there are many fake Pu Erh sellers out there so it is important to purchase from trusted reliable sources. If you have not settled on which Pu Erh tea to try, we recommend browsing through our Pu Erh tea selection here.

Along with its flavor and aroma, it brings the rich Chinese culture and history to the delicate taste buds of a privileged few: how serendipity paved the way to make one of the most prestigious beverages sought after today. And how wars and fortunes were turned over by its control.

The exotic tea gets its punch from its unique fermentation process. And the result is a progressive post-fermentation feature, comparable to fine wine, in which the quality gets better with time. The best of its kind is kept for 15 years before consuming, contrary to most teas that are best consumed right after.

HOW IT’S MADE

For a tea to be worthy of being called Pu Erh, it has to be born into it by a large leafy plant called Camellia Sinesis var. assamica which grows only in the Southwestern part of China. Leaves are lightly plucked to avoid bruising and early oxidation. Then, the leaves are dry roasted into a large wok that suspends the oxidation, but not too much to still let the good bacteria thrive.

Afterward, production diverges to either two approaches, depending on the target market and purpose:

1) The Sheng style is the traditional fermentation process which takes around 15-20 years, or longer, to achieve the desired rich and deep flavor of Pu Erh Tea. Traditional drinkers prefer this style as it honors the long-established method of production.; while

2) the Shou style utilizes a catalyzed fermentation approach through the incorporation of necessary heat, moisture, and bacteria to hasten the process to be ready for consumption after just one and a half years. Between the two, Shou style doesn’t come cheap, having over at least 15 years just to get it to the right level.

THE GOOD STUFF

Pu Erh Tea is great for the mind as it is good for the soul. It stimulates the brain, enhancing focus, awareness, and critical thinking. Whether you’re planning to kick-start an important day or just want to wash out last night’s hang-over, the bodacious booze guarantees its wonders.

The body would be happy to take its fair share of benefits from the mystical brew. Pu Erh Tea by itself, or even as a blend, is widely believed to promote healthy weight loss by regulating the creation of new fats while burning the excess stored ones.

The fermented tea provides more benefits than the usual dried and brewed teas. Found in fermented goodies, probiotics, the good bacteria, are proven to improve multiple areas of the body including the digestive, cardiovascular, and immune system – enhancing overall health and well-being.

Additional for the legume lovers, Pu Erh Tea helps balance out the antinutrients found in the seeds, nuts, grains, and the like which tend to inhibit optimal nutrient absorption.

Pu Erh Tea is a grown-up man’s drink, not for the little kids. It’s different from the traditional flowery, light, and sweet caress normal teas are known. Rather, it immerses the drinker into the multi-layered experience of depth, maturity, and density. It’s not a drink for all, but only for the most serious advocates of fine Chinese tea drinking.

The tea plant’s journey is reflected in its name, Camellia Sinensis. Camellia indicates that tea is a woody plant, closely related to the ornamental bushes and their flowers, and Sinensis signifies its Chinese origins of small leaf.

Although the tea plant is most often referred to as being an evergreen shrub, when left in the wild undisturbed it grows into a tree with a bowl-shaped canopy. The bark is rough and typically grey. The tea plant branches with alternate elliptical leaves that are leathery in texture.

How to grow a tea tree

Step 1 : Purchase the tea tree seeds

There are two main types of tea plants. Camellia Sinensis is recommended because it is hardy. You can purchase the seeds from the local nursery or order them online. Camellia Assamica is another type of tea plant. It’s not recommended to grow this type of tea plant unless you live in a tropical climate. Also, this is a “large tree” plant, so it requires more space once it begins to grow. Always make sure there is sufficient room for the plants to breathe and for them to become bushy.

Steps 2 : Soak the seeds in water

Put your seeds into a bowl of water. Make sure that the seeds are completely submerged in water. Let the seeds soak for at least 24 hours or more. Soaking the seeds helps the seeds to absorb more water, which in turn speeds up the process of germination.

Steps 3 : Put the seeds into small containers with vermiculites

Take the seeds out of the water, and place 2 to 3 seeds each into separate small containers. Place the small containers in a warm and sunny location. Spray the seeds to dampen them. Then, cover the seeds with 2.5 cm of coarse vermiculite —a brown mineral soil that helps the seeds retain moisture. Let the seeds germinate for 6 to 8 weeks.

Step 4 : Keep the vermiculite moist at all times

During the 6 to 8 weeks, check the vermiculite on a daily basis to see whether it is moist or dry. If the vermiculite is too dry, water the seeds using a spray bottle. The soil should stay moist at all times.

Step 5 : Ensure the seeds have fully germinated

After 6 to 8 weeks, check to see if the seeds have fully germinated. Germinated seeds will have small roots and a couple of sprouts. Seeds will often germinate at different speed, so wait until all of the seeds have germinated before planting them into flower pots.

Step 6 : Separate and plant the tea tree into flower pot

The seeds should begin to sprout a few seedlings after 6 to 8 weeks of germination. You should have about 3 or 4 leaves. Put each seedling into a separate pot Tea trees likes well-drained and sandy soil that is on the acidic side.

Move the pots to a warm and partially shaded place. Spray the soil regularly to keep it moist.

Step 7 : Repot the plant or plant them outdoor 

You will need to move the tea plants once they reach about 20 cm in height. If you put them in new pots, make sure the pots will be big enough for plenty of root growth. If you plant them outdoor, plant them at least 0.9 m apart so they have space to grow. Plant the tea plant in a partly sunny and partly shady location. This means that the tea plant should get about 6 hours of sunlight daily.

Step 8 : Water the plant every day

Tea plants are hardy and rarely need to be fertilized. However, they need to be watered on a regular basis. The soil should be damp to the touch but not soaked in water to maintain the right acidity.

Step 9 : Wait a few years for the plant to mature

It will take about three years before the tea plants reach maturity. This means that you won’t be able to harvest leaves during this time. Once the plant reaches about 1 meter, it should be ready for harvest.

