{"id":13577,"date":"2022-01-29T19:22:15","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T18:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vinhood.com\/uncategorized\/i-colori-del-te\/"},"modified":"2023-04-24T17:24:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T15:24:03","slug":"i-colori-del-te","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vinhood.com\/en\/magazine-en\/i-colori-del-te\/","title":{"rendered":"The colors of tea-part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Terroir<\/span><\/i>, cultivar, harvests. Plus geographic denomination and production processes passed down for generations. Wine? No, tea: a unique and ancient plant, the <\/span>Camellia Sinensis<\/b>, that creates a beverage with infinite flavors and six colors. Tea is, in fact, classified into six macro-categories which are comparable to the western distinctions between red, white, and ros\u00e9 wines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each tea has <\/span>unique characteristics<\/b>, determined by cultivation methods, the specific botanical varietals used, and the unique features of each individual production area (conditioned by climate, precipitation, soil quality, and ground composition).<\/span><\/p>\n

Consequently, every cup of tea is an invitation to discover a little \u201cworld\u201d of unique sensory experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE COLOR CLASSIFICATION OF TEA<\/b><\/h2>\n

Tea is a beverage prepared by infusing the dried leaves of <\/span>Camellia Sinensis<\/span><\/i>.<\/span> The only exception is <\/span>Japanese Matcha green tea<\/b> which is prepared by dissolving a very fine powder made from ground tea leaves in hot water.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a long time, due to an erroneous classification by <\/span>Carl Linnaeus<\/b>, in the West it was believed that two different species of tea plants existed. In fact, the Swedish botanist declared that there were two tea plants: one for green tea and one for black tea. But he was wrong!<\/span><\/p>\n

After several centuries, it was finally clarified that there is just one species: an evergreen shrub named <\/span>Camellia Sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The two varieties of the plant used for producing tea are: <\/span>Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis <\/span><\/i>(China) and <\/span>Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica <\/span><\/i>(India). A third and lesser known variety is the <\/span>Camellia Sinensis var. Cambodiensis<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This plant, originally from Southeast Asia, prefers a subtropical climate. The environment that surrounds the young tea plants has a profound influence on the <\/span>quality<\/b> of the tea. The flavor of tea varies if even just one of the fundamental elements (soil, availability of water, climate, and exposure to the sun) changes. Plants that grow in tropical and subtropical areas, with a mild climate and the right amount of moisture, rain, and sun, produce higher quality teas. The tea plant requires <\/span>well-drained soil<\/b> with an acidic composition and a moist climate with a fair amount of rain, clouds, fog, and mild sun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The highest quality teas are produced in the <\/span>mountains<\/b>, where plantations find the best conditions in which to develop. These teas are known for their freshness and for their fragrant and persistent aromatic notes which are capable of withstanding numerous infusions.<\/span><\/p>\n

We usually think of the tea plant as a shrub. However, if it isn\u2019t cultivated, it grows to become a tree that can reach 10-15 meters in height. In China, in Yunnan, centuries-old tea trees exist. The oldest are 2700-3200 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to historical documents, the leaves of the spontaneously growing tea plant were initially used for <\/span>medicinal purposes<\/b>, but, starting in the 4th century AD, the first cultivations and plantations began spreading throughout Yunnan and Sichuan. From that moment, the leaves were no longer simply gathered in nature. Instead the plant was \u201cdomesticated\u201d, transforming from a tall tree to a shrub with a comfortable harvesting height and a greater number of available leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE SIX MACRO-CATEGORIES<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Traditionally, teas in China are classified into <\/span>six major families <\/b>according to the color which the leaves and the infusion (the beverage that will be drunk) acquire after the various stages of processing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to this chromatic classification, teas are subdivided into six macro-categories:<\/span><\/p>\n