The teas
Welcome in the teas’ section. You'll find here varieties mainly from Japan, China and Taiwan. To facilitate your choice and feed your curiosity, you will find for each tea a description, the method of infusion, a picture of the leaves and a map of their region of origin. For any additional information, please contact us at info@facilithe.com
White tea is a non oxidized tea. It is the tea that goes through the least processing from the fresh tea leaf (Camellia sinensis). In the spring, young leaves are picked with the
buds, and then dried in the sun and finally in the shade. The white tea leaves retain therefore many properties of fresh tea leaves. They also have a very low density, compared to many other type of teas.
Green tea is not, or very lightly, fermented during its processing. This type of tea is very popular in China and Japan, where it is deemed to have the most effective therapeutic properties such as preventing cancer due to the antioxidants it contains. There are hundreds of different varieties of green tea.
After picking, the tea leaves (from the Camellia sinensis) are first withered before being heated very quickly at high temperatures to destroy the enzymes that would otherwise promote fermentation. The leaves are then shaped with the use of rollers or by hand in the case of many specialized teas. They are then dried, and sometimes rolled, several times.
Oolong teas come, like all other varieties of teas, from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis. Oolong (which can also be written "wulong") means "black dragon." Making oolong tea is one of the most difficult and delicate. To produce oolong, the leaves are plucked and withered. A few hours later, they are tossed to activate the fermentation (oxidization.)
The degree of fermentation (ranging between 10% and 70%) will determine the aroma and flavor. That explains why people often refer to oolong tea as a semi-fermented tea. The fermentation is stopped by heating the leaves with direct heat.
Black tea is fully oxydized. China produces excellent black teas. To obtain good quality tea, only the first two leaves and the bud are picked.
The Pu Erh tea is still a well-kept secret. Despite its great popularity in China, where it has several virtues including the reduction of bad cholesterol and a beneficial effect on high blood pressure, it remains little known here. Discovering it is adopting it. It may very well serve as an appetizer before a meal.
Pu erh tea is post-fermented. Different methods exist to transform it. In the case of cooked Pu erh (or ripe), the tea leaves are dried under the sun before being rehumidified, forcing accelerated fermentation, for several days, under the action of micro-organisms. The leaves are then compressed in various forms.
You can enjoy it now or keep it for many years so it improves in taste and value. This tea gives a red-black infusion. It has a sweet and fragrant taste. This tea is very generous as a portion of tea leaves allows 4 to 6 infusions in the same day.
N.B. You should rinse the tea leaves for 20 to 30 seconds with boiling water before throwing out this first brewing.
Also known as "blooming tea", these teas are composed solely of terminal buds and flowers. In contact with hot water, they unfold to offer a show for the eyes, before filling you with tastes.
