JP2015146801A - Semi-fermented tea and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semi-fermented tea having less bitterness and astringency, a deep water color, a thick and deep taste, and a pronounced flavor, by a method different from a conventional method for manufacturing a fermented tea, which allows a fermented tea having a different fermentation degree to be produced through a simple processing method, with easy control of the speed and degree of fermentation; an excellent raw material tea for a beverage and a food which contain semi-fermented tea components, in particular, a tea beverage; and a beverage and a food using the semi-fermented tea.SOLUTION: The semi-fermented tea includes a tea polyphenol with a content of 19 wt.% or less, theabrownin, theaflavin and thearubigin with a total content of 11 wt.% or more, and ECG and EGCG with a content of 5.1 wt.% or less, relative to the weight of dried tea leaves.

Description

  The present invention relates to a new semi-fermented tea, a method for producing the same, and food and drink containing the semi-fermented tea. Specifically, a new semi-fermented tea or a non-totally fermented tea classified as a high degree of fermentation, a method of producing the same, and a semi-fermented tea that uses fast extraction, light water color, high concentration and little bitterness The present invention relates to tea drinks, foods containing tea ingredients, feed additives and the like.

  Tea is said to be roughly divided into three types according to the degree of fermentation. It is a non-fermented tea such as green tea, a tea that is usually considered to be a whole fermented tea such as black tea, and a semi-fermented tea such as Oolong tea that belongs between these two.

  In the production of green tea, usually the picked green leaves are not wilted, but immediately "killed" and processed, so that the catechin tea polyphenols in the tea leaves are basically not oxidized (so-called non-fermentation or Very light fermentation). Catechin has a bitter astringency and is difficult to drink when the content is high. Green tea is usually processed with soft young leaves, so it has a high catechin content and a bitter bitterness, but it has a relatively high amino acid content and is characterized by a refreshing taste.

  The main production areas for Oolong tea are Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan. There are roughly two types of processing methods in these areas.

  One type is a manufacturing method of Minnan oolong tea mainly in Anxi County, Fujian Province, China. The processing process is as follows. Tea blue-wilting-Saku blue / rock blue-killing blue-sprain-heating-wrapping-drying. Oolong tea produced by this method has a low degree of fermentation and becomes a slightly fermented or lightly fermented Oolong tea, and the degree of fermentation is generally considered to be about 5% to 25%.

  The other type is Min Hokusuisen (Wuyi Rock Tea), which is represented by Wuyi Shan and Fujio, Fujian, China. The process of the manufacturing method is as follows. Tea blue-wilting-Saku blue / rock blue-killing blue-sprain-dry. Fermentation degree of oolong tea processed by this method is higher than Minnan oolong tea, and its fermentation degree is considered to be between 25% and 45%.

  Oolong tea processed by the above-mentioned two types of traditional tea making methods shows that the degree of fermentation usually does not exceed 50% from the appearance, the color of the water, and the tea shell, and the degree of fermentation ranges from 5% to 95% Among the semi-fermented teas, the degree of fermentation is lower than 50%, and it can be said to be a semi-fermented tea of medium or less.

  Oolong tea wilts tea blue, and then damages the tissue cells at the edge of tea leaves by cultivating / shaking blue, fermenting the tea leaves, and then applying blue killing. Become. However, because it is a local fermentation at the edge of the tea leaves, the degree of fermentation is low, and the disadvantage remains that each is quite astringent to varying degrees. When used as a raw material for tea beverages, there are few extracts and the concentration and color of water color are not ideal. In addition, in order to obtain a medium or higher fermentation degree with the current processing method, it is necessary to repeat a long period of greening / rocking, and an overdrying phenomenon occurs at the edge of the tea leaves. Then, it seems impossible to increase the degree of fermentation further.

  Black tea is produced by the process of tea blue, wilting, twisting, fermentation and drying. That is, tea leaves are plucked and then wilted, twisted, and the juice contained in the tea leaves is exposed to air for oxidative fermentation. Then, it dries at a low temperature (100 to 120 ° C., followed by 80 to 100 ° C.). It is called black tea because the color of the tea leaves and the tea ceremony is red.

  In the method for producing black tea, catechin contained in tea leaves is fermented, but it may be over-fermented and the taste may deteriorate. In addition, since the tea leaves are twisted and then accumulated and fermented, the fermentation temperature differs depending on the accumulation location, the quality of tea in the same lot is not necessarily the same, the temperature becomes too high in the middle of the overlapping tea leaves, brown pigment is Many produce and affect the color of the tea water. Moreover, at present, the production method of black tea has a high amount of epicatechin gallate ECG and epigallocatechin gallate EGCG, which are bitterness components of tea, and it is necessary to add sugar or milk when actually drinking.

  In the existing method for producing fermented tea, each process is a manual operation, which requires considerable labor and manpower. In addition, in many processes, adjustment is performed depending on the experience of workers, so it is difficult to make tea quality uniform. In addition, it is obviously disadvantageous from the viewpoint of cost in the era when much time and energy must be consumed and the unit price of energy is steadily increasing.

  In fact, Oolong tea and black tea are teas that have undergone some degree of fermentation because of their essence, and only the degree of fermentation is different. The inventor's research has shown that the degree may not be clearly distinguishable. Therefore, tea made by the processing method of the present invention is generally called semi-fermented tea.

The present invention changes the conventional method for producing fermented tea, enables the production of fermented tea with different degrees of fermentation through simple processing methods, makes it easy to control the speed and degree of fermentation, A raw tea that is particularly good for tea beverages, such as beverages and foods that contain little fermented tea, have a deep water color, have a rich and deep taste, and a high aroma, and also contain semi-fermented tea ingredients. The purpose is to provide. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to obtain beverages and foods using these semi-fermented teas.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a tea for blending. The semi-fermented tea produced by the method of the present invention is processed into a flavored tea and blended with a certain proportion of green tea or flavored green tea, while maintaining the color tone and profound feeling of the semi-fermented tea, rich and harmonious Providing a new tea beverage that combines the advantages of semi-fermented tea and green tea with aroma and refreshing taste.

  In a test repeated by the present inventors, when the fermentation was carried out by scratching the edges of the tea leaves and other cells of the whole tissue, it could not be achieved by the conventional processing method, particularly if the fermentation was performed once or more. Various fermentations with different fermentation levels from low to high can be achieved. Various semi-fermented teas can be processed from lightly fermented oolong tea to thick black tea by the same processing method. In addition, the semi-fermented tea made by this processing method can reduce bitterness components and tea polyphenols, while the amount of thearvidin and theaflavin in the brown body becomes relatively large, and a kind of new semi-fermented tea is obtained. The present invention has been realized.

