TEA (Part 1)

Tea was first discovered in Yunnan province, China. Tea is rich in antioxidants, caffeine and theophylline with protein, fat and carbohydrate is almost 0%. Since the first tea is one of the most popular drinks. In addition to delicious when drunk and relax, tea consumption also has a good effect for health. It also acknowledged good for healthy skin and hair by many experts. All types of tea's health benefits, but some types of tea contain polyphenols and antioxidant levels higher than others. So, ideally one should try to consume all types of tea are there to get a lot of benefits. In Indonesia alone fragrant tea is tea that is often consumed.

There are several types of tea that is known throughout the world. Each tea is processed in different ways, making it a bit much different in terms of nutritional content. Certain types of tea can be superior or less in terms of a particular compound. However, each tea has a way of brewing different. There are three important things to consider when brewing tea is the tea itself, water, and equipment makers.

Dosing and storage of tea will determine whether or not the tea. The quality and the water temperature is also very influential in the sense that will be generated. Another with fax equipment, materials and old equipment will determine the aroma of brewing tea enjoyment. So these things are very important because they affect the taste, aroma and properties of the resulting tea.

Make tea not only to brew with hot water only. This process should also be considered, because it will affect the tea itself. To get a delicious taste and aroma evocative needed a good way of brewing tea. Of course efficacy brewing whenever you can get done properly.

Green tea

Green tea is obtained without fermentation (enzymatic oxidation), namely through inactivation of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase in fresh tea leaves. Methods of inactivation of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase green tea can be made by heating (hot air) and evaporation (steam/water vapor). Both of these methods are useful for preventing enzymatic oxidation of green tea catechins

Roasting tea leaves will provide aroma and flavor that is stronger than that of hot steam. Advantage by providing hot steam, is the color of tea will be bright green. In China, green tea is done to make the provision of hot steam in the tea leaves, while in Japan the tea leaves roasted. In both methods, the tea leaves are equally wither, but because these tea leaves are heated immediately after picking, the results remain green tea. This type of tea is the most popular in China and Japan. This tea is also considered as the most beneficial for health. This tea is obtained from fresh tea leaf that experience heating with steam at high temperatures.

Green tea contains about 25 milligrams of caffeine per cup. And the type of tea is more delicate taste than black tea. Green tea is also rich in antioxidants consist of compounds such as catechins, caffeine, theanine, and various vitamins and minerals. These antioxidants may contribute to heart health and prevent cancer. Green tea is often used to lowering cholesterol, losing weight (especially abdominal fat). Green tea is also beneficial in reducing the risk of diabetes and Alzheimer's.

Green tea is tea made from young shoots as long jing, bi luo chun, secha and yellow tea. Needed a pitcher for one kind of tea, in addition to the temperature used is 70-75 degrees Celsius. 2-3 minutes long brewing.

Jasmine green tea like Genmaicha and Shou May. The temperature used is 80-85 degrees Celsius, slightly hotter than green tea and white. However, almost the same as the old brewing green tea and white, about 2-3 minutes.

Black tea

Black tea also called red tea by the Chinese, Japanese and Korean, it is because the custom of the east call it red tea because the tea produced from this tea will be colored red, while the western people call black tea because the tea leaves used for brewing normally black. Black tea is the most popular type of tea and often consumed in Asia, including Indonesia. Indonesia itself is an exporter of black tea is the 5^th largest in the world.

Black tea longer undergo oxidation process compared to other teas. This type of tea has the strong aroma and can last longer if stored properly. Black tea is obtained through a fermentation process, in this case not using microbial fermentation as a source of enzymes, but performed by fenolase enzymes contained in tea leaves itself. In this process, most of catechins oxidized to teaflavin and tearubigin, an antioxidant compound that is not as strong as catechins. This fermentation process resulting in the oxidation of polyphenols is simple, namely tea catechins converted into more complex molecules and concentrated to give a characteristic of black tea, which is a colorless, strong and sharp taste.

Black tea is the most widely tea leaves undergo fermentation processing, so that it can be said black tea processing is done with the full fermentation. The first stage, the leaves are put on the shelf and left to wilt for 14 to 24 hours. Then the leaves are rolled and twisted to release natural enzymes and prepare the leaves for the oxidation process, at this stage of black tea leaves are still green. After rolling, the leaves are ready for the process of oxidation. Leaves placed in cold and damp, then the fermentation process takes place with the aid of oxygen and enzymes. The fermentation process determines the quality of the final result. After that, the leaves are dried or heated to stop the oxidation process to obtain the desired taste and aroma.

Black tea contains more caffeine than green tea or white tea is 40 milligrams in each cup and has a slightly bitter taste. Black tea is very good for people who need a lot of energy quickly. But for people who are sensitive to caffeine, you should avoid consuming black tea.

The main efficacy of this tea is strengthen our bones. Theaflavis and thearubigins antioxidant content are very useful for lowering bad cholesterol or LDL in the body. Three cups of black tea each day is believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, lower cholesterol, hypertension, and stroke. Because the substance flavonoid quercetin, kaempfrol, and myricetin in tea can prevent blood vessel damage due to oxidation of cholesterol, affecting the levels of stress hormones. So if someone is eating black tea regularly will reduce the person's risk of heart attack and stroke.