茶是一种芳香的饮品，通常是将热水倒在原产于东亚的茶树品种（Camellia sinensis）一种常绿灌木的新鲜叶子制制作而成的。 它的起源可能于缅甸北部和中国西南部的边境地区。

茶树的拉丁文名称（Camellia Sinensis）属于山茶科。山茶科属于灌木或小乔木，Camellia指的是山茶花而 Sinensis则表示其起源于中国的小叶种。

尽管茶树通常被称为常绿灌木，但在野外的茶树不受到外界的干扰时，它就会长成带有碗形树冠的树木。 树皮是粗糙的，通常是灰色。 茶树的枝头互生着椭圆形的叶子，质感如皮革。

如何种茶树

步骤1：购买茶树种子

茶树主要有两种。 推荐Camellia Sinensis 种，因为它耐寒。 您可以从当地的苗圃购买种子，也可以在线订购。 Camellia Assamica 是另一种茶树。 除非您生活在热带气候下，否则不建议您种植这种茶树。 因为它一棵“大树”种植物，因此一旦开始生长，就需要更多空间。 须要有足够的空间让茶树呼吸并变得茂密。

步骤2：将种子浸于水中

将种子放入一碗水中。 要确保种子完全浸没在水中。 让种子浸泡至少24小时或更长时间。 浸泡种子有助于种子吸收足够的水分，从而加快发芽的过程。

步骤3：将种子放入装有培养土的小容器中

将种子从水中取出，然后将2到3粒种子分别放入单独的小容器中。 将小容器放在温暖，阳光充足的地方。 浇一点点水使种子保持其湿润。 然后，用2.5厘米的培养土（一种棕色的矿物土壤，帮助种子保持水分）覆盖种子。 让种子发芽6至8周。

步骤4：确保营养土保持湿润

在6至8周内，每天检查培养土，看培养土湿润还是干燥。 如果培养土太干燥，请使用喷雾瓶给种子和培养土浇水。 培养土应保持湿润。

步骤5：确保种子已完全发芽

6至8周后，检查种子是否已完全发芽。 发芽的种子将有小根和几根芽。 种子通常会以不同的速度发芽，因此请等到所有种子都发芽后再将它们种植到花盆中。

步骤6：将茶树载种到花盆中

种子在发芽6至8周后开始长出一些幼苗。 茶树的幼苗有大约3或4片叶子。将每棵幼苗放到一个单独的花盆中。茶树喜欢排水良好的酸性沙质土壤。

将花盆移至温暖且有遮阳的地方。 定期确保土壤保持湿润。

步骤7：将茶树植入较大的花盆或将其种植在室外

一旦茶树高长到大约20厘米，就需要将茶树移动入新的花盆中。请确保花盆足够宽大，以方便茶树生根和成长。 如果将茶树种植在室外，则应至少有0.9 m间隔，以便它们有成长空间。 应该在阳光充裕并且阴凉处种植茶树。 茶树每天应获得约6个小时的阳光照射。

步骤8：每天给茶树浇水

茶树耐寒，几乎不需要施肥。 但是，茶树需要定期浇水。 土壤应该摸起来湿润，但不能浸在水中，以保持适当的土壤酸度。

步骤9：等待几年，让茶树成熟

茶树要成熟大约需要三年时间。 这意味着您将无法在这段时间内采摘茶叶。 一旦茶树长到约1米，就可以准备采摘了。

Tea:

This is the most basic requirement, good quality tea. No matter what kind of tea, according to the various factors of the origin of the raw materials, there are differences in quality starting from dry tea.

For example, white tea, the superior grade white tea has a lot of pekoes, the leaves are flat and long, and contains no old stems. The leaves of ordinary quality white tea have no pekoes, leaves are wrinkled, and contains mostly of old stems and red leaves. The quality of white tea is due to the pekoes which are high in amino acid and catechin content, forming the fresh and sweet foundation of a good cup of white tea.

For loose tea, observing the conditions, colour and clarity of the tea leaves through the appearance can preliminarily judge the quality of the tea. At the same time, tasting the tea itself is also an indispensable step to judge the quality of the tea. Some defects can only be known by drinking; such as over-roasting of the tea leaves. For example, withering in rainy weather, insufficient water leads to the green smell of white tea. Tea polyphenols, main astringency, caffeine, bitterness, theanine, sweetness for important characteristics of tea. So why is pure hand-made tea is more expensive than machine-made tea? This is based on the fact that traditional craftsmanship controls every process well. The higher theanine content, that is, the higher the sweetness and freshness, the lower the bitterness resulting in a smooth cup of tea.

Brewing time:

Different types of tea have different tenderness, different degree of shaping, and characteristics. All these factors leads to the various required brewing times for the tea. You can first summarize the several forms of tea. The spherical oolong tea (heavy shaping) brews slower than the flat green tea, as the leaves of the spherical oolong tea needs to unfold in the pot. Even for the same tea, the amount of tea put in determines the time for making tea as the amount of water in a pot of tea is fixed by the size of the pot. Only by controlling the proportion of the tea, can the tea soup not cover up other flavours due to the excessive bitterness and astringency.

Water temperature:

Ancient Chinese writings have studied the influence of water with different water temperatures on tea. For example, the “undercooked water, Overcooked water, Hou Tang[optimum temperature water]” was mentioned in the “Tea Records” of the Song Dynasty. “Undercooked water” means that the water temperature is too low, even if the inner substance of green tea is not easy to brew. Overcooked water is boiling water, and when used for inappropriate tea leaves, excessive tea tannins and caffeine will be released, resulting in a strong and bitter tea taste. “Hou Tang [optimum temperature water]” means that the water just reaches a small boil, between 80-95 degrees Celsius. Most teas can be brewed in this temperature while fine-tuning the temperature further according to the characteristics of the tea.

The water temperature of brewing tea is positively correlated with the release of soluble substances in the tea. The higher the water temperature, the more substances are released, the thicker the tea soup. Generally, the leaching amount at 60 degrees Celsius water is only equivalent to 45-65% of the leaching amount of tea brewed with boiling water. Unoxidised or lightly oxidised tea leaves are tender and strong, so they are generally not suitable for brewing with high-temperature water. As for heavily oxidised tea, or aged tea, the tea is mild and thick, and would need high-temperature stimulation to better release the tea flavour. For teas harvested in the wild, they generically have broad buds and leaves, high resistance to soaking, and a mellow and fragrant taste. Therefore, boiling water is needed to stimulate its special tea fragrance. Chinese Black tea leaves are extremely rich in internal quality and the production process is complicated and takes a long time. If the temperature of the water is too low, there is no way to stimulate the tea to produce its rich and mellow taste. Wuyi Rock Tea is a heavily oxidised tea with rich flavour and rocky charm. If the temperature of the water is not high enough, it will not be able to stimulate the flavour and richness of Rock tea. The water temperature of green tea is generally controlled at 80 degrees Celsius. If the temperature of the water is too high, it will cause a large amount of tea polyphenols to be leached, and the tea would become too bitter. It will also destroy the vitamin C, chlorophyll and green tea in the tea. Green tea should taste refreshing, fresh and tender, and if brewed with water that the over the required temperature, the bitterness and astringency will mask these characteristics.

Water quality:

The influence of water on tea is not as great and obvious as the previous conditions, and for most, the water that is available and meets safety standards would be sufficient. However, for those who are very particular about tea, water is also a very important variant. If the quality of water is exceptional, it will elevate the taste of your cup of tea to the next level.

The types of modern water are divided into eight categories: urban tap water, purified water, distilled water, mineral water, natural spring water, natural mineral water (TK), soda water, and aerated mineral water. In the doctoral dissertation “The Effect of Water Quality on the Flavour Quality of Dragon Well Tea and Its Mechanism”, the study shows that distilled water, purified water, natural drinking spring water and other water samples with lower total ion content taste better. The ions in the water have a great influence on the extraction of tea polyphenols, catechins and amino acids.

