Tea blending and additives
Encyclopedia
Tea blending describes the process of blending different teas together to produce a final product. This occurs chiefly with black tea
that is blended to make most tea bag
s but can also occur with such teas as Pu-erh, where leaves are blended from different regions before being compressed. The aim of blending is to create a well balanced flavour using different origins and characters. This also ensures that variation in quality and from season to season can be ironed out. The one golden rule of blending is this: Every blend must taste the same as the previous one, so a consumer will not be able to detect a difference in flavour from one purchase to the next.
There are various teas which have additives and/or different processing than "pure" varieties. Tea is able to easily receive any aroma, which may cause problems in processing, transportation or storage of tea, but can be also advantageously used to prepare scented teas. Tea is usually flavoured in large blending drums with perfumes, flavourants, and essential oils added. Although blending and scenting teas can add an additional dimension to tea, the process is often used to cover and obscure the quality of sub-standard teas.
, Irish Breakfast
and Scottish Breakfast.
Afternoon tea : These blends (of black teas) are generally lighter than breakfast blends. Both breakfast and afternoon blends are popular in the British Isles. For example, Prince of Wales tea blend
.
Russian Caravan : A popular blend, Russian Caravan
harks back to the days when tea was hauled to Russia
from China
on camel
back. It often contains a bit of smoky Lapsang Souchong
, though its base is typically Keemun
or Dian Hong
. Some also contain Oolong
.
A variety of flowers are used to flavor teas. Although flowers are used to scent teas directly, most flower scented teas on the market utilize perfumes and aromas to augment or replace the use of flowers. The most popular of these teas include the flowers of the following:
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
that is blended to make most tea bag
Tea bag
A tea bag is a small, porous sealed bag containing tea leaves and used for brewing tea. Tea bags are commonly made of paper, silk or plastic. The bag contains the tea leaves while the tea is brewed, making it easier to dispose of the leaves, and performs the same function as a tea infuser...
s but can also occur with such teas as Pu-erh, where leaves are blended from different regions before being compressed. The aim of blending is to create a well balanced flavour using different origins and characters. This also ensures that variation in quality and from season to season can be ironed out. The one golden rule of blending is this: Every blend must taste the same as the previous one, so a consumer will not be able to detect a difference in flavour from one purchase to the next.
There are various teas which have additives and/or different processing than "pure" varieties. Tea is able to easily receive any aroma, which may cause problems in processing, transportation or storage of tea, but can be also advantageously used to prepare scented teas. Tea is usually flavoured in large blending drums with perfumes, flavourants, and essential oils added. Although blending and scenting teas can add an additional dimension to tea, the process is often used to cover and obscure the quality of sub-standard teas.
Varieties of blended tea
Breakfast : Generally a blend of different black teas that are robust and full-bodied, and go well with milk. Some types are English BreakfastEnglish Breakfast tea
English Breakfast tea is a traditional blend of select teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas...
, Irish Breakfast
Irish Breakfast tea
Irish breakfast tea is a blend of several black teas, most often Assam teas and, less often, other types of black tea. Many tea producers make Irish breakfast tea blends specifically for the US market. In Ireland, it is not referred to as "Irish breakfast tea", but simply as "tea", being the...
and Scottish Breakfast.
Afternoon tea : These blends (of black teas) are generally lighter than breakfast blends. Both breakfast and afternoon blends are popular in the British Isles. For example, Prince of Wales tea blend
Prince of Wales tea blend
Prince of Wales tea blend is a blend of China black teas typically served in the afternoon with scones in Britain. The blend was originally devised for Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII...
.
Russian Caravan : A popular blend, Russian Caravan
Russian Caravan
Russian Caravan is a blend of Oolong, Keemun and Lapsang Souchong teas, all produced from Camellia sinensis— Kuntze, 1887—the Chinese tea plant. It is described as an aromatic and full-bodied tea with a sweet, malty taste...
harks back to the days when tea was hauled to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
on camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
back. It often contains a bit of smoky Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang souchong
Lapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea...
, though its base is typically Keemun
Keemun tea
Keemun is a black Chinese tea with a winey and fruity taste, designated as a China Famous Tea.-History:Keemun is produced in the Qimen County of Huangshan City, in Anhui province. Keemun has a relatively short history...
or Dian Hong
Dian Hong tea
Dian hong . "Yunnan Red", is a Chinese black tea which is used as a relatively high end gourmet black tea and is sometimes used in various tea blends. The main difference between Dian hong and other Chinese black teas is the amount of fine leaf buds, or "golden tips," present in the dried tea...
. Some also contain Oolong
Oolong
Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea produced through a unique process including withering under the strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties...
.
Scented teas
Although, many teas are still flavoured directly with flowers, herbs, spices, or even smoke, teas with more specialized flavours are produced through the addition of flavourants or perfumes. This is particularly true for tea blends with pronounced fruit or flower aromas, which cannot be achieved with the original ingredients. Due to the amount of scents that can be produced by the mentioned artificial methods, the section will concentrate on teas flavoured directly with the original scent materials.Flowers
- Jasmine : Spread with jasmineJasmineJasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
flowers while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration. Jasmine is most commonly used to flavour green teas to produce jasmine teaJasmine teaJasmine tea is tea with added jasmine flowers. It originates from the time of the Song Dynasty . Normally, jasmine tea is based on green tea or white tea. The resulting flavor of jasmine tea is subtly sweet. It is the most famous scented tea in China.Tea scented with jasmine flowers has been a...