  Furthermore, by manipulating the fermentation conditions and fermentation raw materials, the number of operations that depended on the human sense can be reduced, the change in tea quality due to human causes can be reduced, and the tea quality can be improved and the product rate can be increased. .

The present invention includes the following contents.
(1) For the weight of dry tea leaves,
The content of tea polyphenol is 19% by weight or less,
Semi-fermented tea in which the total amount of thea brown, theaflavin and thealvidin is 11% by weight or more and the ECG and EGCG content is 5.1% by weight or less.
(2) Withering tea blue
Wound the tissue of the whole tea blue or the whole tea blue after the wilt,
Fermenting the damaged tea blue and fixing the target fermentation degree by killing tea blue during fermentation,
A method for producing semi-fermented tea, comprising drying the tea leaves that have been killed and fixed at a target fermentation level.
(3) The method for producing semi-fermented tea according to (2) above, wherein damaging the tissue of the whole tea blue or the cells of the whole tissue is performed by twisting, crushing, stirring or any combination thereof.
(4) A beverage or food containing the semi-fermented tea according to (1) or the extract or extract of the semi-fermented tea.
(5) A beverage or food, wherein the semi-fermented tea described in (1) above is a semi-fermented tea scented with natural flowers or a semi-fermented tea containing essential oils of flowers.
(6) The beverage or food according to (4) or (5) above, further comprising a fruit or fruit extract.
(7) The beverage or food according to any one of (4) to (6) above, further containing green tea or tea water or an extract of the green tea.
The present invention also includes the following contents.
(2-1) The content of tea polyphenol is 19% or less with respect to the weight of the dried tea leaf, the total amount of thea brown, theaflavin and thealvidin is 11% or more with respect to the weight of the dried tea leaf, and theravidin and theaflavin The semi-fermented tea whose ratio of content and thea brown content is 0.75 or more.
(2-2) A method for producing a semi-fermented tea according to (2-1) above, wherein a tea leaf wilt step, a step of destroying the whole tea leaf tissue or the whole tissue cells after the wilt step, the whole tea leaf tissue or The manufacturing method of semi-fermented tea including the fermentation process after the whole tissue cell destruction process, the blue-killing process after a fermentation process, and a drying process.
(2-3) Tea leaf wilt step, step of destroying whole tea leaf tissue or whole tissue cells after wilt step, fermentation step after whole tea leaf tissue or whole tissue cell destruction step, blue-killing step after fermentation step, and A method for producing semi-fermented tea, comprising a drying step.
(2-4) A beverage or food containing the semi-fermented tea according to (2-1) above, an extract or extract of the semi-fermented tea.
(2-5) The beverage or food according to (2-4) above, further containing green tea, tea water or an extract of the green tea.
(2-6) A beverage or food, wherein the beverage or food of item (2-5) is a tea bath or extract of the mixture of the semi-fermented tea and the green tea.

  The semi-fermented tea of the present invention has a degree of fermentation exceeding 10% from a normal viewpoint. Some of them have a traditional Oolong tea-like taste, or a semi-fermented tea with a traditional black tea-like taste, and some have a new degree of fermentation between traditional Oolong tea and black tea.

  The production method of the present invention is particularly suitable for the processing of non-whole fermented tea with heavy fermentation and high fermentation with a medium or higher fermentation degree. That is, it is suitable for the production of semi-fermented tea having a degree of fermentation of 50% to 95%.

  The semi-fermented tea made by the method of the present invention has a unique flavor and is not limited to any particular theory, but it sufficiently destroys tea blue cells in a short time in the processing process, and oxidase in the cells The activation of tea promotes the oxidation of tea polyphenols. In the oxidation process, the amount of catechin and the amount of water-soluble tea polyphenol are significantly reduced, and the bitterness of tea leaves is reduced. Further, in the oxidation process, substances such as amino acids in tea leaves are changed to aromatic substances, and flavor components such as fruits are generated. The various flavor substances produced by the bactericidal process after fermentation undergo complex biochemical reactions with each other, further promoting flavor generation and improving the mouthfeel.

  In this way, the tea leaves of the present invention significantly reduce their astringency and bitterness by fermentation and subsequent blue-killing, have a pure, rich and subtle sweet taste, and the color of the water increases with the degree of fermentation. Deepens to light red, and further reddish orange or red. In addition, tea leaves are killed, the tea mouth is more refreshing, has a better aftertaste, and does not have the over-fermentation of traditional tea.

Specific Implementation Method Hereinafter, the semi-fermented tea of the present invention and the method for producing the semi-fermented tea will be described in detail.
“Tea” in the present specification refers to tea leaves and tea leaves obtained by crushing tea leaves. Unless otherwise specified, “tea leaves” basically refer to the leaves of tea trees that have not changed the state of tea leaves.

  The term “tea blue” as used in this specification refers to tea leaves that are processed into tea and are generally shoots that have three or four leaves and stems that are suitable for processing semi-fermented tea extracted from tea trees. Also included are some single leaves and incomplete leaves that were made when cutting with a machine. Therefore, in fact, all the leaves of tea trees that are processed into tea are included. These leaves are all called “tea blue” in the process of semi-fermented tea, before the “blue-killing” process.

The tea blue variety used in the present invention is not particularly limited. Any tea tree applied to the production of green tea, oolong tea and black tea, for example, various tea trees including small leaf type and large leaf type may be used. The plucking period may be any time in spring, summer or autumn.
In the present invention, so-called fermentation means that when a substance such as tea polyphenol in tea blue is exposed to oxygen, it is oxidized by the action of oxidase present in the cells, and a fragrance unique to semi-fermented tea and The process of generating taste.

  The semi-fermented tea in the present specification includes not only tea leaves subjected to fermentation such as black tea and oolong tea, or crushed tea obtained by crushing these tea leaves, but also includes tea leaves or crushed tea subjected to some degree of fermentation. That is, it includes non-totally fermented tea that is higher than traditional Oolong tea but lower than traditional black tea.

  The semi-fermented tea of the present invention does not necessarily have a conversion rate of catechin substances (content reduction rate) of just 50%. A product having a low fermentation degree to a high fermentation degree, for example, a catechin conversion rate ranging from 5% to 95%. However, the conversion rate of the catechins in the semi-fermented tea of the present invention is not 100%.

  In the semi-fermented tea of the present invention, the conversion rate of catechin contained in the tea leaves after the fermentation process is further 15% or more, preferably 35% or more, more preferably 40% or more, still more preferably 45% or more, most Preferably it is 50% or more.

  The reduced rate of catechin contained in the tea leaves of the semi-fermented tea made from the present invention is 90% or less, preferably 80% or less, more preferably 75% or less, and most preferably 70% or less.

  When the semi-fermented tea of the present invention is compared with the existing oolong tea, the decrease in catechin is remarkable. Therefore, the processing method of the present invention is particularly suitable for the processing of summer tea and hot tea with a large amount of catechin or tea leaves of large leaf varieties, and can reduce bitterness.