Technique:

Making tea is not only the process of drinking a cup of tea, the tea artist also beautifies the process of making tea. If a good cup of tea is equipped with suitable brewing techniques, it will also make the tea taste better. The technique is inseparable from the influence of water and temperature on tea mentioned before. If the previous factors are all directly influencing factors, the technique is to indirectly achieve the goal of a good cup of tea with the brewer controlling the water, temperature and matching teaware. It is said that green tea is the most tender, so with the aid of the alternative brewing method, first pour hot water and then add tea to reduce the contact time between hot water and tea and prevent excessive release of tea substances from the force of pouring water. For example, some teas need high temperature, such as Wuyi rock teas. In order to maintain the high-temperature requirement of the tea, cover the tea lid with the hot water and then pour the pot to reduce the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the pot, which helps to stimulate the high temperature that is needed. While the tea is brewing, the time is controlled as well. With the perfect control, the optimal tea aroma would be induced and the amount of polyphenolic alkaloids will remain balanced. The cup of rock tea would be full of flavour, not astringent, not bitter, and smooth.

Teawares:

Commonly used tea wares include purple clay, glass, porcelain teapots and cups. As for kettles, it includes iron, clay, silver, glass kettles and so on. The former has a direct impact on tea, and the latter has an impact on water quality. The good thing about glass would be its transparency. The transparency allows for the appreciation of the shape and colour of the tea and the tea leaves. Especially true for green tea which contains a beautiful bright green hue. During the brew, you can observe the “dance of the tea leaves” as the leaves slowly stretch and unfold, much like new leaves growing on branches of the tea tree. White porcelain and some ceramic products, have pure colours, high density, and it is not easy to leave the smell of tea in the vessel or change the quality of tea. Making Porcelain one of the most neutral vessel for brewing tea.

Integrating artistry and practicality, the purple clay teapot was specially introduced in the Ming Dynasty of China for making tea. It also helped the simplification of Chinese tea culture, while carrying the essence of tea and ancient literati. Due to the special pore structure of the purple clay, it can make the tea ‘breathe’ in the pot. Wen Zhenheng’s “Changwuzhi” mentioned: “Top quality teapots are made of purple clay. The lid does not steal the fragrance, nor does it have the sour smell of over brewed tea.” It is also because of the stomata that purple sand is more suitable for long-term brewing of one particular kind of tea.

从鲜茶叶到入口一口好茶汤，中间的可变因素非常多，从茶树品种，茶叶生长环境，茶叶加工再到茶叶存储，冲泡，最后变成你口里的那份味道。这篇文章不会细讲每种茶独特风味的形成，所列出来的主要是从干茶变茶汤的过程中，所用到的水，温度，工具等对茶的影响。

茶叶：

这是最基本的要求，品质好的茶。不管什么种类的茶，根据原料产地各个因素，从干茶开始就有品质的分别。

比如白茶，特级白茶芽毫肥多，叶态平伏伸展，无老梗。而普通品质白茶叶片无毫有折皱有老梗，泛红叶。因为毫的氨基酸儿茶素含量非常高，对于白茶的茶汤，鲜爽带甜的滋味特点很大程度是毫的贡献，所以茶叶品质好，奠定了一杯好茶汤的基础。

对于散茶，通过外形观察茶叶的条索完整度，色泽，净度可以初步判断茶的品质.同时品味茶汤也是判断茶品质不可缺的步骤，有些品质要靠喝才能知道，比如烘焙过度导致的乌龙茶的老火味。比如阴雨天气萎凋水分不充足导致白茶的青臭味。茶多酚，主涩，咖啡碱，主苦，茶氨酸，主甜。为什么纯手工制的茶比机器做的贵，这是基于传统工艺对于每一道工序把控的都很到位，茶氨酸含量高，也就是甜度、鲜爽度高，那么苦涩度越低，顺滑度就高了。

出汤时间：

不同的茶原料嫩度不同、揉捻程度不同、茶类特性不同，茶的物质浸出到水中的速度有很大差异。可以先总结茶叶的几种形态，球状乌龙茶（重揉捻）相比扁平的绿茶出味速度要慢，因为球状乌龙茶的叶子在壶中还有展开的过程。即使相同的茶，投放茶量的多少也决定了泡茶的时间。一壶茶的水量是固定的，只有把茶浸出物的比例控制好，茶汤才不会因为过重的苦涩味把其他滋味掩盖掉。

水温度：

中国古代著作中就有研究过不同水温的水对茶的影响，比如宋代《茶录》中提到“未熟汤，过熟汤，侯汤”的说法。‘未熟汤’是指水温过低，即使是绿茶内质也不容易泡出。过熟汤就是沸水，用于不合适的茶叶，会使茶丹宁和咖啡碱释放过量导致茶味浓烈苦涩。‘侯汤’指的是水刚小沸腾，在80-95之间。可冲泡大部分的茶，根据茶的特质细调。

泡茶水温与茶叶中有效物质在水中的溶解度呈正相关，水温愈高，溶解度愈大，茶汤就愈浓，一般60C水的浸出量只相当于100C沸水浸出量的45—65%。未发酵或轻发酵的茶叶，茶叶娇嫩，茶性较烈，一般不宜用高温水冲泡。发酵类的茶叶，茶叶偏老，茶性温和，陈厚，反倒需要高温刺激才能较好的释放茶味。一般而言，野生茶，多为芽叶粗广，耐泡度高，滋味醇厚芬芳，所以需要用沸水才能激发出它的特殊茶香. 黑茶茶叶内质极为丰富，制作工艺复杂时间长，如果水温过低，没有办法刺激茶性，泡出浓醇厚正的口感。还有颇具代表性的武夷茶，武夷岩茶是重发酵茶，味道层次丰富有岩韵，如果水的温度不够高，根本无法和紫砂一起做出焖的效果去激发出武夷茶的韵味及丰富的层次感。绿茶一般水温控制在80C，过高的水温会造成茶多酚大量浸出，茶汤很快变得苦涩，过高的水温还会破坏茶中的维生素C，叶绿素，绿茶这些营养物质含量最高，但会被破坏。绿茶味道清爽，鲜嫰，过浓的苦涩味会掩盖这些特质。

水质：

水对茶汤的影响不如前面几个条件那么大和明显，大部分人用符合饮用标准的水就可以了。当然，对于爱茶之人，水也是很讲究的，用的对用的好，对心爱的一包茶如虎添翼，好上加好。

现代水的种类分城市自来水，纯净水，蒸馏水，矿物质水，天然泉水，天然矿泉水（TK），苏打水，含气矿泉水等八大类。博士论文《水质对龙井茶风味品质的影响及其机制》表明，蒸馏水，纯净水，天然饮用泉水等总离子含量较低的水样口感较好。水中离子对茶叶茶多酚，儿茶素，氨基酸浸出有较大影响。

