Purple Tea: Origin, Nutrients, Health Benefits, Varieties, etc

About Black Tea and Purple Tea:

Black tea, also translated to Red tea in various Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor than other teas. All five types are made from leaves of the shrub (or small tree) Camellia sinensis.

Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis var. sinensis), used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis var. assamica), which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.

First originating in China, the beverage’s name is called (Chinese: 紅茶), meaning “red tea”, due to the color of the oxidized leaves when processed appropriately. Today, the drink is widespread throughout East and Southeast Asia, both in consumption and harvesting, including in Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Similar variants are also available in South Asian countries.

While green tea usually loses its flavor within a year, black tea retains its flavor for several years. For this reason, it has long been an article of trade, and compressed bricks of black tea even served as a form of de facto currency in Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia into the 19th century. (Purple Tea)

Manufacture

1. After the harvest, the leaves are first withered by blowing air on them.
2. Then black teas are processed in either of two ways, CTC (crush, tear, curl) or orthodox. The CTC method produces leaves of fannings or dust grades that are commonly used in tea bags but also produces higher (broken leaf) grades such as BOP CTC and GFBOP CTC (see gradings below for more details). This method is efficient and effective for producing a better quality product from medium and lower quality leaves of consistently dark color. Orthodox processing is done either by machines or by hand. Hand processing is used for high quality teas. While the methods employed in orthodox processing differ by tea type, this style of processing results in the high quality loose tea sought by many connoisseurs. The tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize.

Orthodox

The withered tea leaves are heavily rolled either by hand or mechanically through the use of a cylindrical rolling table or a rotovane. The rolling table consists of a ridged table-top moving in an eccentric manner to a large hopper of tea leaves, in which the leaves are pressed down onto the table-top. The process produces a mixture of whole and broken leaves and particles which are then sorted, oxidized and dried. The rotorvane (rotovane), created by Ian McTear in 1957 can be used to replicate the orthodox process. 

The rotovane consisted of an auger pushing withered tea leaves through a vane cylinder which crushes and evenly cuts the leaves, however the process is more recently superseded by the boruah continuous roller, which consists of an oscillating conical roller around the inside of a ridged cylinder. The rotorvane can consistently duplicate broken orthodox processed black tea of even sized broken leaves, however it cannot produce whole leaf black tea. The broken leaves and particles from the orthodox method can feed into the CTC method for further processing into fanning or dust grade teas.

“Cut (or crush), tear, curl” (CTC)

1. A production method developed by William McKercher in 1930. It is considered by some as a significantly improved method of producing black tea through the mincing of withered tea leaves^. The use of a rotovane to precut the withered tea is a common preprocessing method prior to feeding into the CTC. CTC machines then further shred the leaves from the rotovane by passing them through several stages of contra-rotating rotors with surface patterns that cut and tear the leaves to very fine particles.

1. Next, the leaves are oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity. (This process is also called “fermentation”, which is a misnomer since no actual fermentation takes place. Polyphenol oxidase is the enzyme active in the process.) The level of oxidation determines the type (or “color”) of the tea; with fully oxidised becoming black tea, low oxidised becoming green tea, and partially oxidised making up the various levels of oolong tea. 
2. This can be done on the floor in batches or on a conveyor bed with air flow for proper oxidation and temperature control. Since oxidation begins at the rolling stage itself, the time between these stages is also a crucial factor in the quality of the tea; however, fast processing of the tea leaves through continuous methods can effectively make this a separate step. The oxidation has an important effect on the taste of the end product, but the amount of oxidation is not an indication of quality. Tea producers match oxidation levels to the teas they produce to give the desired end characteristics.

1. Then the leaves are dried to arrest the oxidation process.
2. Finally, the leaves are sorted into grades according to their sizes (whole leaf, brokens, fannings and dust), usually with the use of sieves. The tea could be further sub-graded according to other criteria.

The tea is then ready for packaging.

Tea grading

Black tea is usually graded on one of four scales of quality. Whole-leaf teas are the highest quality, with the best whole-leaf teas graded as “orange pekoe”. After the whole-leaf teas, the scale degrades to broken leaves, fannings, then dusts. Whole-leaf teas are produced with little or no alteration to the tea leaf. This results in a finished product with a coarser texture than that of bagged teas. Whole-leaf teas are widely considered the most valuable, especially if they contain leaf tips. Broken leaves are commonly sold as medium-grade loose teas.