The feature of the semi-fermented tea of the present invention is that the amount of tea polyphenol is lower than that of each existing semi-fermented tea.
In the semi-fermented tea of the present invention, the content of polyphenol varies depending on the raw tea blue, the degree of fermentation, the difference in processing methods, and the like. However, the weight ratio of dried tea leaves is 19% or less, preferably 18% or less, more preferably 17% or less. Usually, the polyphenol content does not fall below 9%. More preferably, it is 12% or more. Compared with before fermentation, the conversion of tea polyphenol is 20% or more, and the maximum may reach 50% or more. In order to suppress the content of tea polyphenol to 19% or less, the semi-fermented tea of the present invention has a significantly improved drinking mouth.

  In the semi-fermented tea of the present invention, the combined content of ECG and EGCG, which are bitterness components of tea leaves, is 5% or less, preferably about 4.5% or less, more preferably 4% or less, More preferably, it is about 3% or less, or about 2.5% or less, and 2% or less, or less than 1.5% and 1% or less. When the contents of ECG and EGCG are reduced, the drinking mouth of the semi-fermented tea is improved, and the drinker can easily accept it.

The total amount of catechin, EGC, DL-C, EC, GCG, EGCG, ECG, etc. contained in the semi-fermented tea of the present invention through the fermentation process is 8% or less, and further 7% or less to 5% or less, As a result, it becomes 2% or less. However, it should be noted that the semi-fermented tea of the present invention is not necessarily as good as the amount of catechin is low. An engineer in the industry may determine the amount of catechin according to the actual situation. For example, in the case of spring tea, the taste is better if there is moderately catechin.
Since the semi-fermented tea of the present invention has a low total catechin content, the bitterness of tea leaves also decreases.

  Brown elements produced by the fermentation of tea leaves include thearvidin, theaflavin, and thea brown. The color and brightness of the tea bath are mainly determined by thealvidin and theaflavin, but thealvidin and theaflavin are also decisive factors for the strength and refreshing sensation of tea. When the content of tear brown increases, the color of the tea bath becomes darker and lighter.

  In the semi-fermented tea of the present invention, the content ratio of thea brown and theaflavin is 20 or less, preferably 17 or less, more preferably 15 or less, and even more preferably about 10 or less.

  The total amount of thea brown, thealvidin, and theaflavin contained in the tea of the present invention is 11% or more, preferably 12% or more, more preferably 15% or more, more preferably 17% or more, most of the weight of the dried tea leaf. 20% or more is good.

The tea leaves of the present invention have a bright or vivid hue in the sensory evaluation. The cause is that the ratio of thea brown and theaflavin in the semi-fermented tea leaves of the present invention is low.
In other words, the semi-fermented tea of the present invention has a relatively high content of theaflavin (here, particularly theaflavin is emphasized. Thearubidine is not distinguished from other black teas) and the total amount of brown element is large. The color of the tea bath is bright yellow or reddish orange or bright red, and is particularly suitable for tea drinks.

  The sum of thealvidin and theaflavin contained in tea leaves has a ratio value of thea brown of 0.75 or more, preferably 1 or more, more preferably 1.05 to 1.1 or more, and still more preferably 1.2 or more. 2 or less, further 1.8 or less, and most preferably 1.6 or less.

  Recently, tea polyphenols, especially catechins in them, are said to have antioxidant health effects, and recent studies have shown that brown pigments such as thealvidin, theaflavin or thea brown are not only antioxidants, but also others. It has become clear that there are more health benefits and more effective. Therefore, the tea leaves of the present invention have reduced the content of polyphenols containing catechins and increased the content of brown elements to improve the taste of semi-fermented tea, while further improving the health effect.

The semi-fermented tea production method of the present invention includes the following steps.
Tea blue-wilting-tea blue tissue or cell destruction process-fermentation-killing-drying, or tea blue-wilting-tea blue tissue or cell destruction process-fermentation-high temperature drying In this process, the fresh tea leaves are exposed to the sun, or the water content of the fresh tea leaves is reduced to some extent by other methods, and the water and active substances in the tea leaves (stems) are redistributed to adjust the fermentation conditions. Since it cannot basically be fermented without wilting, the unique aroma and taste of semi-fermented tea cannot be realized.

In the process of making various semi-fermented teas, a wilting process is indispensable, but in the present invention, there is no condition for wilting. A reasonable choice may be made according to the current state of the industry and conditions such as the climate and season of production.
For example, there is a wilting method that uses sun drying to redistribute water while cooling it indoors after partially losing water, and there is also a wilting method that sends hot air to fresh tea leaves and partially loses water. .

  Treatment of tea leaves after wilt destroys the whole tea leaf tissue or tissue cells. The purpose of destroying the whole tea leaf tissue or tissue cells is to injure the tea leaf cells, causing the oxidase and various active substances in the cells to come into contact with the air, causing a complex oxidation reaction, semi-fermentation The purpose is to produce a tea-specific aroma and taste.

  In traditional production of oolong tea, tissue cells at the edges of fresh leaves are damaged by collision and rubbing between fresh leaves and "water sieve" or fresh leaves and fresh leaves through "greening" or "rocking blue". However, since the center of the leaf is not damaged, it is difficult to increase the degree of fermentation only by “red leaves are attached to the green leaf” after fermentation.

  As can be seen from the above manufacturing method, fermentation is performed by greening in the traditional Oolong tea manufacturing process, but when using a rocking machine, simply replace the manual work with the machine (rotate the tea leaves and replace them with fresh leaves). Including the whole process where fresh leaves collide with each other, rub against each other and then spread out). Therefore, the rate of fermentation is limited because it is limited to the damage of the cell tissue at the edge of the tea leaf.

  In the method of the present invention, the tissue of whole tea leaves or the whole tissue cells are destroyed, so that the rate of fermentation can be greatly increased and the degree of fermentation can be increased.

So-called “destroying the entire tissue or cells of tea leaves” does not destroy the tea leaves thoroughly, but also destroys the tissues other than the edges of the tea leaves (brown blue) and damages the cells. It means attaching. Therefore, fermentation occurs throughout the tea leaves.
Since the site of destruction is not limited to the edge of the tea leaf, fermentation is not limited to the edge of the tea leaf. Therefore, in the semi-fermented tea of the present invention, other portions of the tea leaf surface other than the edge of the tea leaf also become red. Accordingly, the degree of fermentation of the tea leaves is significantly increased because the area of redness in the other part is clearly larger than the area of redness in the edge part.

  Examples of the process of destroying the entire tea blue tissue or tissue cells include twisting and crushing. At the same time, the method of the present invention may include a method called “depth bitumen” by improving the method of traditional bitumen. A number of methods can be combined and applied.