手法：

泡茶不仅仅是喝一杯茶的过程，茶艺师在泡茶过程中也是极具美感，一杯好茶如果配有适合的冲泡手法，也会使茶汤更出色。手法离不开之前所说水和温度对茶的影响，如果说之前的都是直接影响因素，手法则是通过控制水，温度，搭配工具，间接的达到一杯好茶的目的。都说绿茶最嫩，因此有了上投法的辅助，先倒热水再投茶，减少热水与茶的接触时间以及防止冲力之下过快释放茶物质。比如淋壶，有些茶需要高温，如武夷茶，壶内高温壶外冷会使温度流失过快，为了持续高温，冲完热水盖上茶盖后再淋壶使得内外温差小，让高温刺激出茶的风味的同时，控制了时间，短时间内茶香四溢而多酚物质生物碱量尚平衡。茶水韵味足而不涩不苦顺滑生津。

用具：

常见的泡茶用具有紫砂制品，玻璃，瓷器，烧水的炉也有分铁壶，陶壶，银壶，玻璃壶等等。前者是对茶的影响，后者是对水质的影响。先说茶，玻璃特点是茶的形态展露无遗，绿茶色美型美，冲泡之后，叶片舒展仿佛新叶在枝头，大部分人爱用玻璃器具冲泡绿茶，喝茶之余还可以欣赏‘茶舞’。陶瓷特别是白瓷，颜色纯净，密度高，冲泡茶叶非常‘客观’，不容易在器皿中留下茶的气味或者改变茶的品质。评茶斗茶多选用瓷器。紫砂壶产生于中国明朝，因为集艺术性和实用性于一体，专门为泡茶而生，也助力中国茶文化由繁化简的转变，承载了茶和古代文人的情怀。紫砂由于特殊的气孔结构，能够使茶在壶里‘呼吸’，文震亨《长物志》也说：“茶壶以砂者为上，盖既不夺香，又无熟汤气。”。也因为气孔使得紫砂更适合长期泡用一种茶而不容易串味。

References:

https://weidian.com/p5/diary/pages/diary.php?id=16312653

https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/751199242925535892.html?qbl=relate_question_2

https://kknews.cc/food/b6xgb3o.html

http://www.zgchawang.com/knowledge/show-97079.html

http://www.hxytea.com/News/Detail-934.html

A tea tree cannot be transplanted from another adult tea tree; it only can be grow from a tea seed. Therefore, the Chinese people took tea to symbolize love, loyalty and the expectation of a happy married life.

It is difficult to trace backwhen tea actually became an important item in the Chinese dowries. The earliest written record of tea ceremonies is from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). When the Tang princess Wencheng married the Tibetan emperor, Songtsän Gampo, in 641 AD, tea leaves was part of her dowry items.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Chinese tea-ceremony has been an indispensable part of the marriage process. Tea has been one of the essential item in the numerous betrothal gifts that the bride groom give to the bride family, be it weather you are rich or poor. Tea was also served to the guests on the wedding day as a beverage.

Since tea symbolizes people’s wishes for the love, loyal and a happy marriage, it continued to play a part in the institution of marriage during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 AD), Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), and Qing (1644–1912 AD) Dynasty.

Till today the tradition of the tea ceremonies at Chinese weddings still remained, and is still highly valued.

The tea ceremony is one of the most significant events at the Chinese wedding. It’s called jing cha in Chinese, literally meaning, ‘to respectfully offer the tea’. It incorporates a very formal introduction of the bride and groom, and expresses respect to their families.

在华人的中式婚礼中，茶起着重要的作用。

要载种新的茶树不能从另一棵成年茶树接枝。 它只能从茶种子中慢慢的生长出来。 因此，中国人把茶的生长象征着爱情，忠诚和对幸福婚姻生活的期望。

如果要追溯茶何时真正成为中国嫁妆中的重要物品，最早的记录来自唐朝（公元618-907年）。 唐朝文成公主在公元641年与西藏皇帝宋赞·甘波（SongtsänGampo）结婚时，茶叶是她嫁妆的一部分。

在宋代（公元960-1279年），敬茶仪式一直是婚姻过程中不可或缺的一部分。 茶已成为新郎送给女方家庭的订婚礼品中不可缺少的物品之一，无论你是富贵还是贫穷。 婚礼当天主人还为客人提供茶作为饮料。

由于茶象征着人们对爱情，忠诚和幸福婚姻的渴望，它在元朝（公元1271–1368年），明朝（公元1368-1644年）和清朝（1644-1912年）的婚姻中扮演着重要的角色之一。

直到今天，在中式婚礼上的敬仪式统仍然被保留着，并且受到高度重视。

敬茶是中式婚礼上最重要的活动之一。 它的意义包含着新娘和新郎正式以夫妻的身份介绍给所有的亲朋戚友，并表达他们两人对家庭的长辈的尊重。

To understand the effects of tea, you must first understand the ingredients of the tea. Different tea preparation methods will affect the content of the following ingredients. This is very helpful for choosing the right tea for yourself, and also to know when to drink what kind of tea.

Ingredients in tea

1. Protein: an essential nutrient for the human body
2. Amino acids: regulate fat metabolism
3. Caffeine: reduces fatigue, diuretic and promotes blood circulation.
4. Tea polyphenols (catechins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids): lowering blood lipids, anti-inflammatory, anti-radiation, lowering cholesterol, and preventing arteriosclerosis.
5. Sugars: supplement energy
6. Vitamins: protect eyesight, anti-scurvy, anti-oxidation, anti-aging
7. Lipid: Regulate the osmotic pressure of human cells
8. Minerals: enhance immunity, contain fluorine to protect teeth.

Summary of the health benefits of tea

1. Diuretic
2. Protects your teeth
3. Anti-inflammatory
4. Inhibit cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
5. Lowers blood pressure, blood lipids, lower blood sugar
6. Regulates skin vitality
7. Improves eyesight
8. Relieves heat and thirst
9. Prevents cancer and protects the liver

Amino acid:
The decomposition products of theanine in the human body can promote the immune response of T lymphocytes to the invasion of external pathogenic microorganisms, and can also promote the secretion of interferon. Interferon is a protein that has a broad-spectrum antiviral effect in the human body. Therefore, another effect of tea is to prevent cancer.

Alkaloids:
The alkaloids of tea are mainly coffee. Its main function is similar to drinking coffee, reduces fatigue, improves cardiovascular health and induces diuresis.

Tea Polyphenols:
Also known as vitamin polyphenols, is a kind of fused-ring aromatic hydrocarbons. It is the general term for polyphenols in tea, including flavanols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, flavonols and phenolic acids, etc. Among them, flavanols (catechins) are the most important, accounting for about 70% of the total amount of tea polyphenols. Tea polyphenols, also known as tea tannins, are one of the main ingredients that form the colour and fragrance of tea, as well as one of the main ingredients in tea that have health functions, and have a protective effect on the liver.

