The first post I wrote on this subject talked about brewers currently on the market and the one we are getting ready to introduce to foodservice. In this post, I’d like to talk about tea brewing in general. A very popular machine on the market for consumer use uses the same method to brew tea and coffee. It amazes me that people accept their leaf being brewed in the same manner as coffee grounds. Tea and coffee contrast dramatically on elemental levels: they are physically different, structurally different, and chemically different. Yet, consumers accept the compromise.
The distinction is important, due to the differences between Orthodox and CTC teas, essentially body vs. flavor. Orthodox Teas are whole leaf teas manufactured using the traditional process of making tea. CTC Teas are made through the Crush, Tear, and Curl (CTC) process of manufacture producing a granular leaf particle.
CTC process tea is seen by some as the answer to the overarching question of reducing brewing time and making tea more accessible to foodservice. I have worked with CTC and feel strongly that it is not equal to orthodox. I have one criteria when judging tea: taste/my palate. I know what I taste and I am honest to that.
There are structural components to the leaf that respond differently to methods of brewing than ground coffee – regular or espesso – grinds. Here’s our goal when brewing tea: extract the amino acids from the tannins before the caffeine – because too much caffeine/astringency will cause bitterness. But it cannot JUST be fast, because you need the right conditions to get the amino acids out – which is what the quick forcing of hot water through the leaves does not do – but does work with ground coffee. The leaf needs just the right balance to release its best taste properties.
There are approximately 20 known amino acids in tea. Depending on what percentage of these various amino acids is released during brewing determines the taste of the tea. The trick is for a technology to release the optimum taste profile in the least amount of time when dealing with high volume operations. If the profile is less than optimum, the tea may be weak or bitter.
The coffee industry has worked with science to develop their grinding and brewing technologies over decades, producing many generations of espresso machines and commercial coffee grinders and brewers. Tea has been overlooked. In some cases, tea is simply being ‘crammed’ into a coffee brewing profile, like a comic sidekick, which is a horrible mistake. This ‘quick fix’ is a poor fit for an industry needing a time-sensitive technology that gives truly excellent results.
We are now looking for foodservice industry partnerships to help us bring a technology developed by tea professionals to the mass market. These ideal partners – to us – don’t have to be engaged in the exclusive coffee/tea retail sector; but rather restaurant chains, hotels, and other foodservice venues. Large tea growers/exporters/importers are also a potential strategic partner that would benefit from this technology.
If you are interested in this area of specialty tea service, we would love to speak with you. Contact Vern Walden at 951-506-1433.
I too feel that orthodox tea is miles apart from CTC processed teas. I never really thought about why that was however. I’ve been keenly aware of the antioxidant issue but never really understood the issue of the release of tannins vs amino acids. I had always blamed bitterness on the tannins exclusively. I also believed that excess heat was a contributing factor. Your explanation was quite helpful. I finally understand why my preference for whole leaf tea has been so strong for me. Like you, it’s all about taste.
I hope you’re able to find a strategic partner for your commercial brewing technology. Once you’ve accomplished that, I suspect we’ll be seeing your wonderful machine in all of the best tea houses, coffee shops and restaurants around the country/globe.
This comment was left on our face book page by Felicia Stewart:
It’s great that new technology is being developed to assist with brewing good tea in a high-paced environment. However, I understand that the taste profile can be quite different to what people can achieve with standard teapots, etc. If a person tastes a tea while out in a café that is using high-tech brewing machines, how can they expect to replicate that at home?
There are a number of differences that customers can experience when going to a tea/coffee shop, many of which can impact the flavor of the tea one is drinking. Most commercial shops have water filtration systems that take out all of the potentially bad tasting elements in municipal water. That alone can change the taste of orthodox tea significantly with white and greens teas especially. Excellent tea shops have experimented with the ideal water temperature and brew time for each new tea so unless the customer inquires about those details, their home made tea will taste differently.
Thanks Michelle and Felicia. The same things you both mentioned re: the difference in food service and home brewing applies to coffee and espresso as well. We already have had interest in a home version, and hope to develop one. Michelle has brought up filtration, and home filtration systems are available. Good coffee brewers are now in homes, and even quality espresso machines are available for home use. These cost plenty of money…and some people still use instant coffee and municipal water boiled in a pot. The same applies to food; professional chefs have the best equipment and ingredients, but good home chefs have access to restaurant quality equipment for their homes now. The next installment on tea technology will be about caffeine and bitterness.
I have a water filtration system at my sink, complete with a separate faucet. It’s wonderful and not very expensive. Definitely worth the price for pure water for tea and drinking water.
One more shortcut that will give tea a bad name…..horrendous! Let’s give tea its due and encourage a brewing process that brings out the best in good quality tea.
Chef Wemischner, I’m surprised that you would comment on the quality of the infusion without having tasted it.
That is exactly what this brewing technology does..bring out the best of the leaf. I imagine when the first coffee brewing equipment came out, someone said something much the same.