[Sprain]
The twisting means a processing method in which tea leaves are crushed or rubbed by applying force to the tea leaves in the processing step, thereby damaging the tissue structure and cells of the tea leaves so that the original physical shape cannot be maintained.
In the traditional processing method of oolong tea, the process of twisting is performed after slaughtering. The purpose is to make the tea leaves into a certain shape, and to further destroy the tea leaf cells and make it easier to melt the contents of the tea leaves.
For example, when the method of twisting is taken, as a feature of the present invention, the twisting step is performed before the blue-killing step. By making the twisting process before the blue-killing process, the surface tissue of fresh tea leaves is broken and tea liquid is produced, and the fermentation proceeds rapidly using the active oxidase present in the tea-blue.

In general, twisting can use facilities for tea making, but the degree and time of twisting are not specifically limited. What is necessary is just to determine by the desired degree of fermentation. Twist is performed at room temperature (room temperature: 15-32 degrees).
Specifically, for example, when twisting with a twisting machine of 30 to 32 rotations / minute, it is twisted for 3 to 60 minutes. The twisting time is adjusted depending on the raw material loading and pressurization.

[Fracture]
Crushing is a process in which tea leaves are broken into small pieces by machine or by hand. The crushed tea leaves become debris, the area in contact with oxygen increases, and the oxidation becomes faster.
Although there are no particular restrictions on the crushing method, it should be noted that if the area of the crushed pieces is too large, it is not roughly divided into complete tea leaves in fermentation, and the purpose of crushing cannot be achieved. However, if it is too fine and the tea leaves become completely fine, it is not recommended because the oxidation rate is too fast and it becomes difficult to control the fermentation. According to the study of the present inventor, the size of the area of the fragments is 2 cm ² or less, more preferably 1 cm ² or less.
The tea leaves are broken into pieces roughly equal in size through crushing, and the semi-fermented tea of the present invention can be obtained through the fermentation process described below.

[Rock blue]
Oolong Tea's processing blue is also called “Saku Blue” and is a traditional process of Oolong Tea manufacturing. In other words, the tea leaves are swung and rotated in a sieve or in a cylindrical bowl using human hands or machines, or they collide with each other and rub against each other. In this way, the tissue cells at the edge of the leaf are damaged and fermentation is performed. Usually, the bitumen process includes not only shaking but also a bitumen process in which the tea leaves are spread after shaking for a certain time or a certain number of times. The work of spreading after shaking is repeated several times. In the present invention, after continuously shaking in this way, the work to spread is called rock blue. This process is called rock blue, no matter how many times it is repeated.

However, even if the same machine is used to rotate and collide or be pressed against each other, if the entire surface of the leaf is damaged except for the edge of the leaf, the “depth fluctuation” is used in the manufacturing method of the present invention. This process is different from traditional rock blue and should not be regarded as the same operation.
As a method of performing "depth bitumen", for example, improve the bitumen machine, add a spatula, a roller, a streak, etc. in a cylindrical cage, and simultaneously increase the rotation speed of the bitumen machine, or every time By increasing the number of rotations, etc., the tea leaves are subjected to rotational impact and pressing in the basket. The tissue cells on the entire surface of the tea leaf are damaged by cutting, stirring, crushing, and the like.

Other Methods In addition to the methods described above, the method of the present invention does not limit the method for damaging the whole tea leaf tissue. For example, it may serve the purpose of agitating the tea leaves with a machine and damaging the entire leaves in a manner similar to bitumen. In order to achieve the purpose of damaging the tissue of the whole tea leaf, the above-mentioned methods of twisting, crushing or biting can be arbitrarily combined.

  In addition, a traditional bitumen process may be performed before twisting or crushing, and the edges of the tea leaves may be scratched first and then damaged by twisting or the like.

In the present invention, so-called fermentation means that a substance such as polyphenols in tea leaves comes into contact with the air, and the action of oxidase present in the cells causes oxidation to turn red, which is a flavor unique to semi-fermented tea. And the process of producing a substance that improves the mouthfeel.
Fermentation is an essential step for producing semi-fermented and fully fermented teas.
When tea leaves are destroyed, the inside of the tea leaves is destroyed, and that part begins to come into contact with air, and oxidation begins. Then, since it becomes a specific fermentation degree, a tea leaf is normally deposited and natural oxidation is given to a specific fermentation degree.

  In the production method of the present invention, the entire tea leaves are destroyed, so that the fermentation is relatively fast. Fermentation is also a process where heat is generated. The present inventor has found that if the temperature at the time of fermentation is high, the content of thea brown increases, the tea bath becomes dark red, and the color and the mouth feel are not good. Therefore, it should not be highly deposited during the deposition process. This is because the temperature of tea leaves is kept at about 28 degrees or less throughout the process of fermentation. It should be noted that when the temperature of the tea leaves or the temperature of the accumulated tea leaves at 30 ° C. or higher during fermentation, a semi-fermented tea has an unfavorable taste.

  There are many ways to keep the temperature of tea leaves below about 28 degrees. For example, by controlling the temperature of the fermentation chamber, the heat generated by the fermentation can be dissipated as quickly as possible. Because the environmental temperature during fermentation affects quality such as the aroma and taste of semi-fermented tea, industry engineers can determine the appropriate temperature through simple experiments according to the type of semi-fermented tea taste and aroma. it can.

  Further, in order to keep the temperature of the tea leaves at 28 ° C. or less throughout, it is preferable that the thickness of the tea leaves to be spread is 6 cm or less. What is necessary is just to set suitably according to the taste to achieve, an external environment, etc., Preferably, it is 2-5 cm. When the thickness is 6 cm or more, it becomes difficult to control the temperature of tea blue during the fermentation process.

  The fermentation time including the step of giving damage to the tea leaf surface varies depending on the temperature during fermentation and the method of destruction. Specifically, if the area of tea leaf tissue exposed to air is large, the time required for fermentation is shortened, and vice versa. In general, the time required for fermentation is 10 minutes to 20 hours (including the stationary time of the bitumen process). For example, when twisting tea leaves, the fermentation time can be shortened, and it may be 10 minutes to 8 hours, and when taking a crushing method, the fermentation time may be between 5 minutes and 3 hours. The fermentation time depends on the degree of fermentation to be achieved.

  The distinction between the semi-fermented tea and the traditional black tea processing method of the present invention is that when the fermentation proceeds to the target degree of fermentation, the tea leaves or the crushed material of the tea leaves are immediately subjected to blue-killing.