Tea polyphenols can be combined with bacterial proteins, leading to the bacterial proteins coagulating and eventually destroyed to achieve anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. At the same time, it enhances gastrointestinal contraction and peristalsis, promotes digestion, and effectively discharges waste and toxic substances that have accumulated in the digestive tract. It also promotes the growth of intestinal flora. Tea polyphenols can aid with regulation of blood flow, reduces the permeability of capillaries, and achieve the effect of lowering blood sugar.

Tea pigment:
Tea pigment is a water-soluble, small molecule, phenolic oxidative polymer produced by oxidative polymerization of tea polyphenols extracted from tea. It is a medicinal substance with extremely high biological activity, which can aid in removing atheroma from arteries. The tea pigment can also prevent cholesterol-like substances from depositing on the arteries and prevent the occurrence of arteriosclerosis.

Catechin:
Catechin is the most important kind of tea polyphenols, accounting for about 75% to 80% of the content of tea polyphenols. It is also one of the sources of the bitter taste of tea. It has antioxidant properties, scavenges free radicals and reduces melanin. After tea was introduced into the research field of modern science, catechins have always been the focus of research.

Vitamins and minerals:
Regulate skin vitality. Rich vitamin C enhances the detoxification function of the liver. Fluorine is an important element in inhibiting dental caries and is often added to toothpaste to protect the enamel of teeth from erosion. Enhance tooth resistance to acid. You can rinse your mouth with tea and brush your teeth. Vitamin B and C in tea can be obtained by drinking tea, as well as fat-soluble vitamin A, whose content is higher than the same amount of carrots, which can be obtained by eating tea, through various tea infused recipes (e.g. shrimps stir-fried with Dragon Well tea). There are more than forty kinds of minerals in tea, with potassium being the highest in content. It is of great significance for maintaining the balance of osmotic pressure and blood, as well as the metabolism of human cells.

Carbohydrate amino acids:
The acids interact with saliva to relieve fever and produce fluid. Lipopolysaccharide can protect the human body’s hematopoietic function and reduce radiation damage to the human body.

Green tea:
Tannin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and tea polyphenols have the effect of skin aging and reducing pigmentation. Green tea also has a very good soothing effect. After sun exposure, use a cotton pad to soak iced green tea on the skin to cool down and maintain skin health. External application of green tea can reduce oil secretion and balance the skin’s water and oil. It is rich in amino acids, tea polyphenols, catechins and a variety of minerals and inorganic elements. Among them, potassium, magnesium, and iron are high in content, which has a good inhibitory effect on hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. Generally speaking, the content of vitamins, amino acids, tea polyphenols, and caffeine are the highest in green tea and white tea. The higher the degree of oxidation, the lower caffeine level. Contrary to caffeine, the higher the oxidation degree, the higher mineral content would be present in the tea.

Pu’er:
Pu’ers that are aged has a lot of oligomers, which can reduce the enzymatic destruction of cell elastic tissue and collagen. The oligomer also has a turbid purification effect and restores cell repair ability. A doctoral dissertation published that Pu’er tea has the effects of preventing obesity, reducing fat and losing weight, and the effect of ripe Pu’er[Chinese Black tea / Dark tea] is better than raw Pu’er. Because Pu’er produces special ingredients that break down fat during post-oxidation, it has been loved by meat-eating herders throughout history.

White tea:
The process is simple and the beneficial ingredients are retained. The tea polyphenols are three times as much as other teas. Oxygen free radicals are the culprit of ageing, and tea polyphenols are oxygen free radical cleansers. Based on the excellent anti-ageing effects of white tea, white tea is also called woman tea. In recent years, major brands have also rushed to add white tea extract to their skincare products.

Black tea[Known as red tea in mandarin]:
After oxidation and baking, tea polyphenols undergo an enzymatic oxidation reaction under the action of oxidase, and the content decreases. The irritation to the stomach is reduced, and the oxidation products produced promote digestion. Compared with green tea, black tea is therefore more suitable for regulating the stomach. Black tea pigments are a class of tea polyphenol oxidation products with strong biological activity. Modern medicine has found that tea pigments (the main ingredients are theaflavins (TFs) and thearubicins (TRSI)) not only have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-cardiovascular, anti-cancer and cerebrovascular diseases effects, but also prevents atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, lipid metabolism disorders, cerebral infarction, platelet aggregation and contains antioxidants. Obtaining tea pigments with higher theaflavin content has become an important subject in tea science, food and medicinal research.

Oolong tea:
The efficacy is between green tea and black tea, depending on the degree of oxidation of the oolong tea. Lightly fermented oolong tea is similar to green tea, and vice versa.

Tea drunk:
Drinking alcohol will make you drunk, and drinking tea will also make you drunk. As the saying goes, tea is not intoxicating and people get drunk themselves. This kind of tea drunkenness is a kind of spiritual intoxication, but the drunken tea we are talking about today is a physiological phenomenon that can cause harm to the body. People who have finished drinking strong tea or a large amount of tea may have experienced such symptoms, such as allergies, insomnia, tremor of hands and feet, dizziness, tinnitus, weakness of the limbs, vomiting, and foaming at the corners in severe cases.

Taboo for drinking tea:
Don’t drink overnight tea: If the general tea leaves are steeped for too long, they will taste bitter and hard to eat because of the excessive content of tannins and caffeine. Tannin will coagulate protein and combine with gastric acid to deposit in the stomach, affecting the absorption of iron and easily harming the gastric mucosa. Overnight tea is generally stored at room temperature, and it is easy to breed microorganisms.

People who are not suitable for tea:

1. There are already patients with gastritis, and the tea is somewhat irritating, which is also the reason why it is not advisable to drink tea on an empty stomach.
2. People with low blood pressure
3. Children, children growing up, drinking more tea will affect the absorption of iron and iron. It is not advisable to drink strongly brewed tea or drink tea excessively.

从古籍记载来看，秦汉之前茶基本以药用为主，神农本草经记载：“茶叶苦，饮之使人益思，少卧，轻身，明目。”魏晋以后，茶的功能逐渐转移到饮料上。但人们没有淡忘茶的药用功能。在古代中国，茶也被注重养生的佛教道教加以运用，并产生了茶的神话传说。时至今日，茶的药理作用被现代科学所证明，不仅华人视茶为养生之物，其他种族也开始了解推崇茶。

想了解茶的功效，要先了解茶的成分，不同茶的制作方式会影响以下成分的含量。这对选择合适自己的茶非常有帮助，也进而懂得什么时候合适喝什么样的茶。

成分表

1. 蛋白质： 人体所需营养物质
2. 氨基酸：调节脂肪代谢
3. 咖啡因：提神利尿，促进血液循环，
4. 茶多酚 （儿茶素，黄酮素，花青素，酚酸）： 降血脂，消炎，防辐射，降低胆固醇，防止动脉硬化。
5. 糖类: 补充能量
6. 维生素：保护视力，抗坏血病，抗氧化，抗衰老
7. 类脂质：调节人细胞渗透压
8. 矿物质：增强免疫，含有氟元素保护牙齿。

