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Tea, teh, cha, chai. Whatever you call it, it�s a common drink that is present in the history of many nations around the world.
Tea has always been a staple drink for Malaysians � from the common Chinese tea and herbal tea (leong cha) available at your local hawker, to its milk varieties � teh tarik and teh si ping. Do you know what differentiates these teas and which tea is best suited for you?
All teas are made from the leaves of Camellia sinesis. Its leaves are then cultivated and processed in different ways to bring out specific flavours and aromas, resulting in the many variations of tea available.
The most common types of tea gets its flavour and colour from its state of oxidization. White and Green tea have the least oxidised tea leaves, while the most oxidised tea leaves are of the Oolong, Black, Pu�Er variation. The lesser a tea is oxidised, the more gentle and lighter it will be in taste and aroma. Heavily oxidised teas will yield a dark deep reddish brown or earthy infusion, while a white will yield a pale yellow-green liquid. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
White tea undergoes the least processing of all teas. Traditionally cultivated in China, white tea is picked only a few days in a year - when its white down (bai hao) appears on the tender shoots. It is then left to wither and dry to prevent oxidisation.
Green teas keep their vital colour because they are unoxidised. To prevent oxidisation, the leaves are heat processed to eliminate the enzyme responsible for oxidisation. Some famous green tea varieties are Dragon�s Well (Lung Ching) from China and Sencha from Japan.
Oolong teas are semi-oxidised. The term in Chinese actually means "Black Dragon". In general, larger, mature leaves are picked, withered, rolled, oxidized, and then fired. Oolong teas have a wide array of flavours and aromas. It can be steeped several times, with each successive infusion having its own distinctive taste and fragrance. A famous variety is the Iron Goddess of Mercy (Tie Guan Yin) from China.
For most black teas, younger leaves are picked before being withered, rolled, fully oxidised, and fired. While found originally in China, black teas are now cultivated worldwide. Some of the most popular black teas come from the Indian regions of Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Sri Lanka.
Pu�Er Tea is a type of tea that is fermented. They are exposed to microflora and bacteria in its aging process similar to wine or yogurt. The tea�s flavour profile can change drastically and increase in depth over many years. Some of the most highly regarded and expensive teas of this type are well over 30 years old.
Tea slows the aging process
Tea has less caffeine than coffee
References