  The purpose of blue killing is to stop the activity of the oxidase system in tea leaves and fix the degree of fermentation. Thereby, the taste of the obtained semi-fermented tea can be fixed. The fermented tea leaves are treated with a killing agent at a relatively high temperature (eg, 160 ° C. or more) to reduce (volatilize) the blue odorous substances in the tea leaves / tea blue, while the components such as catechin and the like are reduced under high temperature. The product of fermentation reacts with other components such as amino acids to produce aromatic substances, so that the taste of tea bath can be further improved.

  There are no particular restrictions on the conditions for blue killing, but the temperature inside the tea leaves may be raised to 80 ° C. or more for 1 to 5 minutes to kill the various enzymes in tea blue. It is also possible to preferentially use the traditional green tea or oolong tea blue killing method. In other words, tea leaves are put into a pot heated to 180 to 300 degrees and killed quickly (so-called "fried blue").

  There is also a method in which blue killing and drying are combined. Tea leaves are put into a drying facility heated to 160 to 180 degrees to complete the killing in 1 minute to 10 minutes, and then the temperature is lowered to 130 to 150 degrees to continue drying by heating.

  In addition, there is a method of killing blue using a microwave oven. The fermented tea leaves are put into a microwave oven, and the temperature of the tea leaves is rapidly and evenly raised to 80 ° C. or more by microwave irradiation to complete the killing. In the process of blue killing with microwaves, dehydration and drying can be performed simultaneously using infrared irradiation, and blue killing and drying can be completed at the same time.

  In the case where the blue-killing is not performed at the same time as drying, the desired semi-fermented tea can be obtained by drying the tea leaves by a conventional oolong tea or black tea drying method.

  Prior to drying, conventional production methods for semi-fermented tea can also be added. For example, the tea leaves can be molded by a method such as twisting or wrapping, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

  In other words, in the processing method of the present invention, other than the wilting-destruction / fermentation-blue-killing process, the technicians in the industry can adjust or adjust the manufacturing process in accordance with the purpose to be specifically achieved. The process adjusted in this way and the semi-fermented tea produced by the process also do not exceed the gist of the present invention and are within the scope of the present invention.

  In the processing method of the present invention, semi-fermented tea can be produced by controlling the fermentation time and temperature. As a method of the present invention, it is possible to increase the roasted flavor of tea leaves by a treatment method of adding high temperature killing to tea blue where fermentation has progressed to the expected level, and stopping the fermentation, which is completely different from black tea produced by the traditional method A deeply fermented semi-fermented tea with a unique flavor can thus be realized.

Various beverages or foods can be produced from the semi-fermented tea of the present invention or the semi-fermented tea produced by the method of the present invention.
It can be blended with the semi-fermented tea of the present invention or the tea leaves with different degrees of fermentation produced by the method of the present invention, whereby a more complex and beautiful taste can be obtained.
The semi-fermented tea according to the present invention or the semi-fermented tea produced by the method according to the present invention is extremely compatible with the fragrance of various flowers by scenting with natural fresh flowers or containing essential oils of flowers. It can be processed into Hanaka tea. In addition, various kinds of fruits or fruit extracts can be added to these tea leaves or tea leaf extracts to produce fruit-flavored teas that have the scent and taste of fruits.
In particular, as a result of repeated experiments by the present inventor, the ratio of the fermentation to a medium-higher or higher-fermented tea (for example, a catechin conversion rate of 50% or higher) or a scented tea Of green tea or flower green tea (green tea with a floral scent attached), the scent of the tea bath is round, rich, harmonious and more refreshing while maintaining the color tone and profound feeling of the semi-fermented tea. It turned out that the green smell of green tea can be removed.
When a certain percentage of fragrant tea is added, the scent of tea and the scent of the tea are melted together in the tea bath, and they are wonderfully combined. On the other hand, when a certain proportion of fermented tea leaves are added to green tea or flower green tea, the taste of tea bath is deep and bitterness is reduced. In particular, when oolong tea scented with green tea is added, the aroma of the tea bath is clean and refreshing, and the drinking comfort is improved.
The present invention also includes these mixed teas or tea beverages of this kind.

  When producing these mixed tea leaves and tea beverages, the above-mentioned effects can be obtained when the weight ratio of the semi-fermented tea and green tea of the present invention is in the range of 9: 1 to 1: 9. In particular, the above-described effects can be obtained only when the above mixed tea leaves or tea beverages contain the semi-fermented tea and the green tea (including the respective incense teas) of the present invention.

  The semi-fermented teas adsorbing the scent of natural flowers used in the present invention means that semi-fermented teas are scented with high-scented natural flowers such as jasmine, gold cocoon, roses, etc. Semi-fermented tea that adsorbs the scent of flowers. If different flowers are used, it becomes a semi-fermented tea with a different scent, and it is possible to make a final product with a different flavor and a different flavor.

  The green tea used in the present invention refers to a general non-fermented tea. However, it is very difficult to absolutely avoid fermentation, so even if there is a little fermentation, it belongs to the green teas referred to in the present invention as long as it does not have the color and flavor of the semi-fermented tea of the present invention. For example, any of roasted green tea, hot-air dried green tea, and steamed green tea can be used.

  The green tea adsorbed with the natural floral scent used in the present invention refers to green tea in which green tea or the like is scented with natural flowers and adsorbed with at least one natural floral scent. For example, there are jasmine flower tea based on green tea, Kanagi hana flower tea, pearl orchid flower tea, Daidai flower tea, lion flower tea and the like. The present invention does not limit the use of natural flowers, but the scent type should be compatible with green tea.

Blended in a ratio of 9: 1 to 1: 9 with the semi-fermented tea of the present invention or the semi-fermented tea of the present invention adsorbing the natural floral scent and the green tea or the green tea adsorbing the natural floral scent. In the case of tea bags or pack teas, both the flavor and taste are more balanced and more ideal than those using semi-fermented teas or green teas alone. If there are many semi-fermented teas within the above ratio, the product itself has a strong semi-fermented tea flavor such as oolong tea.
For example, when emphasizing the characteristics of semi-fermented tea, the mixing ratio of semi-fermented tea or half-fermented tea adsorbing the scent of natural flowers and green tea may be 9: 1 to 6: 4. When emphasizing the characteristics of green tea or green tea that adsorbs the scent of natural flowers, the ratio is reversed. But the 5: 5 proportional product also has an interesting flavor. It is worth emphasizing that if at least one of the above-mentioned two types of raw tea adsorbs the scent of natural flowers, the scent of the product becomes stronger.

  In the present invention, a tea beverage is a beverage obtained by directly extracting tea leaves, such as a commercially available fermented tea beverage, a green tea beverage, a tea beverage, etc. Say. Of course, additives such as antioxidants and sweeteners may be added to the tea beverage, assuming that the flavor of the tea beverage is not broken.

