When brewing Anhua Black Tea, have you ever wondered, “Why are there so many stems?” Sometimes, you might even remove and discard the larger ones. However, stems are not contaminants in the Tea leaves; on the contrary, they have significant value. Don't throw away these treasures out of ignorance—read on to find out why!
Picking Standards
In the picking standards for Anhua black tea, more mature fresh leaves are required. Therefore, the presence of stems is quite normal in these three categories of tea.
Taste Requirements
As the nutrient-conducting organs of fresh leaves, stems contain higher levels of Sugar. Therefore, when blending black tea, stems are also added in appropriate amounts. For example, 3 kg of Fu brick tea includes large-leaf stems that have been accumulated over more than a year, contributing to its unique taste.
Pressing Requirements
Stems also play an important role in the pressing process, especially for Hei brick tea. During processing and storage, Hei brick tea requires certain temperature, Humidity, and oxygen conditions for fermentation. A certain amount of stems can increase the air gaps within the brick, ensuring adequate oxygen supply, which is beneficial for quality development. Additionally, a specific stem content facilitates the drainage of moisture from the brick and increases its structural strength and integrity.
Regarding Fu brick tea, if the stem content is too low, it can affect breathability due to the brick being too tightly packed, which is detrimental to the growth and proliferation of Jin Hua (a type of fungus). Jin Hua is an aerobic fungus. The Chinese government has clear regulations regarding the stem content in black tea, for example, requiring the stem content in Fu brick tea to be between 15% and 18%.
Nutritional Value
Our tea stems are actually highly nutritious. According to research by tea experts, young stems contain a large amount of amino acids (theanine), proteins, and other substances, with much higher concentrations than those found in the tea leaves themselves. In addition, after years of aging, stems, like tea leaves, transform into numerous nutrients that are absorbable by the human body, such as tea polysaccharides. When you brew aged stems, you will discover that the tea liquor tastes sweet and refreshing, accompanied by a rich aroma of age.
So, next time you encounter stems in your tea, don't discard them. Remember, in some teas, good quality requires the presence of stems.
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