功效总结

1. 利尿通便
2. 保护牙齿
3. 消炎杀菌
4. 抑制心脑血管疾病
5. 降血压，降血脂，降血糖
6. 美容护肤
7. 清心明目
8. 消暑解渴
9. 防癌护肝

氨基酸：
茶氨酸在人体内的分解产物能够促进T淋巴细胞对外界病原微生物的侵袭产生免疫反应，同时还能促进干扰素的分泌。干扰素是一种蛋白质， 在人体内具有广谱的抗病毒作用。因而，茶叶的另一个功效就是防癌抗癌。

生物碱：
茶的生物碱以咖啡因为主。其主要作用和喝咖啡类似，提神，强心与利尿。

茶多酚（Tea Polyphenols）:
又名维多酚，为一种稠环芳香烃，是茶叶中多酚类物质的总称，包括黄烷醇类、花色苷类、黄酮类、黄酮醇类和酚酸类等。其中以黄烷醇类物质（儿茶素）最为重要，含量约占茶多酚总量的70%左右。茶多酚又称茶单宁，是形成茶叶色香味的主要成份之一，也是茶叶中有保健功能的主要成份之一，对肝有保护作用。

茶多酚能与细菌蛋白结合，使细菌蛋白凝固死亡从而达到消炎，抑制细菌的作用。同时增强肠胃的收缩蠕动，促进消化，使淤积在消化道的废物和有毒物质有效排出。也是肠道有益菌群繁荣。茶多酚能保持微血管的正常韧性，节制微血管的渗透性，从而达到降血糖的功效。

茶色素:
是从茶叶中提取出的茶多酚经过氧化聚合反应生成的一种水溶性、小分子、酚性氧化聚合物，是一种具有极高生物活性的药用物质，可以清除动脉上硬化的粥样物质，也可防止胆固醇类物质沉积在动脉上，防止动脉硬化的发生。

儿茶素:
是茶多酚中最重要的一种，约占茶多酚含量的75%到80%，也是茶的苦涩味的来源之一，具有抗氧化性能，清除自由基，减少黑色素。在茶叶被引入现代科学的研究范畴之后，儿茶素一直是研究的焦点。给现代人的养生以惊喜。

维生素矿物质：
调节肌肤活力。 丰富的维生素C 使肝脏的解毒功能增强。氟元素是抑制龋齿的重要元素，经常被加入牙膏中，保护牙齿的珐琅质免遭侵蚀。增强牙齿抗酸能力。可以用茶漱口，刷牙。茶叶中的维生素B 和C 可以通过喝茶获得，还有脂溶性的维生素A，其含量高于等量的胡萝卜，可以通过以茶入食的方法获得，比如龙井虾仁。茶叶中的矿物质多达四十余种，钾的含量最高，它对于维持渗透压和血液的平衡，以及人体细胞的新陈代谢具有举足轻重的意义。

糖类氨基酸：
与唾液作用，解热生津。脂多糖能保护人体的造血功能，减轻辐射对人体的伤害。

绿茶：
单宁，维生素C，维生素E， 茶多酚，具有抗皮肤老化，减少色素沉淀的功效。绿茶还有很好的舒缓效果，晒后用化妆棉浸泡冰镇的绿茶敷在皮肤上，可以起到降温，镇定皮肤的功效，绿茶外敷，减少油脂分泌，令肌肤水油平衡。富含氨基酸茶多酚、儿茶素以及多种矿物质和无机元素。其中钾、镁、铁元素含量高，对高血压、糖尿病、癌症具有良好的抑制作用。一般而言，维生素，氨基酸，茶多酚，咖啡因的含量都是绿茶白茶最高，发酵程度越高，这些成分越低。矿物质相反，发酵度越高的茶相对较高。

普洱：
陈年普洱有大量低聚物，这些可以减少细胞弹性组织和胶原蛋白的酶破坏。低聚物还有拍浊净化效果，恢复细胞修复能力。有博士论文发表，普洱茶具有预防肥胖，降脂减肥的功效，熟普洱效果比生普洱更佳。缘于普洱在后发酵中产生了分解脂肪的特殊成分，在历史上，一直被多食肉的牧民所喜爱。

白茶：
工艺简单，保留了有益成分，茶多酚是其他茶叶三倍。氧自由基是引起衰老的元凶，茶多酚是氧自由基清洁剂。基于白茶优秀的抗衰老功效，白茶因此也被叫做女人茶。各大品牌近年来也争相把白茶提取物加入他们的护肤产品中。

红茶：
经过发酵烘制后，茶多酚在氧化酶作用下发生酶促氧化反应，含量减少。对胃部的刺激性减少，产生的氧化产物促进消化，相比绿茶，红茶因此更适合调理肠胃。红茶色素是一类茶多酚氧化产物 , 具有较强的生物活性。现代医学已发现茶色素 (主要成份为茶黄 素 (TFs) 和茶红素 (TRSI) ) 不仅具有抗菌、抗病毒、抗心脑血管疾病等作用 , 对动脉粥样硬化、高脂 血症、高血压、脂代谢紊乱、脑梗塞、血小板凝集等疾病均有较好的预防和治疗作用 , 还有抗氧化、抗癌作用。获取茶黄素含量较高的茶色素已成为茶学、食品和医药研究的重要课题。

乌龙茶：
功效介于绿茶和红茶之间，取决于乌龙茶的发酵氧化程度，轻发酵的乌龙茶功效接近绿茶，反之接近红茶。

茶醉：
喝酒会醉，喝茶也同样会醉。常言道，茶不醉人人自醉，这种茶醉是一种精神的陶醉，而我们今天所说的醉茶，却是能对身体造成危害的生理现象。喝完浓茶或大量茶的人可能有过这样的体验，出现过敏、失眠、手足颤抖、头昏耳鸣、四肢无力、想呕吐，严重时还会口角流沫等症状，这种情况正是醉茶。

喝茶禁忌：
不喝隔夜茶：一般的茶叶若是浸泡过久会因为单宁酸、咖啡因等物质含量过多，味道苦涩难入口。单宁酸会使蛋白质凝固，与胃酸结合沉淀在胃里，影响铁的吸收，容易伤害胃黏膜。隔夜茶一般在室温中存放，也容易滋生微生物细菌。

不适合喝茶的人群：

1. 已经有胃炎患者，茶叶多少有刺激，也是空腹不宜喝茶的原因。
2. 低血压人群
3. 儿童，儿童在长身体，多喝茶会影响概以及铁的大量吸收。不宜喝浓茶，喝过量的茶。

REFERENCE:
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/138847759
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/73401115
http://www.eco.gov.cn/industry/tea/32294.html
http://gb.oversea.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?filename=1013192247.nh&dbcode=CDFD&dbname=CDFDREF
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%84%82%E5%A4%9A%E7%B3%96
http://nauxb.njau.edu.cn/Upload/PaperUpLoad/3b11fe1a-4ead-4035-9f68-c770419bfb27.pdf

Ancient China
In the early years of tea cultivation in China, the leaves were unprocessed and had a bitter taste, earning the resulting drink the name ‘荼 tu’, meaning ‘bitter vegetable’. Mandarin’s current word for tea, ‘茶 cha’, didn’t come into recorded existence until 760 C.E., when a scholar named Lu Yu wrote the Cha Jing, or the Classic of Tea, in which he mistakenly omitted a cross stroke from the character ‘tu’, resulting in a much different word: cha.