Research published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology showed evidence that black tea effectively lowers cortisol, a stress hormone. The study found that people who drank black tea would be reduced stress more quickly than those who drank other types of tea. Furthermore, participants experienced a decrease in cortisol levels in their blood after severe stress. The key, they consume black tea four times per day for six weeks. Black tea is also able to reduce the risk of cancer.

Brewing black tea was made with hot water, temperatures between 90-95 degrees Celsius. Performed for 3-5 minutes, about the same as Oolong tea.

White Tea

White tea is a type of tea is not fermented at all, in which the drying and evaporation processes done with very short so that substances in tea catechins white is the highest that have properties more powerful than other types of tea. White tea leaves after being dried is not green but silvery-white and paler when brewed with soft and fresh aroma.

White tea is taken only from the tea leaves are picked and harvested choice before actually bloomed. White tea leaf buds taken from the best of every tree, and so-called white tea because when the leaves are plucked buds are still covered as fine white hair. Plucked tea leaves are the young shoots, and then dried by evaporation method (steam dried) or allowed to air dry (air dried).

Young shoots (leaves new bud growth) is not oxidized. This avoided the tops of sunlight in order to prevent the formation of chlorophyll. White tea production process consists of two stages, namely the evaporation and drying. Without the withering, rolling and fermenting it makes its appearance almost unchanged. The resulting tea was silvery-white. When it was served, white tea has a pale yellow color and a delicate aroma and fresh. This tea is the most gentle of all kinds of tea. Hence white tea produced only slightly compared to the other types of tea, and consequently be more expensive than other teas. White tea has anti-cancer properties of the most potent. In addition a very low white tea caffeine (15 mg per cup), making it a good choice for people who are sensitive to caffeine. The content of the antioxidant catechins and polyphenols is higher, because the manufacturing process is not much. White tea is a great addition to your diet.

The benefits of white tea, among others, suppress cancer cells, prevent obesity, counteracting free radicals better than tea types other, relieve diabetics, prevent aging because they contain high antioxidants that protect the substance of elasticity face that elastin and collagen, prevent skin problems, and slimming.

White tea is less well known, but did not make it less healthy. White tea, white tea extracts in particular proved able to slow the growth of bacteria that cause Staphylococcus infections, Streptococcus infections, pneumonia and dental caries, and improve immune system function. Antiviral and antibacterial effects of several brands of toothpaste is due to the additional white tea extract.

This type of tea is tea made from tea leaves, shoots like a silver needle and white peony. With temperatures similar to brewing green tea that is 70-75 degrees Celsius, and the old brewing about 5-10 minutes.

Oolong tea

Oolong in Chinese means black dragon because its leaves resemble small black dragon suddenly awakened when brewed, but this time oolong tea has been produced in Indonesia, such as Java Oolong, Bengkulu Olong and Banten Organic Olong.

Oolong tea leaves are processed by heating in a short time after rolling. Oxidation can be stalled in the heating process, so tea Olong called semi-fermented tea. Oolong tea is semi-fermented processed and made with special raw materials, namely certain varieties such as Camellia sinensis which gives special aroma. Type of oolong tea, is not so popular compared to other types of green tea or black tea. Most oolong tea leaves produced tea plantations in China and Taiwan.

The manufacturing process through a heating process that is performed immediately after rolling the leaves, with the aim to stop the fermentation process, therefore, oolong tea is referred to as semi-fermented tea. Raw material oolong tea leaves are taken from the top three, which are picked in time, which is when they are not too young and not too old. The first step is to make the processing of oolong tea leaves become wilted leaves are allowed to wilt for a few hours in the sun, but less than a day. Once the leaves wither, leaves stirred to eject tiny drops of water oolong tea from the leaves so that the oxidation process can begin. When the leaves are exposed to air, it will turn into a darker color. The length of time the leaves undergo oxidation depends on the type of oolong, some kind of only 10% oxidized, while others can be up to 50% oxidized. Steeping oolong tea taste more akin to green tea, but the color and the aroma is less powerful than black tea

Green oolong tea has a lower caffeine content, while black oolong tea has caffeine content is higher, about 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Oolong tea has higher antioxidants than green tea.

For benefits, oolong tea is useful to assist you in losing weight. This is because the consumption of oolong tea you will activate the enzyme are able to drive the fat stored in fat cells or commonly called triglycerides. Oolong tea is proven to encourage the body's metabolism, burn fat, help you lose weight, prevent cavities and maintain healthy skin.

Oolong tea has many we meet in the Indonesian market. But for make it can be done in two ways, first brewing between the water temperature is 85-90 degrees Celsius for 3-5 minutes. The second is the technique of cold brew. It makes quite like the kind of regular oolong tea, but after it is cooled in a refrigerator for four hours. After that you can enjoy oolong tea with different sensations.