● Jasmine tea is a representative product in flower tea, it is a tea blank refined with hair tea, with a clear and fragrant jasmine flower, the use of flowers to spit out the law, the use of tea to absorb the performance of incense, through processing and kilning. Tea attracts floral fragrance to gain fragrance, flowers promote tea fragrance, complement each other. There is a saying that "jasmine is the supreme taste of jasmine, and it is listed as the first incense in the world."
China has a long history of flower tea production, and the mass production of flower tea began in Fuzhou, Fujian Province during the Xianfeng period (1851-1861) of the Qing Dynasty. Jasmine tea is mainly based on jasmine green tea, and in recent years, it has continuously innovated and developed jasmine black tea, jasmine white tea, jasmine oolong tea and other categories.
Processing of jasmine tea
1. Tea blank treatment
Before the jasmine tea is made, the tea blank needs to be re-fired. Tea blank moisture control at 4.0% to 4.5% is appropriate, high-grade tea can be lower, low-grade tea can be higher. After re-firing, it needs to be naturally cooled until the temperature of the blank is 1 to 2 ° C higher than the room temperature and then prepared.
2. Flower care
1. Flower care The purpose of flower maintenance is to promote the opening of flowers and fully spit incense. The suitable ambient temperature for flowers to open is 30~35°C. Therefore, when the temperature is below 30 °C, it is necessary to take a re-stack to promote temperature; when the temperature exceeds 30 °C, it should be thinly spread, turned and ventilated to prevent the flowers from deteriorating. Spread flowers and pile flowers repeatedly 1 to 3 times, and the thickness of the flowers is 30 to 40 cm.
2. Sieve flowers When the opening rate of flowers reaches about 60%, you can use a flower sieve machine to sift flowers. Sifting flowers is not only the size of the flowers, but also the removal of green buds and flower pedicles, but also to promote the opening of flowers. After sifting the flowers, they are stacked and distributed according to the predetermined amount of flowers in each batch, and must not be stacked.
3. Tea blossom mixing
The processed tea blanks and flowers are fully mixed and evenly mixed, and the mixture is stacked together, which is called camellia mixing, also known as "the combination of flowers". The purpose is to make the flowers and tea blanks in direct contact and mixing, so that the tea blanks can fully absorb the aroma of flowers.
When more than 80% of the flowers have been opened (tiger claw-shaped), the aroma is fresh and strong, and it can be revived. Camellia mixing according to the total amount of jasmine tea at all levels, can refer to the amount of flowers in the (GB/T 34779-2017) National Standard of the People's Republic of China "Jasmine Tea Processing Technical Specifications". The mixing and operation of the flowers is usually a layer of tea and a layer of flowers, so that it is evenly spread out, and then, when the pile is opened, it is alternately mixed evenly.
4. Let the flowers stand
After the camellia is mixed, it enters the process of standing the flowers. The thickness of the pile is 30 to 40 cm. "Box kiln" is suitable for the kilning of small amount of flowers or some special flower teas, multi-series manual operation, each box of flowers 5 ~ 10kg, thickness of 20 ~ 25cm, box arrangement or cross stacking, in order to facilitate the air circulation of the kiln. Standing flowers usually lasts 5 to 6 hours.
5. Through the flowers to dissipate heat
After letting the flowers sit, open the tea pile and let it cool for about 1h. The purpose of the flower is to cool down, and the second is to promote the rejuvenation of the fragrant flower and continue to spit incense. The time spent is based on the temperature, moisture and vitality of the flowers in the kiln.
6. Collect the pile and continue to pile
After the flowers are dissipated, the pile is collected and continued. In order to make the fragrant flowers continue to spit incense, the thickness of the pile is 5 to 10 cm lower than before the flowers. When the continuation lasts for 5 to 6h, and the temperature of the tea pile rises to about 40 ° C, the flower state shrinks, the flower color turns yellow, and the aroma is thin, that is, the kilning process is completed.
7. Flowering
"Flowering" means separating tea from flowers. In the time of 10 to 12 hours, the flowers lose their vitality, that is, they flower. The flowering order should master the principle of "multi-order first, low-grade tea first; same-order: first high-grade tea, then low-grade tea". The flowering operation should be rapid, so that the tea leaves have no flower peduncles, no flowers, and no tea leaves in the flower residue.
8. Baking
In the process of standing flowers, the tea blank absorbs the aromatic substances of the flowers at the same time, but also absorbs the moisture in the flowers, the water content of the tea blank increases, and the tea blank is baked in time after the separation of the tea flower. The purpose of baking is to eliminate excess water, facilitate the transfer of flowers and jacquards, retain floral aromas to the greatest extent, and maintain the quality of flower tea.
