Although it is hard to believe, nobody knows for sure the origin of black
tea. It is known that the first tea ever was green and that, in spite
of ancient tea customs, black tea did not exist until as late as 780 BC.
It is assumed that black tea came from China and it is probable that it
was created while fermenting green tea in the search for new and refined
variations. It remained, however, of little importance until it was rediscovered
and cultivated in India.
Tea is much like wine. The method of production, when
it is harvested and the shape of the leaf all contribute to give tea its
characteristic flavour. Soil and climate also help to form its character.
Exquisite teas are grown where both special climatic conditions and highly
developed methods of cultivation meet.
These days with the trend to fitness and wellness the
demand for natural beverages to refresh body and soul is growing. But
these infusions have a long tradition as well. The Chinese emperor Chen
Nung not only discovered green tea, he also is considered the father of
pharmacology. Nearly 3'000 years ago he analysed the effects of 360 medicinal
herbs, and from this time on herbal infusions became popular.
Learn and read more about
Darjeeling
Located in the North East of India at heights of 800 - 2,500 metres,
Darjeeling produces the world's most delicate teas. The specific
climate conditions of continuously changing cool breezes, intensive sun,
long dry spells and monsoon rains slow down the growth of the plant. This
means the plants have smaller leaves and there are smaller harvests but
with the result of unique flowery teas.
Enjoy these great teas black with a little white or crystal sugar if preferred.
Nepal
Tea has been grown in Nepal since 1920. There have been many failures
as well as successes but now the area produces interesting orthodox teas
that satisfy the growing demand for quality teas.
UNESCO supports the tea growers on the slopes of the Himalayas to provide
work for local people. The quantities harvested are still relatively small
so there is little to export. Like Darjeeling, Nepalese teas are heavily
influenced by geographic location and climatic conditions. The teas are
aromatic and similar to Darjeeling.
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Assam
Assam is located in the North East of India but the teas are completely
different in character to Darjeeling. Assam is by far the largest connected
tea growing area in the world and is to be found in the flatter areas
both sides of the river Brahmaputra. The plants growing here - Assam Hybrids
- create robust teas of exceptional quality with a touch of malt in their
taste.
Trees growing amongst the tea plants give shade from the strong sun. Harvesting
starts at the end of April and continues until the end of November. First
flush lasts until the beginning of May and second flush until the beginning
of July.
Assam tea is suitable for even the hardest water and tastes best with
a dash of milk or cream and brown crystal sugar if preferred.
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Ceylon
Officially named Sri Lanka since 1972, the tea from this Indian Ocean
Island is still known as Ceylon.
Sri Lanka is the world's largest exporter of black tea. The best,
slightly 'steely' tasting teas are grown around one of the
islands highest mountains - Adam's Peak. The area includes
three districts, UVA in the east, Dimbula in the west and Nuwara Eliya
in between.
Harvest times are determined by the monsoon rains. When it rains in the
west, harvesting takes place in the UVA district. When the rains fall
in the east, tea is harvested in Dimbula. Only in the centre of the island
the typical aromatic, fruity Ceylon tea can be picked all year round.
Ceylon is specialised in producing broken teas and a very few good quality
leaf teas
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China - Black Tea
It is said that tea originated in China thousands of years ago. Today
teas of exceptional quality make their way to our markets. Unlike most
others, Chinese teas do not have estate names. Instead they have 'standards'.
These standards are maintained at very high levels by continuous blending.
There are very many varieties of Chinese tea, both green and black. Keemun,
a light tea with little caffeine is one of the best known Chinese black
tea.
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Flavoured Black Tea
Teas have been flavoured since 500 BC, originally in China by boiling
tea with orange peel and spices. Later fresh chrysanthemums, rose and
jasmine petals have been popular.
Other well known flavourings are Bergamot oils in famous Earl Grey and
mint in Arab teas.
These days it is the Tea Tasters role to develop new and exciting flavours.
These often include flower petals, peels, fruit pieces and fruit juices.
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Oolong Semi-fermented
There are many ancient methods to produce an Oolong. Each Oolong has its
own visual character and one thing is clear, because the production process
has many facets and is extremely labour intensive, Oolong is very valuable.
From a taste perspective, Oolong falls half-way between black and green
tea.
Oolong is produced by spreading the leaves out in the sun where they very
slowly lose their moisture. Natural chemical reactions create the dream
like flavour of Oolong leaves. Next, careful shaking of the leaves in
special bamboo baskets breaks the leaf edges. Fermentation only takes
place along the broken edges where the cell sap is released. Oolong connoisseurs
call it green leaf with red edges. The final process is to break the leaves
into large pieces thus creating Oolong's unique colour and flavour.
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White Tea
White tea consists purely of hand-picked unopened buds. One kilo of white
tea requires more than 30,000 buds. The silvery, silk-like fluff covering
each bud gives White Tea its name.
White Tea buds are naturally dried in little daylight. Next, the buds
are slightly heated followed by a second natural drying.
White tea has a gentle sweet flavour and is not bitter. The leaves can
be brewed more than once.
Thanks to its minimum processing, White Tea is said to have a calming
effect on the stomach, be an aid to detoxification and help to prevent
cancers and skin aging. It is also thought to strengthen teeth and prevent
influenza.
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Green Tea
Unlike black tea, green teas are not fermented. Once harvested, the leaves
are either heated in a wok or steamed, followed by hand or mechanical
rolling then heated to dry. The process preserves the valuable contents
of the leaves enabling vitamins, essential oils and caffeine to be transferred
to the brewed tea. Depending on the quality of the harvest and it's
processing, the taste of green tea varies from mildly fresh through fragrant
flowery to tart and slightly bitter.
China - Green Tea
In China the preferred method to prevent fermentation is the so-called
pan roasting technique. The withered tea leaves are placed in large
iron pans or drums and heated to 280°C for about ten seconds.
Japan
In Japan, hot steam is used to prevent fermentation and keep the tea
leaves green. This is a blanching process where the tea is placed in
large drums and steamed for at least two minutes.
Formosa
Due to the long historical tradition, tea from Formosa is pan roasted
like Chinese tea.
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Flavoured Green Tea
The trend towards green tea has also led to a demand for flavoured green
tea, since many varieties - when enjoyed on their own - take a little
getting used to. It was the Chinese who were inspired a few thousand years
ago to create rose and jasmine teas as well as traditional smoked teas.
Japanese Sencha comes in many different varieties and its large whole
leaves are particularly suitable for flavouring. There are varieties such
as our Lotus Blossom, enriched with vitamins, or Morgentau (Morning Dew),
Ronnefeldt's absolute hit - the tea won at the Great Taste Awards
in 2004.
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Fruit
Infusions
The ingredients for Ronnefeldt fruit infusions come from plantations that
organically cultivate their plants, from the selection of seed through
to regular monitoring of growth. Wherever possible, the fruits of wild
plants are used. Most of the flavouring these days is generated through
fruit juice concentrates - a more natural method resulting in much
better and more intense taste.
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Herbal
Infusions
With the trend to fitness and wellness there is a growing need for natural
beverages to refresh both body and soul. Rooibos (red bush) grows in South
Africa and its needle-like leaves are fermented like tea. Rooibos is a
traditional drink containing calming tannin, healthy proteins, calcium
and trace elements but little theine. Flavouring further refines its aromatic
taste.
Honeybush, another South African shrub, grows wild on the Cape. The fermented
tea tastes as sweet as honey and it contains little tannin and no caffeine.
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