Types of tea and their properties

BLACK TEA - the most popular - is obtained through four processes: the harvested green leaves are dried for several hours to wilt, then mechanically rolled (twisted), fermented to induce chemical reactions catalysed by enzymes that give black tea its distinctive flavour, and final drying. It is most likely that black tea was created accidentally, as a result of a cargo of green tea getting wet (causing fermentation) while being transported by sea to England.

The best-known varieties of black tea are:

Assam - grown in India - it is named after the province. A tea with a beautiful intense mahogany colour, strong tannin, and full flavour.

Yunnan - China's finest tea - pleasantly aromatic, containing silvery leaf buds that give the brew its characteristic aroma and flavour.

Darjeeling - the name for all the varieties from the Darjeeling province - the best of India's teas with a beautiful mahogany colour, fine tannin, aromatic

Ceylon - teas produced in Sri Lanka, on high mountain plantations. It is an aromatic, light brew with delicate tannin and a deep mahogany colour.

Black teas are steeped in freshly boiled water for 3 to 5 minutes. After this time, tannins (tannin) begin to be released, which neutralise the stimulating effects of the theine and theophylline, the taste of the tea becomes astringent and an unsightly tarnish develops on the surface, depositing on the walls of the vessels. The finer the tea, the shorter the steeping time. Therefore, tea that is brewed just before serving tastes best.

Tea infusion is a refreshing and lightly stimulating drink that, when drunk in moderation, relieves fatigue, headaches, stimulates and activates the mind, above all because it dilates the blood vessels in the brain, causing it to have a better blood supply and oxygenation, and prevents the formation of kidney and gallstones.