What is brick tea, how is it made? Composition, benefits and contraindications, brewing methods. Interesting facts about pressed tea.
Brick tea is a compressed infusion for a beverage made by infusion, brewing or boiling. In Taiwanese dialect it sounds like tsai-e, in Amoy - those. The "bricks" are composed of young and rough tea leaves, cuttings and even part of the stems. The aroma is practically absent, and the taste is sharp, coarse, tobacco, more pronounced in green varieties. You cannot break the compact with your hands; you need to use a knife. The consumer is offered bars weighing 250 g, 500 g, 2 kg, 2, 5 kg, 5 kg. They began to make such a form for ease of transportation.
Features of making brick tea
All types of tea leaves are pressed into "bricks" - black and green tea. Greens are more common - production has been mastered in all countries where tea plantations are planted, and black only in China.
The production of brick tea can be divided into 2 processes: the production of raw materials (lao-cha) and pressing. After finishing the processing of varietal tea, crumbs, rough leaves, fragments of cuttings remain. All this is collected and processed into lao-cha, sorted into two parts: the more tender facing (from overgrown shoots) and the inner part - the residual collection, mainly consisting of the remnants of cutting bushes. In the residual collection, 30% of cuttings and stems are allowed.
How brick green tea is made:
- The sheet is fried in a hot metal drum (70-75 ° C) so that the oxidative reactions take place in full.
- After the transformation of the enzymes, the hot raw material is processed in a twisting unit.
- It is dried in a stream of hot air and filled with wooden boxes, where fermentation continues, since the heating temperature is maintained.
- After 8-12 hours, the treated leaf darkens and acquires a characteristic aroma, indicating the end of the fermentation process.
- Lao-cha is dried on sheets at a temperature of 80 ° C and a moisture content of 8% is given. During the initial processing, sticky substances are released.
- Prepared raw materials are transported to pressing factories.
- The steamed lao cha is laid out according to the forms: from the outside, the facing material, inside - the residual, coarser one. The distribution is as follows: in a brick 2 kg, the weight of the cladding is 400 g.
- The press creates a pressure of 9, 8-10, 8 MPa. The duration of the operation is 40-60 minutes.
- The resulting bricks are dried by blowing with humid air (35-50 ° C), and then packaged in boxes, where ripening occurs, since the cooling is very slow. This takes 2-3 weeks.
Depending on the processing characteristics, the duration of the fermentation and drying process, the color of lao cha can be dark green, brown and orange. But the color of a smooth brick surface is olive, light or dark. Individual shoots of the tea plant can be distinguished.
How black brick tea is made:
- As a raw material, in addition to sheets and cuttings, seedings and crumbs of finished processed long tea are collected.
- Roasting and drying is carried out not in a metal drum, but in the sun.
- Then the feedstock is collected in heaps, moistened and left to ferment.
- After a few days, visually assessing the quality, the stacks are disassembled, the lao-cha is passed through the rolling machines and again left to infuse. During reprocessing, piles may be fumigated with fragrant smoke.
- After the end of fermentation, the lao cha is steamed (95-100 ° C).
- The pressing is carried out according to the already described technology.
As you can see, it is impossible to make homemade brick tea. The production process is complex and lengthy.
Until the 19th century, the density of the final product of low grades was enhanced with rice glue, which negatively affected the taste. Now the bricks contain only fermented plant materials, natural resins and sticky juice.
Composition and calorie content of brick tea
The nutritional value of the finished beverage is often neglected, indicating that it is zero. One can agree if the green variety is brewed, although it can also be 1 kcal. But the energy value of black pressed tea in the drink is 4-6 kcal.
If the product is used in cooking, then they are guided by the calorie content of brick tea at 152 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Protein - 20 g;
- Fats - 5, 1 g;
- Carbohydrates - 6, 9 g;
- Dietary fiber - 4.5 g;
- Water - 8, 5 g.
The content of vitamins and minerals does not depend on varieties and species. Of the vitamins, most of all are nicotinic acid and vitamin A, and of minerals - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron.
By the way, the composition of brick green tea contains 4 times more nicotinic acid than the same amount of citrus pulp, and 6 times more retinol than carrots.
The following substances are found in black and green varieties:
- Caffeine - Increases blood pressure and speeds up the heart rate.
- Amino acids - increase the metabolic rate, slow down age-related changes.
- Tannins - increase blood clotting, form a protective membrane on the surface of the gastric mucosa, fix, neutralize toxins when heavy metal salts enter the body and have an antioxidant effect.
- Phylloquinol (vitamin K) - participates in the formation of bone tissue, has a calming effect on the nervous system. Improves blood clotting, calms the nervous system, heals bone tissue.
Note! In terms of the content of nutrients, the compact is more saturated than sheets and crumbs.
The benefits and harms of brick tea depend on the type of raw material. Black contains an order of magnitude more tannin and caffeine, and green contains amino acids and B vitamins.
Ascorbic acid, despite the acidity, is not enough in the brewed drink. It is almost completely destroyed during the fermentation of the raw material.
Useful properties of brick tea
In China and many countries of the East, the drink is still considered healing. Potion recipes are passed down from generation to generation.
The beneficial properties of brick tea are more pronounced than that of long tea, due to the concentration of nutrients and organic acids:
- Strengthens tooth enamel and heals the gums.
- Reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
- Increases concentration of attention.
- Relieves painful symptoms of migraine.
- It has a beneficial effect on the visual system, stops cataracts.
- Improves blood supply, stimulates the formation of endothelium (vascular tissue cells), prevents thrombus formation.