Smaller broken varieties may be included in tea bags. Fannings are usually small particles of tea left over from the production of larger tea varieties, but are occasionally manufactured specifically for use in bagged teas. Dusts are the finest particles of tea left over from production of the above varieties, and are often used for tea bags with very fast and harsh brews. Fannings and dusts are useful in bagged teas because the greater surface area of the many particles allows for a fast, complete diffusion of the tea into the water. Fannings and dusts usually have a darker colour, lack of sweetness, and stronger flavor when brewed.

Green, Black, Oolong, how many more teas do we know?

Indeed, quite a few, including premium black teas like Orange Pekoe

Would you like to learn about a tea that contains a huge amount of 51% antioxidants that can prevent cancer and increase the antioxidant capacity of the brain?

Even more surprising is that this is not a new tea. This is simply a premium variety of green tea.

PURPLE TEA.

So, without further delay, let’s explore this wonderful tea.

What is Purple Tea?

Purple tea is a rare tea variety produced in Kenya obtained from Camellia sinensis, the same plant from which black and green teas are derived.

Its name, purple tea refers to the color of the leaves due to the high level of anthocyanins in it, it can be used in eggplant, strawberry, etc. rich compound.

And do you know that the agricultural name for purple tea, given by the Kenya Tea Research Institute, is TRFK306?

How does Purple Tea Taste Like?

It has a sweet, pleasant and woody flavor that ranks between green and black tea, as it is slightly lighter than black and bitter than green tea, but does not have the grassy or herbal-like flavor usually exhibited by green tea.

And what’s even more interesting is that…

This Kenyan purple tea has a similar flavor to oolong tea as it is processed in the same way, i.e. partially oxidized by the wrapped leaves.

Origin and Rise of Purple Tea

Purple tea is believed to have originated as wild tea in the Indian state of Assam. However, later the seedlings were transplanted to Kenya where they began to be grown commercially.

And the best thing

Thanks to the efforts of the Kenya Tea Research Foundation, which has made a public-private partnership for its mutation and mass production, it is heavily promoted by encouraging farmers as it sells 3-4 times the amount of black tea.

quite interesting,

Purple tea farms are located at an altitude of about 4500-7500 feet above sea level because the conditions for its growth are ideal at this altitude.

At such a high altitude, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are highest because the cloudless sky and thinner atmosphere filter out less UV radiation. Every 100 meters of altitude means a 10-12% increase in UV levels.

And you know

The purple color of the leaves is actually a response of the plant to the potential damage of UV by releasing high levels of antioxidants. And that’s what makes it special.

India is now trying to reclaim the title under the mandate of the Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI). According to them, Assam has enormous potential to produce this tea of ​​the future.

Major Constituents of Purple Tea

• Caffeine,
• theobromine,
• Epigallocatechin (ECG),
• Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and
• 1,2-di-0-galloyl-4,6-0-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenol-β-D-glucose (GHG)

Nutritional Facts of Purple Tea

Purple tea has more nutrients than its counterparts such as green and traditional black tea. More antioxidants than other teas make it a high-demand tea. Let’s come to the benefits of this tea.

• Anthocyanins: This compound is richly found in purple tea, meaning 15 times more than found in blueberries. And that’s why it’s purple.
• Antioxidants: Contains up to 51% more antioxidants than green or black tea, compared to 34.3% in green tea.
• Polyphenols: Purple tea also takes the lead in polyphenols, with an astonishing 16.5% compared to 10.1% in black tea and 9.1% in green tea.

• Some bioactive compounds like EDCG, GHG, Theobromine, Caffeine and EKG
• The benefits we derive from the presence of the above compounds are further discussed below.

Did you know: Tea Length is a term used for a women’s outfit whose hemline falls below the knee but reaches above the ankle. So when someone says purple tea dress, they mean a purple dress of this length.

Purple Tea Benefits

Although it is derived from the same tea plant, the genetic mutation makes it extremely beneficial for health.

Let’s look at the benefits of each.

1. As an Anti-cancer Agent

This is followed by green tea, phytochemicals and other functional components in purple tea, highly contributing to the protection of cancer cells (4TI) from further proliferation.

Its powerful antioxidant capacity helps prevent certain types of cancer, including breast, colon and prostate cancers.

