When you brew dark tea, do you ever wonder, "Ah, why are there so many tea stems?" Sometimes, you might even pick out the thicker stems and discard them? In fact, tea stems are not impurities mixed into the tea leaves; on the contrary, tea stems hold very high value.
Harvesting Standard
In the harvesting standards for Hunan dark tea, relatively mature fresh leaves are required, so the presence of tea stems in these three types of tea is a normal phenomenon.
Taste Requirements
As the nutrient-conducting organ of fresh leaves, tea stems contain higher sugar content. Therefore, when blending dark tea, an appropriate amount of tea stems is added. For example, a 3kg Fuzhuan tea cake is blended with Yuntai Mountain large-leaf tea stems accumulated over a year to achieve its unique taste.
Compression Requirements
Tea stems also play a significant role in compression, especially for Heizhuan tea. During processing and storage, Heizhuan tea requires certain temperature, humidity, and oxygen conditions for fermentation. A certain amount of tea stems increases the gaps within the tea brick, ensuring sufficient oxygen and promoting quality formation. Additionally, a certain stem content facilitates the discharge of moisture from the brick and enhances its structural strength.
As for Fuzhuan tea, too low a stem content can make the brick too compact, affecting airflow and hindering the growth and reproduction of the golden flower (Eurotium cristatum), which is an aerobic fungus. National standards clearly specify the stem content for dark tea; for example, Fuzhuan tea is required to have a stem content between 15% and 18%.
Nutritional Value
Tea stems are actually highly nutritious. According to research by tea experts, harvested tender stems contain large amounts of amino acids (such as theanine) and proteins, far exceeding the content found in tea leaves. Additionally, tea stems aged for many years, like tea leaves, transform into many nutrients absorbable by the human body, such as tea polysaccharides. When brewing aged tea stems, you will notice the tea soup has a sweet and refreshing taste, accompanied by a rich aged aroma.
So, next time you encounter tea stems, please do not discard them. Remember, for certain teas, good tea must "have stems."