Baking adopts fast and safe operation method, the temperature is 110 ~ 120 ° C, and it decreases gradually. After drying, the water content of the product should be increased by 0.5% to 1.0% step by step, and the aroma should be fresh and pure, and there should be no odors such as stuffiness and smoke.
9. Jacquard
In order to improve the freshness of the aroma of flower tea, in the kilning process to take a small amount of high-quality jasmine for the last time, after the camellia mixed evenly, after 6 ~ 8h standing kiln, without flowers, master the good flower tea products factory aroma freshness and moisture standards, timely flowering, sifting off the flower residue, no longer re-ignited, you can evenly pile into a box. This process is called "jacquard". The moisture content of the product after jacquard should be controlled below 8.5%, and packaged into boxes on the day of flowering.
The flowers for jacquard are required to choose the best quality jasmine flowers that are large and full and fully ripe after a sunny afternoon (harvest), and take the large flowers as jacquard flowers after being sieved. The amount of jacquard flowers is generally 6 to 8 kg per 100 kg of tea blank. The quality of the pomace after jacquard is better, and it is generally used as dry jasmine and "embossed".
10. Stack and pack the boxes evenly
Homogeneous packing is the last process of flower tea kilning. After the re-firing of the flowers and jacquard, the products of the same level are sampled after being mixed and evenly mixed, and when the manager inspection and quality identification meet the product specifications and standards, the uniform stacking and packing are carried out in time to prevent moisture and quality.
In jasmine tea products, there are two kinds of dried flowers and no dried flowers, and jasmine tea with dried flowers is generally mixed with high-quality dried jasmine flowers by 1% to 2%. Export products generally require dried flowers to prove that they are products made of jasmine flowers. Dried jasmine itself has no fragrance, mainly for embellishment of beauty, dried flower extract although the taste is slightly astringent, but beneficial to the human body harmless, but the dried flower content should not be too much, so as not to affect the aroma of flower tea.
The quality of jasmine tea
The quality characteristics of jasmine tea are that the aroma is high and fragrant, rich, fresh, fragrant but not floating, fresh but not turbid, mellow taste, tooth and cheek fragrance, long aftertaste.
Jasmine silver millimeter: tight knots and strong, buds are strong, the aroma is fresh and strong, the taste is fresh and mellow;
Jasmine silver needle: single bud fat, tight and straight, silver and white color, uniform and beautiful;
Jasmine snow buds: two-leaf buds like flowers, green leaves and white buds;
Jasmine Dragon Ball: granular round like beads, falling disc sound, green color and white;
Jasmine drifting snow: the shape is delicate and beautiful, the buds are revealed, the white petals are scattered, and after brewing, it is like the snow in the pond;
Jasmine Silver Hook: The strips are fat and curved, and the pekoe is revealed;
Jasmine MaoFeng: the cord is fat and tender, green and moist;
Jasmine white tea: natural form, buds, fragrant flowers, pure sweet, elegant and mellow;
Jasmine black tea: Jasmine flower aroma is rich and sweet, the taste is sweet and sweet, and the jasmine fragrance is unique.
Jasmine tea is rich in products, with high intrinsic aroma and high flavor, and its appearance is varied and distinctive. There are also spirals, bundles, beads, rings, phoenixes, ears of wheat, chrysanthemums and bows, etc., the shape is realistic and exquisite.
In recent years, the jasmine tea process has been continuously reformed and innovated, with low temperature and long-term less kilning technology, tea is fresh and fresh, and jasmine products with sweet taste are favored by young consumers.
Jasmine, as pure, white and elegant as snowflakes, blooms in the summer evening, condensed with a pleasant fragrance, simple and gentle, may you "smell the breath of spring from the flower tea, experience the fragrance of summer".
About the Author
Sun Yun
Sun Yun, professor and doctoral supervisor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, scientist of Oolong Tea Processing Post of National Tea Industry Technology System, Provincial Candidate of Fujian New Century Million Talents Project, Famous Tea Review Expert of Fujian Province, Female Science and Technology Committee Member of China Tea Society, National Senior Tea Appraiser, Senior Tea Art Technician, And Senior Evaluator of National Vocational Skills Appraisal.
He has long been engaged in tea processing and quality, tea culture and tea art research. He has presided over more than 20 scientific research projects such as the sub-project of the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" National Science and Technology Support Program project "Development of Key Technologies and Equipment for Intelligent Energy-saving Tea Picking and Processing", the National Spark Program Project "Tieguanyin Tea Industry "Entrepreneurial Chain" Key Technology Research Application and Integration Demonstration", and published more than 100 papers and 8 papers. Participated in the compilation of "oolong tea finishing equipment", "flowers and fruits fragrant Tanyang Gongfu Minkehong" and other local and group standards 3. He has won the titles of National Outstanding Female Tea Science and Technology Worker and Outstanding Teacher of Chinese Tea Culture.
Source: China Tea Society