- Has antimicrobial effect when taken orally and topically. Most often, black tea is used to treat conjunctivitis by dripping into the eyes or making lotions.
| Green tea | Black tea |
| Weakens and has a diuretic effect | Strengthens and stimulates the production of digestive enzymes |
| Relaxes, lowers blood pressure, restores sleep | Tones and increases blood pressure |
| Removes stones from the kidneys | Strengthens bile secretion |
Chinese medicine men believe that properly brewed tea promotes longevity, cures headaches, and stops putrefactive processes in the intestines. With its help, you can get rid of migraines, rejuvenate and lose weight.
Contraindications and harm of brick tea
Pressed tea can only be purchased from trusted manufacturers. Bricks brew is richer in chemical composition, and when fermentation is disturbed, the taste of the final product changes significantly. Raw materials with an unpleasant odor, rancidity or burnt contain carcinogenic benzene, toxins, and molds.
Brick tea can cause harm if the amount of infusion in the drink is exceeded or if it is stored improperly. If the compact is damp, putrefactive bacteria and fungi quickly develop inside. It is rather difficult to determine the quality by appearance, before breaking.
Possible side effects depend on the types of lao cha:
- Constipation or severe diarrhea, bowel cramps;
- Irritation of the stomach lining;
- Exacerbation of urolithiasis or gallstone disease.
Black brick tea is not recommended for insomnia, disruption of the cardiovascular system, thrombophlebitis, aphonia (tinnitus), increased fatigue, glaucoma. Green - with a lack of potassium in the body, low blood pressure, a tendency to diarrhea, gastritis with high acidity, problems with the thyroid gland. The development of individual intolerance to specific varieties and types of brewing is possible.
How to brew brick tea?
To make a drink from a "brick", milk is more often used than water.
How to brew brick tea :
- Tibetan oil … Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 tbsp. l. crushed green pressing, cook for 3-4 minutes, filter. Pour in half a glass of milk, 1 tbsp. l. butter, immediately removed from the burner. Pour in salt and beat vigorously.
- Mongolian … Milk is brought to a boil and pieces of "brick" are poured into it, salted to taste, cloves, bay leaves are added, filtered. Ghee is added before use.
- Chasuyma … A black brick press is brewed at the rate of 70-75 g per 1 liter of water, ghee from buffalo or camel milk is added, and salted. Boil for 2-3 minutes, and then interrupt in a churn for 5 minutes, until a thick consistency is obtained.
Recipes for food and drinks with brick tea
Pressed tea leaves are considered foodstuffs as they are often added to soup by Asian peoples.
Brick Tea Recipes:
- Milk soup … Bring 2 liters of water to a boil, put a 40 g piece of black pressing in there, and while it is cooking for 5 minutes, whisk 600 g of sour cream with a whisk. Pour in sour cream, bring to a boil with constant stirring. Salt is added before serving, ghee to taste. Sprinkle with herbs.
- Japanese tea soup … Rub half of the salmon steak on both sides with salt and leave for 8-12 minutes, then fry in a pan, slightly greased with sunflower oil, until brown crust. In 1, 5 cups of water, 20 g of green pressing is brewed. Boil rice separately to make a glass. Salmon is cut, mixed with rice, wasabi crackers - 1 tbsp. l., any seaweed (for example, wakame), pour hot tea and eat immediately. For taste, you can add sliced pickles, pickled carrots or cabbage.
- Thyme soup … Meat broth, 3-4 cups, heat, add crushed garlic - 4 prongs, 3 tsp. thyme, 250 g pasta, chopped broccoli - 2 cups. Boil for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is ready, reduce the heat and add the crushed infusion of black brick tea - 60 g. Boil for 1-2 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, season with black pepper and lemon juice. Salted to taste.
Pressed tea leaves are used to make fermented milk dishes as a sourdough, combined with sprouted wheat grains or rye bread. Mongols cook dumplings in a strong brewing black press.
Interesting facts about brick tea
Loose leaf teas appeared in the V-VI centuries, and pressed - only in the X-XI. This was due to the convenience of storage. The bricks gained popularity right away - they were given out to the soldiers, the travelers took them with them. Merchants brought their products to Russia. In the Aral Sea region, Siberia, Transcaucasia and the Far North, the demand for this product was increased.
In the USSR, the production of brick tea began in the 30s, and the needs were fully met by the age of 50-60, even export to Mongolia was debugged.
The most popular grades of rough pressing, which are exported by China:
- Ying Zhuan - green, with a tart taste;
- Hei Cha - black, wet stacked with maximum fermentation;
- Tian Lian - with the smell of autumn leaves, it is interesting that it is not packaged in bricks, but in tubes, which are braided with bamboo bast;
- Hunan Fu Zhuan - the taste is rough, it contains a large number of branches, almost 70%, the leaves are used only for facing bricks;
- Lincang Fang Zhuan Cha - delicate tart taste.
A Baishashi, one of the types of Hunan hei cha, was imported into the USSR. The bricks look rough, there are more stems on the surface than the leaves. Interestingly, even when using a large amount of tea leaves, the infusion resembles dark amber in color. The aroma is "masculine", strong, tobacco, the taste is tart and very pleasant. The product is exported under the name "Anhua Brick Tea".
In Mongolia, the Chinese province of Xinjiang and among the peoples of Tibet, brick tea served as a currency for a long time.
Fu-chuan-cha was especially appreciated, which contains 45-50% of high-quality tea leaves. The difference from other varieties is that “golden peas” are scattered over the entire surface, traces of the vital activity of the bacteria Eurotium Cristatum. The more there are, the higher quality black tea of this type is considered.
How to make brick tea - watch the video:
Brick tea is now rarely sold. But if it was brought as a souvenir from China, it should be brewed very carefully. "Overdose" will turn an exquisite healthy drink into a thick "swill" with an earthy taste, and tea will be spoiled.
