Английская Википедия:Fermented tea

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Fermented tea (also known as post-fermented tea or dark tea) is a class of tea that has undergone microbial fermentation, from several months to many years. The exposure of the tea leaves to humidity and oxygen during the process also causes endo-oxidation (derived from the tea-leaf enzymes themselves) and exo-oxidation (which is microbially catalysed). The tea leaves and the liquor made from them become darker with oxidation. Thus, the various kinds of fermented teas produced across China are also referred to as dark tea, not be confused with black tea. The most famous fermented tea is Шаблон:Transl produced in Yunnan province.

The fermentation of tea leaves alters their chemistry, affecting the organoleptic qualities of the tea made from them. Fermentation affects the smell of the tea and typically mellows its taste, reducing astringency and bitterness while improving mouthfeel and aftertaste. The microbes may also produce metabolites with health benefits. Additionally, substances like ethyl carbamate (urethane) may be produced.

The fermentation is carried out primarily by molds. Aspergillus niger was implicated as the main microbial organism in the Шаблон:Transl process, but that species identification has been challenged by comprehensive PCR-DGGE analysis, which points to Aspergillus luchuensis as the primary agent of fermentation.

Most varieties of fermented teas are produced in China, its country of origin, with several varieties also produced in Korea and Japan. In Myanmar, lahpet is a form of fermented tea that is eaten as a vegetable, and similar pickled teas are also eaten or chewed in northern Thailand and southern Yunnan.

History

The early history of dark tea is unclear, but there are several legends and some credible theories.

For example, one legend holds that dark tea was first produced accidentally, on the Silk Road and Tea Road by tea caravans in the rainy season. When the tea was soaked in rain, the tea transporters abandoned it for fear of contamination. The next year, nearby villages suffered from dysentery, and decided to drink the abandoned mildewed tea in desperation. The legend concludes that the tea cured those suffering, and quickly became popular.

More historical accounts attribute the first production of dark tea to the Ming dynasty in the 15th and 16th centuries. It may have been first traded by tea merchants much earlier than the legends state, across the historical borders of Han and Tibetan cultural areas.

Varieties

Fermented teas can be divided according to how they are produced. Piled teas, such as the Chinese post-fermented teas, and the Toyama Шаблон:Transl produced in Japan, are fermented with naturally occurring fungus under relatively dry conditions. Other fermented teas, called pickled teas, are fermented in a wet process with lactic acid bacteria. Pickled teas include Шаблон:Transl from Thailand and Шаблон:Transl from Japan. A third category, including the Japanese Шаблон:Transl and Ishizuchi Шаблон:Transl, is fermented with the piled and pickling methods successively.

China

Файл:Puer tea, Chinese green tea, Rostov-on-Don, Russia.jpg

Pu'er tea from Yunnan, China

Fermented tea originated in China, where it is commonly known as Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang) or dark tea. Шаблон:Transl is produced in many areas of China, mostly in the warmer southern provinces. It is commonly pressed into bricks or cakes for ageing.

The most famous and important producing areas and varieties include:

• Anhui: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, Anhui Lu'an basket tea)
• Guangxi: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, Guangxi Liubao tea, often sold as Шаблон:Lang, loose dark tea)
• Hubei: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, Hubei green brick tea)
• Hunan: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Lang), the famous Шаблон:Transl Шаблон:Lang “brick tea”)
• Jingyang, Shaanxi: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang (Шаблон:Lang), the famous Шаблон:Transl Шаблон:Lang “brick tea”)
• Sichuan: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, Sichuan border tea)
• Tibet: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, Tibetan tea, often called Tibetan brick tea)
• Yunnan: Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang, either "raw" Шаблон:Transl Шаблон:Lang or "ripened" Шаблон:Transl Шаблон:Lang)

Shapes include:

• Bamboo leaf logs
• Cakes, or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang)
• Bricks, or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang)
• Loose, in baskets
• Bird nests, or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang), usually Шаблон:Transl
• Squares, or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang)

