Tea - Can Be Used In A Multitude Ways


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	Tea Can Be Used In A Multitude Ways

	Tea drinking was believed to have started in China by the Emperor Shen Nung who was a scholar and herbalist.

	It was said that he was boiling water under a wild tea tree when a few leaves fell into the water he was preparing. He was immediately smitten by the wonderful flavour and hence, the art of dinking tea began.

	It is not true that different types of teas are made from different plants. In fact, the different types of tea come from the same plant; made different through different processing methods. There are five main types of tea, namely, white, oolong, green, black, and scented.

	White tea - An example of white tea is the Pai Mu Tan, which is produced on a limited scale in China and Sri Lanka. Sometimes referred to as the Silver Tip, this type of tea has a silvery appearance and gives a very pale, straw-coloured liquid. New buds are plucked before they are open, then withered to allow the natural moisture to evaporate, and finally dried.

	Green tea - Freshly picked leaves are first allowed to dry, and then heat-treated to stop any fermentation (oxidation) that would rot the leaves. Green tea, as its name suggests, has yellow-green liquor and is mild in flavour. This type of unfermented tea comes mainly from Japan and China.

	Black tea - Known as black tea in the West, this type of tea is often referred to as red tea in China because of the red edges on the leaves after fermentation. Leaves are first withered, then rolled, fermented and finally dried (fired). It is at the final drying (firing) stage that the tealeaves turn black and acquire their recognizable tea smell.


	Oolong tea - Often used as a base for jasmine tea and other scented tea, oolong are always whole leaf teas, never broken by rolling. Processed as soon as they are plucked, oolong tea leaves are first wilted in direct sunlight, then shaken in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise the edged of the leaves, before they are dried. Ti Kuan Yin, Shui Hsien and Pu'erh some popular Oolong teas.

	Scented, flavoured and fruit tea - Green, oolong or black teas are used for this type of tea, jasmine blossoms and rose petals are added and blended respectively with processed tealeaves for that added flavour. Blending fruits essential oil with processed tea will give us fruit-flavoured teas. These, however, should not be confused with other herbal, fruit and flower infusions that do not contain Camellia sinensis.

	Tea and food pairings - Pairing tea with food is very much like pairing food and wine. While teas can be served anytime of the day and generally go well with any type of food, many tea drinkers agree that some types do have certain characteristics that make them particularly good when served with certain foods. For instance, black tea goes very well with salty or sweet desserts, while scented jasmine tea tastes great after strong-tasting food like seafood.

	Cooking with tea - Although greatly enjoyed as a beverage, tea can also be used in the kitchen in a multitude of ways. From smoking your favourite fish to adding some tea leaves to a soy sauce based marinade, this wonderful condiment adds a dash of smoky, woody flavour to red meats.

	Smoking food with tea at home can be easy. Simply put some oolong tea leaves in a hot wok and sprinkle some water in it to emit smoke. Then, place fish or meat on top to cook, this will give your food a pleasant, smoky aroma.