The natural
aging of Pu-erh tea, the current high recognition in the industry refers to the
dry storage.
And some people
in the industry believe that if you consider the art of the tea, only the Pu-erh
tea stored in the dry warehouse environment can truly preserve the authenticity
of Pu-erh.
However, dry
warehouses also have their shortcomings. The biggest problem is that the dry
warehouse Pu-erh tea has a slower conversion speed.
Generally
speaking, the definition of dry storage environment is: moderate temperature,
humidity, ventilation, clean, no odor, odor storage environment.
If you do more
accurate digital quantitative analysis, it is:
The relative
humidity is between 60% and 70%, the average temperature is between 20 and 30 degrees
Celsius, clean and hygienic, with moderate ventilation and no odor storage
environment.
The relative
humidity of Kunming, Yunnan, and the temperature are just in this range, so it
is also considered to be a natural dry warehouse environment.
What happened to
Pu-erh tea during the natural aging process?
The natural
storage of Pu-erh tea is aging, and its essence is the continuous
post-fermentation of Pu-erh tea in the storage process.
In the
post-fermentation process, the contents of Pu-erh tea undergo a series of
biochemical reactions such as oxidation, polymerization and decomposition under
the action of oxygen, microorganisms, and active enzymes in tea.
The composition
and content of the material have also undergone significant changes, which has
changed the taste and efficacy of Pu-erh tea.
Among them, the
most important material transformation and its composition change are six
kinds, namely: tea polyphenols, catechins, amino acids, total sugars, proteins,
aromatic substances.
1. Changes in
tea polyphenols during storage of Pu-erh tea
Pu-erh tea has
many active and easily oxidized substances. Tea polyphenols is one of the most
typical substances, and tea polyphenols are closely related to the soup color,
taste and aroma of tea.
After storage
experiments, Pu-erh raw tea in the storage process, tea polyphenols will
undergo oxidative polymerization, the production of tea red pigment, tea brown
pigment and other substances, so that the color and taste of tea soup have
changed.
As the storage
period increases, the tea polyphenol will gradually oxidize and polymerize, and
transform other substances, so that the color of the tea soup will become more
and more rosy, and the taste will be sweet and mellow.
2. Changes
in catechins during the storage of Pu-erh tea
Catechin is the
main component of tea polyphenols, accounting for 60% to 80% of the total
amount of tea polyphenols.
It has better
health care effects on the human body, helps to eliminate excess free radicals
in the human body, and has a certain effect of inhibiting human aging.
The content and
type of catechins will change with the storage period and storage temperature,
and the total content will decrease.
And the longer
the storage period, the larger the conversion amount, and the higher the
temperature, the faster the conversion.
3. Changes in
amino acids during the storage of Pu-erh tea
Amino acid is
not only one of the important substances that affect the taste of tea soup, but
also has a significant effect on the color of tea soup. The higher the content,
the better the quality of tea.
In the storage
process, the amino acid content of Pu-erh tea will also change significantly
with the increase of storage period, and the higher the temperature, the
greater the decrease of amino acid content.
Therefore, in
the environment where the temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the content
of amino acid in the tea is greatly reduced, which is not conducive to the improvement
of the quality of the tea.
4. Changes in
total sugar during the storage of Pu-erh tea
Total sugar is
the general term for sugar substances in Pu-erh tea. The conversion of total
sugar has a direct effect on the taste of tea soup. It is the main substance
that determines the sweetness of tea soup, and also indirectly affects the
aroma of tea.
With the
increase of storage period, insoluble sugars such as cellulose in tea leaves
are decomposed into soluble sugars such as pectin under the action of microorganisms
and active hydrolase, so that the soluble total sugar content of tea soup is
increased, and the taste of tea soup is improved. The palate is also enhanced,
making it sweeter and smoother.
5. Changes in
protein during the storage of Pu-erh tea
Protein is one
of the six essential nutrients in the human body. During the storage process of
Pu-erh tea, its protein content also changes, and with the increase of storage
period, the soluble protein content in the tea soup gradually increases, thus
making Pu-erh tea to the human body. Health benefits have improved.
6. Changes in
aromatic substances during the storage of Pu-erh tea
The aromatic
substances in the tea determine the type and quality of the aroma of the tea,
and the aromatic substances also change significantly during the storage
process, and some aromatic substances content decreases or disappears as the
storage period increases;
There is also a
part of the aromatic substances, which will increase with the increase of
storage period. The most typical one is that the aromatic substances that
determine the fragrance of Pu-erh tea will increase with the storage year.
Through a number
of experiments and tests, Pu-erh tea is stored in an environment below 35
degrees Celsius, which is more conducive to the improvement of its aroma
quality.
For more info visit http://www.naturalpuerh.com
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