What is Non Tom tea? Characteristics of Non Tom tea in Tan Cuong region
Non Tom Tea is one of the premium teas from the Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen that any tea connoisseur knows and loves. The aroma and taste of tea are extremely impressive, thanks to favorable soil and climate conditions along with meticulousness and feats in each processing stage. This article will help you understand what are Non Tom tea and other interesting information about this specialty tea.
What is Non Tom tea? Features of Non Tom Tea in Tan Cuong
Non Tom Tea is made from fresh green tea buds meticulously harvested by experienced tea artisans. During each harvest season, the tea is plucked according to the standard of a young budding leaf and an adjacent tender leaf. The tea leaves are harvested during favorable weather conditions, with moderate sunlight, typically between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. According to the tea makers' experience, this is the best time to ensure that the tea's flavor is not overly bitter and retains its natural, delightful aroma.
After harvesting, the tea buds undergo traditional processing techniques. Following withering, rolling, fermentation, tea drying, and roasting, each tea bud's intricate components contribute to the creation of dark green-black leaves, which harbor the highest concentration of nutrients. Hence, when steeping the tea, only a small quantity, about half the amount of other teas, is needed to create a flavorful and aromatic pot of tea. The tea exudes a delightful fragrance, akin to the scent of blossoming rice in its prime, without the use of any additives or preservatives. The resulting tea liquor is as golden as the hue of young rice, possessing a deep bitterness balanced by a sweet aftertaste that lingers long in the throat.
Stages of processing Non Tom Tea
Tea Harvesting
Each bud tea is manually plucked, demanding skill, precision, care, and tender handling from the tea pickers. To obtain quality tea leaves, it's essential to choose the right time for harvesting. This is typically during the early morning dew, when dewdrops linger on the leaves, and the harvesting window extends until around 11 in the morning. The tea-picking tools also need to be clean and free of any strange odors, carefully shielded to prevent direct sunlight on the tea but not overly sealed. Especially, only days with good weather should be chosen for harvesting, avoiding rainy and windy days to maintain tea quality.
Withering Process
After harvesting, the tea leaves are spread out and evenly arranged on specialized racks to undergo withering. Generally, the leaves are placed on multi-layer wooden racks, and after 30 minutes to 1 hour, they are flipped once to ensure even drying. After 4-6 hours, the tea leaves reach the desired level of withering and then proceed to the enzyme-killing process. The moisture content of the tea leaves after withering is around 74-75%, preserving the natural aroma of the raw material.
Yeast elimination
This is the step to put the tea into the roaster until the tea reaches certain requirements. First of all, the tea leaves must be flexible, the young stem reaching perfect toughness, not breaking when bent. The surface of the tea leaves is sticky enough, not falling apart when there is any impact. The natural green color of the tea leaves becomes darker. Finally, the pungent smell of tea leaves is gone, replaced by a characteristic light aroma.
Rolling Process
Rolling is a stage that helps the tea leaves twist and curl together after achieving the desired pliability and aroma. The tea is rolled in a specific direction, handled gently and carefully to avoid excessive roughness and breaking.
Tea Drying
Next, the tea master proceeds to roast the tea. The quality and appearance of Non Tom Tea heavily depend on this phase. The roasting process is carried out manually, with the tea master using their hands to roast the tea on a hot aluminum pan, gauging the temperature accurately. Once the tea transforms from deep green to a light black, it's relatively dry.
Tea Aroma Retrieval
This step determines the tea's aroma. A moderate amount of heat is applied, just enough to create pinkish-red spots, which allows the nugget scent of the tea to emerge without being overpowered by smoke. This process is also executed by hand to accurately sense the right temperature. The duration ranges from 15 to 20 minutes, until the nuggets fragrance emerges from the tea, marking the completion of the step.
Having gone through meticulous and elaborate processes as described above, the Non Tom Tea has been crafted with an exquisite flavor that can leave an unforgettable impression. The gentle bitterness accompanied by a sweet aftertaste creates a remarkable characteristic of the fermented shrimp tea from Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen region. Hopefully, this article has provided you with useful information about this specialty tea. To savor the authentic deliciousness of Non Tom Tea, please refer to https://unimall.vn/.
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