  As a method for producing a tea beverage with the above two types of tea leaves, for example, two types of tea leaves are mixed at a predetermined ratio, extracted together using water or hot water, and the tea liquid is processed into a beverage. There is a way. Alternatively, the beverage may be processed by a method of mixing / blending at a certain ratio after a tea solution or a solid extract extracted by brewing different tea leaves with water or hot water. However, it is not limited to these methods.

  The ideal effect can be obtained when blended in the proportions described above, whether mixed with tea leaves, mixed with tea water, or mixed with a solid tea extract. As in the case of the above-described tea leaves, when the flavor of the semi-fermented tea is emphasized, the ratio of the semi-fermented tea or the semi-fermented tea adsorbing the scent of natural flowers is set to 9: 1 to 6: 4. For products that emphasize the flavor of green tea, increase the ratio of green tea or green tea that adsorbs the scent of natural flowers, and scent of green tea and semi-fermented tea or natural flowers that adsorb the scent of green tea or natural flowers. The ratio to the semi-fermented tea adsorbed with 9: 1 to 6: 4.

  The tea, tea beverage, and the like of the present invention can be processed into foods and drinks such as various tea-containing foods and tea beverages by conventional methods. For example, it can be processed into a cake containing a tea component, a cider of a non-tea beverage, an alcoholic beverage, or the like.

Hereinafter, although the detail of this invention is demonstrated together with an Example, this invention is not limited to this Example.
In the following examples, the semi-fermented tea of the present invention is simply referred to as fermented tea.
In the following examples, unless there is a special explanation, all equipment and control products are commercial products, and their manufacturers, lots, production dates, etc. are not shown.

An example of implementation was performed by the following processing steps.
Tea blue-wilt (sun-dried-heat-cooled-shade-dried) -crushing-stationary (fermentation) -blue killing-drying The specific operation is as follows.
Pick up 400 kilograms of tea blue from Fukuun 6 and dry it with fresh leaves on the sun (sun-dried, ie, sunlight wilt) to lose some water. Then, move to a well-ventilated room, quickly reduce the temperature of sun-dried tea blue to the room temperature (cool blue), and then spread the tea blue in the room. After 16% of the tea blue color was reduced, the wilted tea leaves were put into a machine for smashing and crushed. The crushed leaves are crushed through a sieve having an opening of 10 × 10 mm, spread to a thickness of 3-4 cm in the room and fermented stationary (stationary). At that time, the room temperature is kept at 24-26 ° C., and the tea blue temperature is carefully controlled so as not to exceed 28 ° C. When fermentation proceeds to the scheduled time (see Table 1), fermented tea leaves are put in a rotating pan and fried, and the temperature of the pan is controlled to 200-220 ° C. And stop fermentation (blue killing). The crushed tea leaves after the killing are dried with a hot air dryer at a temperature of 120 ° C. for 200 minutes (drying).

Sampling method:
The tea stems of each number were removed and sieved to obtain 800 g of crushed tea of 12 mesh pass and 20 mesh on.

[Comparative Example 1]
Freshly picked tea blue of Example 1 was immediately killed with steam and then dried in the usual manner to produce unfermented tea. The tea leaves were crushed with a crusher, the stems were removed, and sieved to obtain 800 g of 12 mesh-pass 20 mesh-on tea. Sample number: 0-07P

[Measurement Example 1]
The components of the samples of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 are measured by the method described later. The results are shown in Table 2. The total amount of catechin is the sum of the contents of six types of catechin (EGC, DL-C, EC, GCG, EGCG, ECG).
Catechin was measured by EGC, DL-C, EC, GCG, EGCG, ECG, and the like by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on ISO 14502.
The total catechin is the sum of measured EGC, DL-C, EC, GCG, EGCG and ECG value.
Polyphenols were measured by GB / T8313.

Brown brown (thealvidin, theaflavin, thea brown) was measured by Roberts conventional methods ¹ and 2.
The catechin conversion rate refers to the ratio of catechin reduction compared to the total catechin contained in each sample of Example 1 and the catechin contained in the sample of Comparative Example 1.

¹ , Roberts EAH, Cart wright RA and Oldschool M. The phenolic substances of manufactured tea (I) .J Sci Food Agric, 1957, 8: 72-80
² , Roberts EAH, Cart wright RA and Oldschool M. The phenolic substances of manufactured tea (II). J Sci Food Agric, 1958, 9: 212-216

Example 2 was performed by the following processing steps.
Tea blue-shade drying-sprain-static-killing-drying The specific operation is as follows.
Other operations are the same as in Example 1 except shade drying and twisting. In the shade-drying wilt, the brown-blue eye weight was reduced by 22%, and then it was put into a twisting machine and twisted for 15 minutes, so that the cell leaf damage rate was 60% or more (twisting). Sample Nos. 11-07P, 12-07P, and 13-07P were subjected to blue killing for 15 minutes with a dryer heated to 170 ° C., then the temperature was lowered to 140 ° C. and dried for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Table 3 shows the fermentation time of each sample.

[Measurement Example 2]
A sample made by the same method as in Measurement Example 1 was measured. The results are shown in Table 4. As a control product, the sample of Comparative Example 1 was adopted again.

It implemented based on the following processing process.
Tea blue-shade drying-sprain-static (fermentation)-crushing-static (re-fermentation)-blue killing-drying The specific operation is as follows:
200 kg of tea blue as in Example 1 was shade-dried in the same manner as in Example 2, and wilt continued until the weight was reduced by 26%. The wilted tea leaves were lightly spun for 11 minutes with a twisting machine, the broken tea leaf cells reached 20% to 30%, and then the twisted tea leaves were fermented for 20 minutes. Then, the tea leaves were put into a milling machine and crushed. The crushed tea leaves were passed through a sieve having an opening of 10 × 10 mm, and the crushed tea leaves were spread indoors and fermented again. Details of lot division and fermentation time are shown in Table 3.
Other blue killing, drying and sampling are the same as in Example 1.

[Comparative Example 2]
Example 3 Freshly used tea blue used immediately was fried in a rotating pan and killed. Then, it dried by the normal method and processed into the unfermented tea. The tea leaves were crushed by a crusher, the stems were removed, sieved, and 800 grams of 12 mesh pass 20 mesh on tea were collected. Sample number: 1-07P.

[Measurement Example 3]
Similar to the method of Measurement Example 1, the samples obtained in Example 3 and Comparative Example 2 were measured. The results are as shown in Table 6. The sample of Comparative Example 2 was adopted as a comparative product.
The conversion rate of tea polyphenol was calculated by the same method as the conversion rate of catechin.