2. Stimulates Immune System

One study concluded that consuming purple tea regularly helps stimulate the immune system by creating lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are types of white blood cells that protect you from infectious diseases and cancer cells.

3. Boosts the Brain’s Antioxidant Capacity

A study was conducted to check the role of anthocyanins, which are rich in purple tea, in increasing brain antioxidant capacity, if any.

And it was concluded that the anthocyanins in purple tea have the ability to cross the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) and strengthen the antioxidant capacity of the brain.

Therefore, purple tea can be used as a tonic for brain health; this is a benefit that other teas cannot provide.

4. For Hair and Skin Health

Anthocyanin is the distinguishing factor of purple tea, which makes it rank higher among all teas. In addition to the benefits of anthocyanin, skin health is another feature of anthocyanin.

According to one study, it increases the level of extracellular molecules (ECM), including anthocyanin, elastin, and collagens.

The antioxidants of purple tea fight free radicals and toxins in your body, which can otherwise damage collagen and elastin, resulting in acne scars and dead skin.

In addition, its extracts are used in the treatment of baldness, as it helps to increase blood circulation in the scalp. There are numerous types of shampoos, toners, gels and serums, and hair massage brushes that make use of purple tea.

5. Stress and Anxiety Relieving

Like other teas, the caffeine in purple tea can help reduce stress and anxiety. A study shows that purple tea extracts have anti-anxiety and anti-depressive properties.

Drinking more often reduces physical and mental fatigue, which makes us less prone to external stress.

6. For Diabetes

Purple tea also helps in lowering blood sugar levels when taken twice a day. The antioxidants and phenols in its content are effective for type 2 diabetes patients.

7. For Weight Loss

The slimming property of green tea is well-known by everyone with its high amount of antioxidants. But what can it do better than a tea with 1.4 times more antioxidants than green tea?

According to a study, drinking purple tea can significantly reduce one’s weight and thus has the best anti-obesity properties found in any tea. The study explains that caffeine suppresses fat absorption, and the combination of catechins and caffeine enhances its anti-obesity effects in the body.

Using a fat-burning massager along with purple tea is an ideal combination to quickly track your fitness goal.

8. For Inflammation

Purple tea is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent chronic and acute inflammation. Other benefits include relief from arthritis pain.

Side-Effects of Purple Tea

Few people who consumed purple tea complained of nausea or diarrhea when taking it too often.

But the good news is,

The addiction and side effects common in green and black tea are not present in purple tea, thanks to its low amount of caffeine and tannins.

Can pregnant women drink this tea?

There is still a question mark about purple tea consumption by pregnant women. Since purple tea is relatively new on the market, fewer studies have been done so far.

If we take it as black tea, it actually is, we can follow the same myth. So, it is not harmful for the pregnant, but at the same time it should be taken with caution.

How to Make Purple Tea

After learning about its benefits, let us show you how to make this unique yet wonderful tea at home.

Purple tea is brewed in the same way as green, black or cerasee tea.

Ingredients:

• A tea bag or loose leaves of purple tea
• Sugar (brown or white)
• Condensed Milk (optional)
• Boiling water

Directions:

Pour fresh boiling water over the tea bag and let it steep for 2-3 minutes. But do not exceed this time, unlike other teas, a strange bitterness will develop.

Alternatively, if you have loose leaves, use a teacup infuser. Finally, sweeten with sugar or honey. Tea is ready! Pour into your mug and enjoy.

Different Purple Tea Names Available Commercially

The list below is not exhaustive but differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, most of which are organic purple teas.

1. Purple Rain
2. Purple Jasmine
3. Purple Chocolate
4. Purple Mint
5. Purple Leaf Tea

The Bottom Line!

We’ve been thinking of green tea as the best of all teas until now, right? But after seeing the benefits of purple tea, it’s time to try this wonderful tea as well.

And do you know that the biggest thing we look for in any tea is antioxidants? No wonder purple tea contains more antioxidants than any other tea.

Even blueberries contain 15 times more anthocyanins, more antioxidants than green tea and 1.6 times more polyphenols than green tea, which is meaningful evidence to call it the king of all teas. It can also be a nice gift for your coffee-loving friend.

What flavor of purple tea have you tried? Was it Purple Chocolate or someone else? Let us know in the comment section below.

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