What's In Tea?

Question 1

How much of the tea plant is composed of water?

Answer 1

75-80% of the leaf is water.

Question 2

What type of antioxidants affect the flavor and mouthfeel of tea?

Answer 2

Polyphenols.

Question 3

What type of polyphenol reacts with oxygen to create the color and flavor of the infused liquid during oxidation?

Answer 3

Catechin.

Question 4

What are the main polyphenolic compounds that create tea’s unique taste?

Answer 4

Catechins, theaflavins, tannins, and flavonoids.

Question 5

What are the volatile (not as important) compounds that influence tea’s flavor?

Answer 5

Hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters, and nitrogen.

Question 6

What are the polyphenols that contribute to the bitter astringency of some teas?

Answer 6

Theaflavins and tannins.

Question 7

What are simple flavonoids?

Answer 7

Catechins.

Question 8

What are complex flavonoids?

Answer 8

Theaflavins and thearubigins.

Question 9

What changes a simple flavonoid to a complex one?

Answer 9

Oxidation.

Question 10

What contains more complex flavonoids, green tea or Oolong?

Answer 10

Oolong, because there is more oxidation.

Question 11

How much weight do catechins make up of the overall fresh tea plant?

Answer 11

25%

Question 12

What are the 5 catechins found in the tea plant?

Answer 12

EGCG epigallocatechin-3-gallate
EC epicatechin
ECg epicatechin-3-gallate
EGC epigallocatechin
GC gallocatechin

Question 13

What is L-theanine?

Answer 13

An amino acid that rarely occurs in nature, which helps transmit nerve impulses in the brain, increasing the activity of alpha waves and relaxing the mind without inducing sleepiness.

Question 14

What trace minerals and vitamins are found in tea?

Answer 14

Calcium, zinc, potassium, manganese, B1, B2, B6, B12, folate, niacin, and pantothenate.