The processing steps were as follows.
Tea blue-sun dried-heat dried-shade dried-rock blue-stationary (fermentation)-crushing-stationary (re-fermentation)-blue killing-drying

Specific operations:
100 kg of tea-brown varieties were picked and sun-dried for 30 minutes to lose some water. After that, move the tea blue into a well-ventilated room, spread it out, quickly cool the sun-dried tea blue to the room temperature, let it stand for 2 hours, and then put the tea leaves into the shaker. It turned blue. The first was rocked for 15 minutes and the second was rocked for 20 minutes. There was a 90 minute interval between the first and second bitumen. The tea leaves were removed from the machine after the second fluttering, and the tea blue was spread 5-6 cm into the room and allowed to stand for 12 hours 30 minutes. Thereafter, the fermented tea leaves were put into a kneader and cut while masticating for 2 minutes. The crushed leaves were sieved with a sieve having an opening of 10 × 10 mm, spread on a cloth sheet to a thickness of 3 to 4 cm, and re-fermented while still. At this time, the room temperature was controlled to be 18 to 25 ° C., and the temperature of the tea leaves did not exceed 28 ° C. In addition, blue killing, drying, and sampling are the same as in Example 1.
In addition, 15-07P blue killing and drying were performed as follows using a microwave oven / far infrared rays. 500 g of fermented tea leaves were put in a range with a household open, and were baked for 4 minutes. Microwave and far-infrared of the range acted on tea blue at the same time, killed blue, then adjusted the power of the range to medium and low heat and heated the tea leaves at intervals until completely dry.
Table 7 shows the fermentation time and lot division.

  The results of component analysis of the sample of actual example 4 are as shown in Table 8.

[Comparative Example 3]
Refined oolong tea with product number S103 for export was used. This tea is an ordinary oolong tea made by a manufacturing method in the southern region of Fujian Province and has a normal degree of fermentation. This tea was crushed with a crusher, stalked and sieved, and 800 g of 12 mesh pass 20 mesh on tea was collected. Sample number: S103

[Comparative Example 4]
Refined oolong tea with product number S104 for export was used. This tea is an ordinary Oolong tea made by the manufacturing method in the southern region of Fujian Province and has a normal degree of fermentation. The tea was crushed with a crusher, stalks were taken out, sieved, and 800 g of 12 mesh pass 20 mesh on tea was collected. Sample number: S104

[Comparative Example 5]
Refined oolong tea product number Y303 for export was used. This tea is refined with narcissus varieties and is a oolong tea with a relatively high degree of fermentation that is made by the manufacturing method in the northern region of Fujian Province. This tea was crushed with a crusher, stemmed, sieved, and 800 g of 12 mesh pass, 20 mesh on tea was taken. Sample number: Y303.

[Comparative Example 6]
A product of Nippon Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd., using "Nitto black tea", "Nipple tea, mild blend", country of origin India, Sri Lanka. The black tea purchased at the store was crushed with a crusher, and 300 g of 12 mesh pass 20 mesh on tea was collected. Sample number: H-03

[Comparative Example 7]
A product of Nippon Mitsui Norin Co., Ltd., using “Nitto Black Tea”, “Rich Black Tea, Assam Blend”, India, Sri Lanka. The black tea purchased at the store was crushed with a crusher, sieved, and 300 g of a 12 mesh pass, 20 mesh on tea sample was collected. Sample number: H-04

[Comparative Example 8]
"Brooke Bond" (registered trademark) Darjeeling black tea bought in Japan, the country of origin India was used. The black tea was crushed with a crusher, passed through a sieve, and 300 g of a 12 mesh pass, 20 mesh on tea was collected. Sample number: H-01

[Comparative Example 9]
"Brooke Bond" (registered trademark) Ceylon tea bought in Japan, the country of origin India and Sri Lanka were used. The black tea was crushed with a crusher, sieved, and 300 g of a 12 mesh pass, 20 mesh on tea sample was collected. Sample number: H-02

[Measurement Example 4]
Each of the contents of EGCG, ECG, total catechin value, tea polyphenol, thealvidin, theaflavin, and thea brown in the samples of Comparative Examples 3 to 9 was measured by the above-described measurement method, and the results are shown in Table 9.

[Measurement Example 5]
[sensory evaluation]
The sample of the above example and the sample of the comparative example were each stalked, then crushed and sieved, and 12 mesh pass 20 mesh-on crushed tea was prepared. From these samples, 3 g of each tea was brewed in 100 ml of 200 ml of hot water for 3 minutes, filtered to remove the tea husk, and each number of tea was obtained.
Four judges with experience in evaluating oolong tea performed sensory evaluation of the tea baths of the above examples and comparative examples. As an evaluation method, a single evaluation was performed on the three items of tea color, taste, and aroma, and then a comprehensive evaluation was performed.
A score was assigned to each item, and the maximum score was 5 points. The average score of the four judges is the score for that item.
The overall evaluation is called comprehensive evaluation, with 5 points being perfect. The average score of the four judges is the score of the same item, but the average score is one decimal place.
As for the comparative evaluation between the examples and comparative examples (traditional oolong tea or traditional black tea), the scoring principle is 10 points for traditional oolong tea and traditional black tea. Add a score to, and if it is the opposite, add a minus score. The highest positive score is 5 points, the lowest negative score is -5 points, and the average score of the evaluation for the same sample of 4 people is the “total score” of the same sample. The overall score was one digit after the decimal.
The score of each tea leaf sample is as shown in Tables 10-15.

Sensory evaluation of tea leaf sample made in Example 1

Sensory evaluation of tea leaf sample made in Example 2

Sensory evaluation of tea leaf sample made in Example 3

Sensory evaluation of tea leaf sample made in Example 4

Sensory evaluation of partial example and comparative example (Oolong tea)

The following examples were conducted with reference to the method of Chinese Patent Application No. 20071014103.9.
Each tea leaf in Example 3 was mixed at the same weight, and 20 kg of powdered tea with 12 mesh pass and 20 mesh on was taken. A fermented tea (hereinafter abbreviated as “flower-fermented tea”) in which 10 kg of the scent was scented with jasmine flowers by a conventional method to adsorb the scent of jasmine was made. Fermented tea and flower fermented tea used when mixing with other tea leaves among fermented tea and flower fermented tea used in Tables 16 to 23 below and A, B, C, D, E for beverages below These are these two types of tea leaves.
Using a crusher, 22 kg of Fujian kettle roasted green tea with product number GT707 was crushed and sieved to obtain 20 kg of 12 mesh pass 20 mesh on tea. 10 kg of it is a green tea (hereinafter abbreviated as flower green tea) in which jasmine flowers are scented by a usual method and the scent of jasmine is adsorbed. Among the green tea and flower green tea used in the following Tables 16 to 23 and A, B, C, D, E for the following beverages, both green tea and flower green tea used when mixing with other teas These two types of tea leaf products.
The samples were mixed at the ratios shown in Tables 16 to 23 below, and these samples were evaluated and scored by 6 experienced judges. The total score is as shown in Tables 16-23.
The standard of evaluation is a standard comparative sample, unfermented fermented tea or flower fermented tea and green tea or flower green tea with 10 points. If it is better than the standard comparison sample, the score is added and displayed as 10+. If it is inferior to the standard comparison sample, it is deducted. It is represented by 10−, and the maximum plus score is +5, and the lowest deduction score is −5.
The total score is the total score obtained by adding the total score of 6 people and dividing the sum by 6.