Cha
For nearly a thousand years, tea stayed the secret of the East. When the Portuguese arrived in China in the 1500s. They taste tea for the first time and were quick to realise its potential and decided to focus on exporting tea instead of spices. The Portuguese called the drink cha, just like the people of southern China – Guangzhou – Hong Kong and Macau did.

Tea
Around 1607 the Dutch encountered tea in the Fujian province, where Hokkien was the major language, its pronunciation varied depending on the dialect. Following in the linguistic footsteps of the Hokkien folk of Fujian, the Dutch called the drink ‘thee’.

从中国到日本，印度到英国，对这些国家的人民来说茶是一种必需品，也可以说是一个国家的身份象征。 尽管每个国家 / 地区都有自己的“茶”这个词，但几乎所有的发音都仅来自两个词根：“ te”和“ cha”。以下是茶这个词背后的故事。古代中国在中国古代茶叶种植的早期，茶叶未经加工且味苦，因此就把它名为“荼”，意为“苦菜”。直到公元760年，“茶”这个新字才出现。当时，茶圣陆羽写了《茶经》，他错误地从 ‘荼’ 字中省略了一笔画。 因此产生了一个非常不同的词 ：茶。

Cha
近千年来，茶一直是东方的神密物品。 1500年代葡萄牙人到达中国时。 他们第一次品尝到茶，很快就意识到了它的潜力，并决定专注于出口茶而不是香料。 葡萄牙人称其为“cha”，就像中国南方如-广州-香港和澳门一样叫法。

Tea
1607年左右，荷兰人在福建省第一次接触到茶，其发音因地方的方言而异。 荷兰人便跟随福建省的福建人的语言脚步，将这种饮料称为“ thee”。

Green tea: fresh leaves -> fixing -> Shaping -> drying
Chinese Red tea [Black tea]: fresh leaves -> withering -> Shaping -> oxidising -> drying.
Oolong tea: fresh leaves -> withering -> bruising -> fixing -> Shaping -> drying
White tea: fresh leaves -> withering -> drying
Chinese Black tea [Dark tea]: fresh leaves -> fixing -> Shaping -> piling -> drying (the raw Pu’er does not have a piling process)
Yellow tea: fresh leaves -> fixing -> Shaping -> muffling -> drying

1. Fixing or “De-enzyming” / “Killing the green”

Fixing is very important to tea. High temperature is used for curing to quickly destroy the activity, prevent polyphenols from being oxidized, and at the same time increase the aroma of tea, lay the foundation for the taste of tea soup, continue to volatilize the fresh leaf moisture, and the leaves become soft, which is convenient for subsequent twisting. For green tea, there are two ways to make it: stir-fried and steamed. China’s existing tea is mainly roasted green, such as Dragon Well tea and Taiping Houkui. Japan retains the traditional steaming technique and applies it to most of the existing Japanese teas, such as matcha and sencha. Finishing is also the basis for forming the quality characteristics of yellow tea and dark tea. The curing temperature of raw Pu’er is low, and the oxidase of tea is not completely passivated. As time goes by, the oxidase will recover and catalyze the oxidation degree of tea in the later stage, forming a unique aging taste.

2. Withering

Withering can enhance enzyme activity for tea that needs to be Oxidised. Promote the volatilization of water from tea leaves and thus removing the grassy notes, preparing for subsequent processes. Withering is divided into sunlight withering, indoor natural withering and heating withering. Chinese Red tea [Black tea] is mostly used indoor natural withering method. Sunlight withering has higher requirements for natural environmental weather conditions, and is mostly used for oolong tea. The degree of sun-greening also varies with tea, and it is usually heavier in northern Fujian than in southern Fujian. As the only step before white tea is dried, white tea has a much greater degree of withering than black tea. The long duration also means more variables, and very high requirements for specific weather conditions.

3. Shaping

The purpose of shaping is to shape the tea under the action of external force, increase the concentration of the tea soup, and improve the internal quality of the tea. The black tea crushes the mesophyll cells and prepares for Oxidation. Different types of tea require different degrees of kneading, such as variants with pekoes, which requires more gentle kneading. The crushed black tea is cut while kneading during the kneading step.

4. Oxidising

Chinese red tea [Black tea] is fully oxidised, while green tea is not oxidised, oolong tea is semi-oxidised, and white tea is naturally oxidised. This is an important step to form the flavor and quality of the oxidised tea. The chemical change of oxidation starts from rolling until the end of drying. The essence of Chinese red tea fermentation is to enhance the activity of enzymes and promote the oxidative polymerization of polyphenols to form the aroma of the tea. Souchong black tea has added a smoking step to make the tea leaves have a pinewood fragrance.

5. Bruising / Disruption

According to the different seasons, tea varieties, regions, and the degree of bruising time varies. Some of the methodologies include the cooling method, the shaking method, and the piling method. It is an important process that affects the quality of oolong tea. Tea oxidation is relatively heavy in northern Fujian, while Oolong oxidation in southern Fujian and Taiwan is relatively light. The Guangdong Oolong Craft is close to the Oolong in Northern Fujian. Through the collision and friction between the leaves, the leaf margin cells are destroyed and oxidized, forming a special quality of “red trim”, the soup is golden in color, and the fragrance is rich. Water will diffuse from the stems and buds with higher water content to the leaf surface with low water content (water removal), producing a lot of aromatic compounds.

6. Muffling / Yellowing

After fixing, a chemical reaction occurs in the leaves under the action of heat and humidity. The time is shorter than that of black tea, and the content of the leaves changes less, resulting in yellowish or yellowish brown leaves. The representative Junshan Silver Needle, using fat and tender bud tips, has a golden and bright color and a sweet and refreshing taste. Different yellow teas have slightly different yellowing time processes.

7. Piling

The kneaded tea leaves are piled up, and part of the astringency and rough taste are removed through the heat and humidity in the pile. It is a post-oxidation process. There is an active microbial reaction. A large amount of cellulose and pectin in crude tea leaves are degraded by microorganisms, making the leaf stems soft and forming the unique flavor of Chinese black tea [dark tea].

8. Drying

The purpose of drying is to evaporate water, make tea easy to store by halting the enzyme activity of oxidised leaves, and stop oxidation to fix the quality. Fixing the tea’s color, fragrance and taste. Drying is often combined with further styling. In the process of evaporating water, the phosgene produced by the tea is transformed and volatilized, and aromatic substances are generated, such as the floral and fruity fragrance of dry tea, and the sweetness, while increasing the sweetness and layering of the tea soup.