Japan

Several distinct varieties of fermented tea are produced in Japan. Toyama prefecture's Шаблон:Transl is Japan's only piled tea, similar to the Chinese post-fermented teas. Toyama Шаблон:Transl is traditionally prepared by boiling in water, adding salt and stirring with a whisk as in a traditional tea ceremony. It is consumed on religious occasions or during meetings in the Asahi area of the prefecture. Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang), produced in Tokushima prefecture, and Шаблон:Transl, like the Toyama Шаблон:Transl associated with Asahi, Toyama, are made from Шаблон:Transl, or second flush tea leaves, with bacterial fermentation. Шаблон:Transl has been found to contain vitamin BШаблон:Sub, but in insignificant amounts for human diets. Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang) from Ōtoyo, Kōchi and Ishizuchi Шаблон:Transl grown at the foot of Mount Ishizuchi in Ehime prefecture are made by fermenting the tea in a two step process, first with aerobic fungi, then with anaerobic bacteria.

Korea

Файл:Tteokcha.png

Tteokcha

Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean), also called Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean), was the most commonly produced and consumed type of tea in pre-modern Korea. Pressed tea made into the shape of Шаблон:Transl, the coins with holes, was called Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean), Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean), or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean). Borim-cha (Шаблон:Korean) or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Korean), named after its birthplace, the Borim temple in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, is a popular Шаблон:Transl variety.

Edible pickled tea

Though the early history of tea is unclear, it has been established that for centuries people have chewed tea leaves. Few peoples today continue to consume tea by chewing or eating.

In Northern Thailand, a pickled tea product called miang (Шаблон:Linktext) is chewed as a stimulant. Steamed tea leaves are kept pressed into sealed bamboo baskets until the anaerobic fermentation produces a compact cake with the desired flavor. The fermentation takes four to seven days for young leaves and about a year for mature leaves. Miang is related to the Thai and Lao street snack miang kham.

Pickled tea known as lahpet is widely consumed in Burmese cuisine, and plays an important role in Burmese ritual culture. After fermentation, the tea is eaten as a vegetable.

A similar pickled tea is eaten by the Blang people of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, China, on the border with Myanmar and Laos. The tea, known locally as miam and in Chinese as Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang), is first packed into bamboo tubes, then buried and allowed to ferment before eating.

Production

Many fermented teas do not arrive on the market ready for consumption. Instead, they may start as green teas or partially oxidized oolong-like teas, which are then allowed to slowly oxidize and undergo microbial fermentation over many years (comparable to wines that are sold to be aged in a cellar). Alternatively, fermented teas can be created quickly through a ripening process spanning several months, as with Shu Pu'er. This ripening is done through a controlled process similar to composting, where the moisture and temperature of the tea are carefully monitored. The product is "finished" fermented tea.Шаблон:Citation needed

Fermented teas are commonly sold as compressed tea of various shapes, including bricks, discs, bowls, or mushrooms.Шаблон:Better source needed Ripened Шаблон:Transl teas are ripened while loose, then compressed. Fermented teas can be aged for many years to improve their flavor, again comparable to wines. Raw Шаблон:Transl tea can be aged up to 50 years in some cases without diminishing in quality, and ripened Шаблон:Transl can be aged up to 10 or 15 years. Experts and aficionados disagree about the optimal age.Шаблон:Citation needed

Many Tibetans and Central Asians use Шаблон:Transl or other fermented teas as a caloric and micronutrient food, boiled with yak butter, sugar and salt to make yak butter tea.

Ageing and storage

Файл:JinHua "golden flower" from Liu Bao.jpg

Шаблон:Transl hei cha from Liu Bao with Aspergillus cristatus, formerly Eurotium cristatum

Post-fermented tea usually gets more valuable with age. Dark tea is often aged in bamboo baskets, bamboo-leaf coverings, or in its original packaging.

Many varieties of dark tea are purposely aged in humid environments to promote the growth of certain fungi, often called "golden flowers" or Шаблон:Transl (Шаблон:Lang) because of the bright yellow color.

See also

• List of Chinese teas
• Kombucha, a beverage produced by fermentation of brewed tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast