Attention! What you are drinking may be Aspergillus flavus, not golden camellia tea!

China is not only a major tea producer, but also a major tea processor and exporter, and even more so a major tea consumer. my country's tea culture is extensive and profound, with a long history.

According to different classification standards, tea in my country can be divided into many categories, such as oolong tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea, white tea and dark tea, which are all categories that everyone can name. However, have you heard of brick tea?

Brick tea, in short, is a brick-shaped tea block. As a post-fermented tea, it is a reprocessed tea formed by pressing black (raw) tea. Brick tea can be subdivided into Fuzhuan tea, Qingzhuan tea, Kangzhuan and Jinjian tea, Huazhuan tea, Heizhuan tea and Mizhuan tea, etc. It is mainly produced in Yunnan, Hubei, Sichuan, Hunan and other provinces.

Because it can eliminate the fatness of beef and mutton, remove the heat of barley, and replenish a variety of minerals needed by the human body, it is deeply loved by ethnic minorities. Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have therefore become the main consumption areas of brick tea.

Among brick teas, Fuzhuan tea is special because of its unique "flowering" process. Because its production was previously carried out during the dog days of summer, it was named Fuzhuan. It is also called "Fucha" or "Fucha" because its taste and efficacy are similar to those of the Chinese medicine Fuling.

It is significantly different from flower brick and black brick tea in two aspects:

First, the pressing procedures are different, which is mainly reflected in the thickness of the brick. The "flowering" process of Fu bricks requires that the bricks be moderately tight and have enough space for microorganisms to grow and reproduce.

Secondly, after taking the Fuzhuan tea out of the brick mold, it must be packaged and then dried to facilitate better "flowering". At this point, do you want to know what the so-called "flowering" is?

The "flowering" of Fuzhuan tea is actually a process to promote the growth and reproduction of probiotics - "Golden Flower Fungus". The scientific name of "Golden Flower Fungus" is Eurotium cristatum, and it is named "Golden Flower" because it can produce golden spores and its shape resembles a flower.

Previously, "Golden Flower Fungus" only occasionally appeared on long-year-old Ganoderma lucidum fungi. Now it has been found in Fu brick tea, green brick tea, Kang brick tea, and a few Pu'er teas of a certain age.

However, since the "golden flowers" were first discovered in large quantities on Fu bricks, and their aroma and taste go well with black tea, only Fu brick tea has carried forward the special craft of "flowering".

Generally speaking, the more "golden flowers" there are in Fu brick tea, the better the quality of the tea will be. There is even a saying among the people that "good tea means more golden flowers, and more flowers means better tea quality."

But in fact, "Golden Flower" itself has no special nutritional value. It mainly promotes the conversion of starch, protein, and polyphenols in tea into reddish-brown substances that are beneficial to the human body by producing oxidase and amylase. Long-term drinking can not only improve people's sleep quality and digestive system function, but also enhance the body's resistance and prevent disease invasion.

Since the "Golden Flower" is so precious, does it appear on all Fuzhuan teas? Obviously not. The appearance of the "Golden Flower" requires three conditions to be met:

Although "Golden Flower" is good, we must pay attention to distinguish it from the notorious Aspergillus flavus in daily drinking. "Golden Flower" and Aspergillus flavus belong to the same genus Aspergillus, and their morphology is similar, so it is easy to confuse them.

People can distinguish them in daily life by following the steps below.

After understanding the above, have you already had the idea of ​​tasting the brick tea with full of "golden flowers"? If so, then take action.

*This article was first published by "The Fat Devil's Microbial Front" (WeChat ID: nldxhjwswx). Any media reprinting must retain the name and WeChat ID of "The Fat Devil's Microbial Front". Any changes, including the title, are strictly prohibited without permission.

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