With its regal purple hues and exotic allure, purple tea is capturing the curiosity of tea connoisseurs and bubble tea lovers alike. This rare tea offers a treasure trove of flavor and intrigue just waiting to be uncovered. In this blog post, we’ll highlight fascinating facts about purple tea that you likely never knew before. We’ll trace purple tea’s origins, unravel its unusual processing methods, and decode its one-of-a-kind flavor profile. We’ll also showcase the potential health perks that make purple tea a functional bubble tea ingredient as well as a delicious one. By the end, you’ll see why more bubble tea shops like ours are embracing purple tea’s mystique. Get ready to be captivated by this royal brew as we unveil the unknown wonders of purple tea.
History of Purple Tea
Unlike green, black, white or oolong teas, purple tea is a relatively new variety that traces back just a little over a century. In the early 1900s, a tea grower in Kenya noticed a purple-leafed tea plant that sprouted as a natural mutation in the fields. The vibrant color results from high concentrations of anthocyanin antioxidants in the leaves. This fortuitous find marked the first recordings of what we now call purple tea.
The purple tea plants thrived in Kenya’s tropical highlands, and commercial cultivation began in the 1990s. Purple tea gained international attention at the Paris World Tea Expo in 2015. Soon unique processing methods were developed to carefully hand-craft artisanal purple tea for discerning specialty tea drinkers. The delicate leaves are withered, oxidized, rolled, and dried to balance complexity with the innate sweetness.
While still considered a rare novelty, purple tea is gaining popularity as a specialty ingredient for tea blends and bubble teas. Its eye-catching color and tailored flavor profile lend well to creative formulations like our shop’s popular Purple Majesty bubble tea. The royal brew continues charming more bubble tea fans looking to try rare and distinctive flavors.
Health Benefits
While captivating in color and taste, purple tea also delivers science-backed health advantages. The unique phytonutrient makeup of purple tea provides antioxidants, anti-inflammatory activity, and other functional benefits.
Powerful Anthocyanin Antioxidants
Purple tea leaves possess high levels of anthocyanins, a special class of polyphenol antioxidants that give purple, blue, and red plants their colorful pigments. The levels can be up to 4 times greater than in green tea.
These anthocyanins act as antioxidants once consumed by neutralizing unstable free radical compounds that can damage cells. This antioxidant effect helps reduce overall inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
Specific anthocyanins like cyanidin-3-O-galactoside and malvidin show increased bioavailability compared to other plants. This means more antioxidant power is readily absorbed in the body.
Anti-Diabetic Potential
Early cell studies indicate purple tea may inhibit certain enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Specifically, purple tea demonstrated effectiveness blocking alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes.
These enzymes break down starches into simple sugars. By inhibiting them, purple tea could help manage after-meal blood glucose spikes. The anthocyanins and tannins may be responsible for this effect.
While more research is needed, the results suggest drinking purple tea regularly may support blood sugar regulation and help manage type 2 diabetes.
Anti-Cancer Possibilities
Purple tea extracts have been studied for their potential to suppress growth and spread of certain cancer cell lines including breast, colorectal, cervical, and prostate cancers.
The anthocyanins as well as theaflavins, catechins, and fluoroquinolones in purple tea may contribute to apoptosis, or programmed cancer cell death. They also appear to reduce angiogenesis which starves tumors of their blood supply.
The research is preliminary but indicates potent anti-cancer abilities in purple tea’s unique phytochemical profile.
Heart Health
The anthocyanins in purple tea combat inflammation and oxidation involved in cardiovascular disease progression. Animal studies reveal purple tea extracts reduced risk factors for hypertension, stroke, and heart attack.
The antioxidants also improve blood vessel function and enhance healthy cholesterol levels. Regularly sipping purple tea may support overall heart health.
The emerging research makes the case that the royal hue of purple tea signifies powerful health benefits – evidence you can see and feel with each sip.
Taste Profile
So what does purple tea actually taste like? The flavor profile stands out from more familiar black, green and white teas. Let’s dive into the unique sensory experience of sipping this regal brew:
Appearance – True to name, properly brewed purple tea transforms into a striking reddish-purple hue – almost blackberry-like in the cup. The mesmerizing color is a visual cue to the antioxidant richness.
Aroma – Floral and sweet berry notes arise from the leaves of Kenyan purple tea varieties. The fragrance promises a delicate, fruit-forward cup.