Mixing ratio and evaluation of fermented tea and green tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of fermented tea and flower green tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of flower fermented tea and green tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of fermented and green tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of green tea and fermented tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of green tea and flower fermented tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of flower green tea and fermented tea

Mixing ratio and evaluation of flower green tea and flower fermented tea

When a certain amount of green tea or flower green tea is added to the fermented tea or flower fermented tea from the above examples and comparative examples, not only the bitterness and depth of the fermented tea is obtained, It can have the good taste of green tea and the characteristic of clean and refreshing fragrance, both complement the advantages and disadvantages, and the product color tone, aroma and taste should be better than single fermented tea or flower fermented tea I understood.
When a certain amount of fermented tea or flower fermented tea is added to the green tea or flower green tea from the above examples and comparative examples, the green tea has a lot of amino acids, umami, and has a clean and refreshing fragrance. In addition to having a certain characteristic, it is also possible to have the characteristics of a fermented tea with little bitterness and depth. Complementing the strengths and weaknesses of both, the product's color, aroma, and taste are close to perfection and are found to be much better than a single green tea.

Tea drink A tea drink was produced in the usual manner according to the following ratio between the fermented tea, flower fermented tea and green tea or flower green tea of the present invention.
The ratio composition of tea leaves is as follows:
A, raw material combination: 100% fermented tea
B, Raw material composition: 80% fermented tea, 20% green tea.
C, raw material composition: 80% fermented tea, 20% flower green tea.
D, raw material composition: flower fermented tea 80%, green tea 20%.
E, raw material composition: flower fermented tea 80%, flower green tea 20%.

  There are two methods when processing tea beverages from the above ratio blends. One is to mix the raw tea and then extract it with boiling water. Secondly, two types of tea are brewed and extracted, and the extract is mixed in a certain ratio. Since this fermented tea is not bitter, it may be brewed using hot water with a relatively high temperature when it is brewed, but in the case of green tea it is relatively easy to avoid extracting a lot of bitter components. Extract with hot water at a low temperature. Therefore, the present Example took the method of extracting two types of tea, and mixing the extract. When making fermented tea or flower fermented tea, hot water at 95 degrees was used, and when boiling green tea or flower green tea, 70 degrees hot water was used.

The processing of tea beverages, according to known methods, consists of the following steps:
Weigh a certain amount of tea leaves, add hot water to extract, remove tea husk, filter, cool, mix tea extract, blend (preparation of water to adjust concentration and pH, seasonings, sweeteners and antioxidants, eg vitamin C) Heat sterilization or aseptic filtration, aseptic filling, cooling, product.

According to a conventional method with the blending ratio of A, B, C, D, and E, tea beverages A, B, C, D, and E mixed with fermented tea beverage and fermented tea or flower fermented tea and green tea or flower green tea. Produced. The concentration of the beverage is 0.3 (Bx value 0.3), pH-6, 50 each (500 ml / book).
The amount of tea leaves used is about 8g / 1000ml.

[Measurement Example 6]
For comparison, a 500 ml PET bottle oolong tea drink / green tea drink / jasmine tea drink from a company W was purchased from the market. These are referred to as W-O beverage / WG beverage / WH beverage, respectively. In addition, 500ml PET bottles oolong tea drink / green tea drink / jasmine tea drink produced by Y company in the market were purchased and made into YO drink / YG drink / YH drink, respectively.

Seven days after the product of Example 5 was completed, four experienced tea leaf judges conducted a sensory test on Example 5 and the comparative product, and evaluated the color tone, aroma, and taste of each beverage. The overall score of each beverage was evaluated with a maximum score of 5 points. The total score is 100 points. The average score of 4 people was used as the score of the beverage. The results are shown in Table 24.

  As can be seen from the results of the examination, the fermented tea beverage of the present invention has a better color tone, less bitterness and a refreshing taste than the traditional fermented tea beverage. The tea drink mixed with the flower fermented tea and green tea or flower green tea of the present invention is much better than the traditional oolong tea drink in any color tone, aroma and taste.

  Compared with the simple green tea drink or jasmine tea drink described above, these fermented tea drinks have different flavors, so although there are some parts that cannot be compared, the ease of accepting by the drinker has become much better. Because there is no good).

The fermented tea of the present invention has a low content of bitterness ingredients such as tea polyphenols and tea catechins, a high content of brown, a vivid liquid color of tea water, a good taste and a fragrance.
In the method for producing fermented tea of the present invention, a method of damaging tea leaf blades, leaf veins, that is, tissue cells of the whole tea leaf is employed, so that the damaged area of the leaves is large and the tissue cells of the leaf blades are sufficiently damaged. Yes, the enzymatic oxidation was significantly faster and the time required for the fermentation process was greatly reduced. Under appropriate temperature conditions, it can be fermented to the degree of fermentation of traditional Oolong tea in just 5 to 30 minutes. In the processing method of the present invention, fermented tea having an arbitrary degree of fermentation can be produced by controlling the fermentation time. In addition, the blue scent of tea leaves was eliminated by the killing, and the aroma and taste were improved.
The mixed tea or the tea beverage made by combining the fermented tea and green tea of the present invention could have the advantages of fermented tea and green tea.

Claims (7)

Against the weight of dry tea leaves
The content of tea polyphenol is 19% by weight or less,
Semi-fermented tea in which the total amount of thea brown, theaflavin and thealvidin is 11% by weight or more and the ECG and EGCG content is 5.1% by weight or less. Withering tea blue,
Wound the tissue of the whole tea blue or the whole tea blue after the wilt,
By fermenting the damaged tea blue and killing tea blue during fermentation, it is fixed at the target fermentation level,
A method for producing semi-fermented tea, comprising drying the tea leaves that have been killed and fixed at a target fermentation level.   The method for producing semi-fermented tea according to claim 2, wherein the injuries of the entire tea blue tissue or the cells of the entire tissue are performed by twisting, crushing, stirring, or any combination thereof.   A beverage or food containing the semi-fermented tea according to claim 1 or an extract or extract of the semi-fermented tea.   A beverage or food, wherein the semi-fermented tea according to claim 1 is a semi-fermented tea scented with natural flowers or a semi-fermented tea containing essential oils of flowers.   Furthermore, the drink or foodstuff of Claim 4 or 5 containing a fruit or fruit extract.   Furthermore, the drink or foodstuff of any one of Claims 4-6 containing the tea or extract of green tea or the said green tea.