Welcome to the world of tea! In this blog, we will be exploring the magic of tea beyond the cup. We will be delving into the wonders of tea leaves, fruits, and flowers. You will learn about the renowned "Dashu Cha" or large-leaf tea plants of Yunnan, the tea fruits, and the camellia flowers. You will discover the remarkable diversity of the tea plant. Let's start this exciting adventure and uncover the captivating secrets of one of the world's most beloved teas.
TEA LEAVES
If you're a fan of Puerh tea, you may have heard of "Dashu Cha" or Large-Leaf Tree Tea. This type of tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf tea plants, which are mostly arbor-like with a tall canopy. These plants can grow up to 5-6 meters naturally, and even up to 20 meters at their tallest. The leaves of these plants are quite large, with an area of over 40 square centimeters.
The Yunnan large-leaf Pu'er tea is considered to be the wildest and oldest tea plant in the world. This variant has higher levels of several natural compounds than the medium and small-leaf teas. It contains 30.00% to 33.00% polyphenol content, 4.00% to 5.00% caffeine content, and 241.11 mg/g catechin content. These levels surpass those found in small-leaf green tea, Fujian small-leaf tea, and Yixing small-leaf tea.
TEA FRUITS
Tea plants have a primary reproductive organ known as tea fruit. It comprises of seeds and a fruit shell and grows from the ovary wall and ovules of tea flowers. The fruit shell safeguards the seeds and also promotes their dispersal. The shape of the tea fruit varies based on the number of seeds present inside. It can be nearly circular with one seed or shaped like a plum blossom with five seeds.
The fruit shell of the tea plant initially appears dark green, but as the fruit ripens, it changes to a brownish hue. The seeds can be pressed for tea seed oil, an edible oil, while the leftover residue can be ground into a powder for cleaning kitchenware. In parts of southern China, tea seed oil is a traditional cooking oil, used much as olive oil is used around the Mediterranean, and it has a mild, clean flavor.
Tea fruit is a way to propagate tea plants. The mature fruits are used for breeding seedlings that are later transplanted into tea gardens through sexual reproduction. The other method involves cutting branches for asexual propagation, and the transplanted branches are rooted before being transplanted into tea gardens. However, in Xishuangbanna, people prefer the sexual reproduction method to maintain the purity of tea plant varieties.
TEA BLOSSOMS
Camellia flowers are the primary reproductive organs of the tea plant and are bisexual in nature, composed of a calyx, corolla, stamen, and pistil. While traditionally responsible for the plant's reproduction, advancements in asexual reproduction techniques like cutting have made this unnecessary. These flowers typically bloom between October and February of the following year, though the exact timing may vary based on factors such as climate and variety.
Camellia flowers contain protein, tea polysaccharides and tea polyphenols. The small white blossoms have a soft, honey-like scent, and in tea-growing areas they are sometimes dried and steeped on their own as a light floral infusion. For most tea lovers, though, the flowers are simply a sign of the season: when the tea gardens of Xishuangbanna bloom in late autumn, the plants are resting before the spring harvest that gives us the leaves for our pu-erh.
This article is general information about tea, not medical advice. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, please talk to your doctor before changing what you drink.