, although sometimes it is used to flavour light oolong teas such as baozhong tea - Osmanthus: In China, osmanthus tea (called guì huā chá, 桂花茶) is produced by combining dried Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans) flowers (guì huā, 桂花) with black or green tea leaves in much the same manner the more familiar jasmine tea combines jasmine flowers with tea leaves. The flowers are spread while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration. This flower gives the tea a mild peach flavor. It is the second most popular scented tea (after Jasmine) in China.
- Rose : Spread with RoseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
flowers while oxidizing, and occasionally some are left in the tea as a decoration. In China, roses are usually used to scent black tea and the resulting tea is called Rose Congou. - Chrysanthemum: The flowers are often brewed alone as a Chrysanthemum tisaneChrysanthemum teaChrysanthemum tea is a flower-based tisane made from chrysanthemum flowers of the species Chrysanthemum morifolium or Chrysanthemum indicum, which are most popular in East Asia...
, but it is also commonly mixed with pu-erh teaPu-erh teaPu'er, Pu-erh, Puer, also Po Lei or Bolay is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan province, China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes...
to make chrysanthemum pu-erh - Lotus: Vietnamese lotus teaVietnamese lotus teaVietnamese lotus tea is a type of green tea produced in Vietnam that has been flavored with the scent of Nelumbo nucifera. It is a specialty product of the Vietnamese tea industry and is consumed as part of celebratory events or festivals.-Production:...
is made by stuffing green tea leaves into the blossom of Nelumbo nuciferaNelumbo nuciferaNelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
and allowing the scent to be absorbed overnight. Another common technique for making this tea is by jarring or baking the tea leaves with the fragrant stamenStamenThe stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s of the flower multiple times
Herbs
- Mint: Touareg teaTouareg teathumb|right|200px|Mint tea in MoroccoTouareg tea is a flavoured tea prepared in northern Africa and in Arabian countries. Mint tea is central to social life in Maghreb countries...
, consists of a mixture of green teas and any variety of the Mint plants (known as nana), and is popular in the Middle East and desert areas of North Africa. See also Peppermint teaPeppermint teaPeppermint tea is a tisane of peppermint, Mentha piperita. It is sometimes called mint tea. It is naturally caffeine-free. A tea made from blending peppermint and spearmint leaves is referred to as doublemint tea.-Health benefits and concerns:...
.
- Pandan: Pandan, also known as screwpine, is a popular additive to green or black tea in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Other flavorants
- Citrus oil : Best known of this class is Earl Grey teaEarl Grey teaEarl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit....
. They are typically a mix of black teas with blends essential oils of the citrusCitrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
fruit bergamotBergamot orangeCitrus bergamia, the Bergamot orange, is a fragrant fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow colour similar to a lemon. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars recently matched the bergamot as a likely hybrid of Citrus limetta and Citrus aurantium...
added. - Smoke: The one type in this class is Lapsang SouchongLapsang souchongLapsang souchong is a black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea...
, which is produced by drying black tea over smoking pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
needles, which produces a striking smoky odor and flavor. The best varieties are not overwhelmed by the smoke, but retain subtlety and a mix of other flavors. Lapsang Souchong is found in many Russian Caravan blends. - Spice : Tea such as Indian and Middle Eastern masala chaiMasala chaiMasala chai is a beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.-Terminology:-Plain chai:...
, flavoured with sweet spices such as gingerGingerGinger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, cardamomCardamomCardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
, cinnamonCinnamonCinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, cassia, black pepperBlack pepperBlack pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
, cloveCloveCloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
, aniseAniseAnise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
, fennelFennelFennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
, Indian bay leafBay leafBay leaf refers to the aromatic leaf of the bay laurel . Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine...
and sometimes vanillaVanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
, nutmegNutmegThe nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
and mace. See also KahwahKahwahKahwah is a traditional green tea recipe in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Kashmir Valley. It is made in the Kashmir Valley of India and Pakistan, the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, in the North-West Frontier Province and other provinces in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other regions of...
. - Rum : JagerteeJagerteeJagertee is an alcoholic beverage made by mixing overproof rum with black tea. It is served warm and is typically consumed during winter in the cold parts of Central Europe....
is a tea with rumRumRum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
added. - Roasted grain: GenmaichaGenmaichais the Japanese name for green tea combined with roasted brown rice. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as "popcorn tea" because a few grains of the rice pop during the roasting process and resemble popcorn...
, a Japanese tea with roasted riceRiceRice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
added to green tea, and favoured by adherents of a macrobiotic diet. WheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and barleyBarleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
are also used to blend with tea - QuinceQuinceThe quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
, when added to green teaGreen teaGreen tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, gives it a rather sweetish taste and scent.