9. Rolling and roasting

Rolling is a unique process that promotes the formation of curls or the spherical shape outside of oolong tea. Among them are the manual kneading method and machine kneading method. Roasting is the final process of some oolong tea, including initial roasting and re-roasting. There is no rolling process for Oolong in Northern Fujian.

介绍六大茶类的初制作工艺：

中国六大茶类的基本制法是在以下工序中选取组合而形成不同的茶类。

绿茶：鲜叶， 杀青，揉捻，干燥
红茶：鲜叶，萎凋， 揉捻， 发酵，干燥。
乌龙茶：鲜叶，萎凋， 做青，杀青，揉捻，干燥
白茶：鲜叶，萎凋，干燥
黑茶：鲜叶，杀青，揉捻，渥堆，干燥 （生普洱没有渥堆工序）
黄茶：鲜叶，杀青，揉捻，闷黄，干燥。

1. 杀青

杀青对茶至关重要，杀青用高温迅速破坏活性，制止多酚类被氧化，同时增加茶叶的香气，为茶汤滋味打下基础，继续挥发鲜叶水分，叶子变得柔软，方便后续揉捻造型。对于绿茶，有分炒青和蒸青两种杀青方式。中国现有茶叶以炒青为主，比如龙井，太平猴魁。而日本保留传统蒸青工艺并运用到了大部分现有日本茶上，比如抹茶，煎茶。杀青也是形成黄茶和黑茶品质特征的基础。生普洱的杀青温度偏低，茶叶氧化酶钝化不彻底，随着时间推移，氧化酶复苏，催化茶品后期氧化程度，形成独特的陈味。

2. 萎凋

萎凋对于需要发酵的茶，增强酶活性。促进茶叶挥发水分，青草气消失，为后续工序做准备。萎凋有分日光萎凋，室内自然萎凋与加温萎凋。红茶多用室内自然萎凋法。日光萎凋对自然环境天气条件要求较高，又称晒青，多用于乌龙茶。晒青程度也是因茶而异，通常福建北部比南部要重。作为白茶干燥前的唯一步骤，白茶萎凋程度比红茶大的多，时间久也意味着变数多，采制时对天气要求很高。

3. 揉捻

揉捻目的是在外力作用下给茶叶做造型，同时增加茶汤浓度，改善茶叶内质。红茶揉捻破碎叶肉细胞，为发酵做准备。不同品种的茶要求不同程度的揉捻，比如多毫品种，要求轻柔。而红碎茶就是在揉捻步骤中边揉边切。

4. 发酵

红茶是全发酵茶，绿茶不发酵，乌龙茶是不完全发酵，白茶自然发酵。这是形成发酵茶色香味品质的重要步骤，发酵的化学变化从揉捻就开始，直到干燥结束。红茶发酵的实质是增强酶的活性，促进多酚类化合物的氧化聚合反应，形成香气。小种红茶更是加入了熏烟步骤使得茶叶带松烟香。

5. 做青

根据季节不同，茶树品种，地域，做青的时间程度各不相同。包括凉青，摇青，堆青工序。是影响乌龙茶品质的重要工序。福建北部做青发酵比较重，福建南部和台湾乌龙发酵比较轻。广东乌龙工艺接近闽北乌龙。通过叶子之间的碰撞摩擦，叶缘细胞被破坏发生氧化，形成‘红镶边’，汤色金黄，香味醇厚的特殊品质。水分会从含水量较高的茎梗和芽扩散到含水量低的叶面 （走水），生成大量芳香类化合物。

6. 闷黄

杀青后，在湿热作用下叶子内产生化学反应。时间比黑茶的渥堆短，叶子内含物变化较小，产生叶色黄变或黄褐。代表性君山银针，采用肥嫩芽尖，色泽金黄光亮，滋味甜爽。不同黄茶的闷黄时间工艺也略不同。

7. 渥堆

将揉捻茶叶堆积起来，通过堆内的湿热作用，出去部分涩味和粗老味。是一个后发酵过程。有活跃的微生物反应，粗老茶叶的大量纤维素和果胶质被微生物降解，使得叶梗变柔软，形成黑茶独特的风味。

8. 干燥

干燥目的是蒸发水分，使茶叶便于保存，破坏发酵叶的酶活性，停止发酵固定品质。形成固定的茶色，香，味。干燥会时常与进一步造型结合。在蒸发水分过程中，青草气物质转化挥发，芳香物质生成，例如干茶的花果香，甜香，同时增加茶汤甜润度和层次感。

9. 包揉造型与烘焙

包揉（台湾称为团揉）,促使乌龙茶外形成卷曲或颗粒的独特工艺。其中有分手工包揉和包揉机包揉。烘焙是部分乌龙茶最后的工艺，包括初焙，复焙。闽北乌龙没有包揉工序。

(1) Mop deodorization – Pour the tea residue into a bucket filled with warm water, after which put the mop inside for about 15 minutes to sterilize and remove the odour. After that, your mop will be very clean.

(2) Relieve sunburn pain – Skin that has been sunburned will become red, swollen and sore. Soak the tea residue in ice water for a while, after which apply it to the sunburn wound to reduce the pain.

(3) Desiccant – the weather in Singapore is very humid, therefore your home is prone to moisture and mold. The leftover used tea leaves can be used as a homemade desiccant. After the used tea leaves are dried under the sun, put them into a clean cloth and tie them into small packets of dry tea leaves. The dry tea leaves are particularly absorbent and can be put into a wardrobe or kitchen to absorb moisture and prevent mold and mildew.

In this way, the remaining tea leaves can be fully utilized, turning the used tea leaf residues into a treasure.

喝完的茶叶渣如何再利用 爱喝茶的人请注意了， 通常您喝完的茶后，是不是直接把茶叶渣丢掉呢。为何不拿这些茶叶渣来废物利用。茶叶渣的功效会让您感到惊叹。

(1) 拖把布除臭法 – 将茶叶渣倒进装满温水的桶里，然后将拖把布放在里面十五分钟左右，就可以杀菌消毒、去除异味。拖把布过后就能非常干净了。

(2) 缓解皮肤晒伤 – 被烈日晒伤的皮肤，会发红肿痛，将泡完茶的茶渣放在冰水里冷泡一下，然后敷在伤口处，就可以减缓疼痛感。

(3) 当干燥剂 – 新加坡的天气潮湿，家里容易受潮发霉。这时可以把喝剩的茶叶拿来做自制的干燥剂。将喝完的茶叶晾干后，用干净的布抱起来，扎成小包装的干茶，它的吸水性特别好，放入衣柜或厨房里，能够吸收潮湿气、防止生虫发霉。

这样把剩下的茶叶能被充分善用，把叶渣变成宝。