Flavor – While robust and pleasantly full-bodied, purple tea is not bitter or astringent like some black teas. The primary taste is smooth, malted sweetness almost reminiscent of cocoa. Secondary fruity notes like blackcurrant and raisin emerge.
Finish – Lingering fruit sweetness rounds out each sip. There’s no harsh aftertaste, just satisfying satiny finish.
This distinctive but approachable flavor profile makes purple tea a versatile ingredient for tea blends and bubble tea creations. The subtle fruity notes pair beautifully with the actual fruit purees, fruit jellies, and fruit boba used in fruit-based bubble teas. The cocoa hints complement chocolate syrup, hazelnut, and spices like cinnamon and cardamom. We love dreaming up new flavor fantasies featuring purple tea – the possibilities are endless!
Preparation Techniques
Processing purple tea requires great care and mastery to protect the delicate leaves and bring out their unique qualities. Traditional purple tea preparation involves four key steps:
Withering
After harvest, the fresh purple tea leaves are laid out to wither which removes excess moisture from the leaves. Withering causes the leaves to wilt and soften, making them pliable for shaping.
This process usually takes around 12-18 hours depending on factors like leaf thickness and climate conditions. The leaves are periodically turned and inspected during withering. Adequate moisture removal prevents crushing during further processing. But the withering must be monitored to avoid making the leaves too dry and brittle. The tea master must strike the right balance.
Shaping
Once suitably withered, the leaves move on to the shaping stage. Here the leaves are gently rolled, twisted, and compressed to break down the cell structure inside each leaf. This cellular disruption allows key chemical components in the leaves to be exposed and interact in ways that influence the final flavor.
The purple tea leaves are carefully hand-pressed to just the right degree – enough to release the flavors but not so forceful as to cause unwanted oxidation or damage. The shaping transforms the leaves into twisted formations ready for the next step.
Oxidizing
After shaping, purple tea goes through controlled oxidation much like black tea. The leaves are spread out to allow oxygen to interact with the leaf juices and compounds. This oxidation transforms the color to the iconic purple hues through chemical reactions.
Oxidation also develops more complex flavors as compounds in the leaves combine. The tea master carefully monitors timing to achieve full oxidation results. Too short and the flavor remains one-dimensional. Too long and astringency results. The oxidation duration helps distinguish the final taste.
Drying
The final stage of purple tea processing is drying. This halts the oxidative changes and locks in the color and flavor developed during oxidation. Purple tea is traditionally sun-dried, where the leaves are spread outside on trays for around 8 hours. As moisture evaporates, the leaves become shelf-stable.
Some producers use mechanical drying to accelerate the process, but sun-drying is considered superior. The gradual drying concentrates the flavors and maintains the integrity of the delicate leaves. Proper drying results in the visual appeal and taste that makes high quality purple tea so mesmerizing.
Sourcing and Sustainability
Like any crop, responsible purple tea production requires sustainable practices to protect both the environment and farmers’ livelihoods. Consumers should look for reputable sourcing when selecting purple tea bubble tea.
Purple tea still grows primarily in the tropical highlands of Kenya. Farms that cultivate purple tea often do so without relying on pesticides and other chemicals that can harm the environment. Opting for organically grown purple tea supports these safe cultivation practices.
Processing purple tea by hand rather than with automation preserves local jobs and culture. Fair trade certified purple tea ensures farm workers receive fair wages and conditions. Good labor practices are as crucial as eco-friendly farming.
At our shop, we partner exclusively with ethical purple tea growers and processors in Kenya. Our suppliers employ local residents at above-average wages to handcraft premium quality purple tea using traditional methods. Feel good knowing the tea leaves in your purple tea bubble tea support fair pay and environmental stewardship from crop to cup.
By making mindful purchasing choices, bubble tea lovers collectively foster a sustainable future for fascinating varieties like purple tea. From responsible growing to conscientious consumption, we all play a role in creating positive impact along the supply chain.
Conclusion
This primal purple brew certainly delivers intrigue – from its fortunate discovery just over a century ago to its modern renaissance in bubble tea. With its stunning visual appeal, smooth sweetness, and antioxidant advantages, it’s no wonder purple tea is captivating beverage enthusiasts globally.
We hope these fascinating insights provide plenty of motivation to give purple tea bubble tea a taste. There’s still so much to uncover about this distinctive variety, and we invite you to join us on the journey. However you choose to sip and savor, here’s to broadening tea horizons and pursuing ever more knowledge about this world of brewed delight. Cheers!