Pauline Tresise reports on a ‘tea sampling’ held by Slow Food Perth in conjunction with Melbourne tea merchant David Thompson in Northbridge.
LU Yu, a respected Chinese tea ‘sage’, said in the eighth century BC: ‘Tea is especially fitting for persons of self restraint and inner worth.’
It is acknowledged by the Chinese that superior tea is grown in high mountain areas. Altitude slows growth and shields tea plants from extreme sunlight. As with wine and other agricultural products, the quality and taste of tea is influenced by soil, climate and altitude. Tea gardeners ultimately decide which leaves to pluck and how best to process that leaf to optimise flavour and quality inherent in the green leaf. Distinguished Melbourne tea merchant David Thompson, of Larsen & Thompson, held a tutored tea tasting for Slow Food Perth at Rochelle Adonis’ Northbridge studio on Friday 3 July 2009.
Nine teas were tasted. These included examples of each of the main types of tea:
• China white tea
• China green tea
• China oolong
• Burma oolong
• India high-grown black tea
• India low-grown black tea
• Commercial teabag tea
• India ‘breakfast’ blend
• China ‘post-fermented’ tea
Each participant spooned a sample of the brewed tea from china tasting cups into a glass. The infused leaf of each tea was displayed on the inverted lid of the tasting cups for us to observe.
The intricacies of tea production, including plucking, withering, rolling, drying and grading, were discussed, and each tea was then sampled.
All main types of tea – white, green, oolong and black – are derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The distinct difference in taste and appearance in each of these tea types is determined by how the leaf is treated during the process of ‘manufacture’. Tea is native to parts of China, India, Cambodia and Burma. It is ideally grown in a temperature range of 10 to 30 degrees celsius, with an average yearly rainfall of 2000 millimetres, at altitudes of 600-2000 metres above sea level. In the wild, the plant can reach heights of 20 metres, but in commercial gardens, tea plants are regularly pruned and shaped to a height and size that encourages leaf growth and assists the tea plucker.
White tea
White teas are the least processed of teas. Traditionally this style of China tea is processed for a very short time at the start of the spring growing season. The name ‘white’ tea is derived from the white ‘pubescence’ on the unopened leaf buds. Only certain leaves are selected. White tea is neither rolled nor withered. Style tasted: Bai mu dan from Fujian province.
Green tea
Green teas are traditionally produced in China and Japan. Green tea leaf is steamed to retard enzyme action and this process prevents oxidation. Styled tasted: Yunnan green.
Oolong
Oolong teas are traditionally produced in China and Taiwan. They differ from other tea types because the leaves are partially oxidised. Styles tasted: Tie guan yin from China and Shan plateau from Burma.
Black tea
India is the world’s largest producer of black tea. Black tea manufacture comprises five processes: withering, rolling, oxidising, drying and grading. During withering, moisture is removed from the leaves. The leaves are then rolled to facilitate the process of oxidation. During oxidation, often referred to as ‘fermentation’, the leaves are exposed to conditioned air to develop the leaf’s ‘liquoring’ properties. Oxidation is halted by the ‘firing’ (drying) process, which seals in the flavours that have developed.
India Darjeeling black tea
India Darjeeling tea is grown, cultivated and processed in strictly demarcated areas of ‘high country’ in West Bengal. Type tasted: Sungma single estate organic.
India Assam black tea
Assam is a tea-growing region in the plains of north-east India. It is the world’s largest tea growing area and is renowned for malty, full bodied, robust-flavoured teas. Type tasted: India Assam tea blend ‘Good Morning’.
China ‘post-fermented’ tea
Puerh tea is neither white, green, oolong nor black. The method for processing this tea type is complex and little-known. Post-fermented teas differ from other types because they can improve with age. This tea style originated in China’s Yunnan province. Early references to Puerh tea date back to the Han dynasty BC. The best quality is produced from wild tea-trees. Puerh tea was originally known as a ‘tribute’ tea. It was an early form of imperial taxation.
Our thanks to David Thompson for his time and expertise and for guiding us through this informative tasting. For further information go to Larsen & Thompson
