Tea blending and additives
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tea blending describes the process of blending different teas together to produce a final product. This occurs chiefly with black tea that is blended to make most tea bags but can also occur with such teas as Pu-erh, where leaves are blended from different regions before being compressed. The aim of blending is a stable taste over different years, and a better price. More expensive, more tasty tea may cover the inferior taste of cheaper tea.
There are various teas which have additives and/or different processing than "pure" varieties. Tea is able to easily receive any aroma, which may cause problems in processing, transportation or storage of tea, but can be also advantageously used to prepare scented teas. Tea is usually flavoured in large blending drums and essential oils may be added.
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[edit] Varieties of blended tea
- Breakfast tea
- Generally a blend of different black teas that are robust and full-bodied, and go well with milk. Some flavors are English Breakfast tea, Irish Breakfast tea and Scottish Breakfast tea.
- Afternoon tea
- These blends (of black teas) are generally lighter than breakfast blends. Both breakfast and afternoon blends are popular in the British Isles.
- Jasmine tea
- Spread with jasmine flowers while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration.
- Earl Grey tea
- Usually a mix of black teas, with essence of the citrus fruit bergamot added.
- Flower tea
- A variety of flowers are used to flavor teas. The most popular of these include the flowers of the following plants: Lavender, Orchid, Plum, Gardenia, Hibiscus, Chamomile, and Chrysanthemum.
- Lychee tea
- Usually a mix of black teas, which has been spread with the husks of the lychee fruit.
- Mint tea
- Usually a mixture of green teas and any variety of the Mint plants. This tea is very popular in the Middle East.
- Osmanthus tea
- Spread with Osmanthus flowers while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration. This flower gives the tea a mild peach flavor. It is the second most popular scented tea (after Jasmine) in China.
- Rose tea
- Spread with Rose flowers while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration. In China, roses are usually used to scent black tea and the resulting tea is called Rose Congou.
- Spiced tea
- Tea such as Indian and Middle Eastern chai, flavoured with sweet spices such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cassia, black pepper, clove, anise, fennel, Indian bay leaf and sometimes vanilla, nutmeg and mace.
- Touareg Tea
- Strong green tea with Nana mint, prepared in desert areas of North Africa and the Middle East.
- Jagertee
- A tea with rum added.
- Genmaicha
- A Japanese tea with roasted rice added, and favoured by adherents of a macrobiotic diet.
