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Fermented tea (also known as post-fermented tea or dark tea) is a class of tea that has undergone microbial fermentation, from several months to many years. The exposure of the tea leaves to humidity and oxygen during the process also causes endo-oxidation (derived from the tea-leaf enzymes themselves) and exo-oxidation (which is microbially catalysed). The tea leaves and the liquor made from them become darker with oxidation. Thus, the various kinds of fermented teas produced across China are also referred to as dark tea, not be confused with black tea. The most famous fermented tea is Pu-erh, produced in Yunnan Province,〔Mo, Haizhen, Yang Zhu, and Zongmao Chen. "Microbial fermented tea–a potential source of natural food preservatives." Trends in food science & technology 19.3 (2008): 124-130.〕〔Lv, Hai-peng, et al. "Processing and chemical constituents of Pu-erh tea: A review." Food Research International 53.2 (2013): 608-618.〕 and the Anhua black tea produced in Anhua County of Hunan Province. The fermentation of tea leaves alters their chemistry, affecting the organoleptic qualities of the tea made from them. Fermentation affects the smell of the tea and typically mellows its taste, reducing astringency and bitterness while improving mouthfeel and aftertaste. The microbes may also produce metabolites with health benefits.〔〔Ling, Tie-Jun, et al. "New Triterpenoids and Other Constituents from a Special Microbial-Fermented Tea Fuzhuan Brick Tea." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 58.8 (2010): 4945-4950.〕 The fermentation is carried out primarily by molds. ''Aspergillus niger'' was implicated as the main microbial organism in the Pu-erh process,〔〔GONG, Jia-shun, et al. "Changes of Chemical Components in Pu'er Tea Produced by Solid State Fermentation of Sundried Green Tea ()." Journal of Tea Science 4 (2005): 010.〕〔Abe, Michiharu, et al. "Characteristic fungi observed in the fermentation process for Puer tea." International journal of food microbiology 124.2 (2008): 199-203.〕 but that species identification has been challenged by comprehensive PCR-DGGE analysis, which points to ''Aspergillus luchuensis'' as the primary agent of fermentation.〔Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard, et al. " ''Aspergillus acidus'' from Puerh tea and black tea does not produce ochratoxin A and fumonisin B< sub> 2." International journal of food microbiology 132.2 (2009): 141-144.〕〔Varga, J., et al. "New and revisited species in Aspergillus section Nigri." Studies in Mycology 69.1 (2011): 1-17.〕〔Haas, Doris, et al. "Identification and quantification of fungi and mycotoxins from Pu-erh tea." International journal of food microbiology 166.2 (2013): 316-322.〕〔Hong, Seung-Beom, et al. "Aspergillus luchuensis, an industrially important black Aspergillus in East Asia." PloS one 8.5 (2013): e63769.〕 Most fermented teas are made in China, but several varieties are produced in Japan. In Shan State, Myanmar, lahpet is a form of fermented tea that is eaten, and similar pickled teas are also eaten in northern Thailand and southern Yunnan.〔 ==History== The early history of dark tea is unclear, but there are several legends and some credible theories. For example, one legend holds that dark tea was first produced accidentally, on the Silk Road and Tea Road by tea caravans in the rainy season.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title= Dark Tea - Hei Cha )〕 When the tea was soaked in rain, the tea transporters abandoned it for fear of contamination. The next year, nearby villages suffered from dysentery, and decided to drink the abandoned mildewed tea in desperation. The legend concludes that the tea cured those suffering, and quickly became popular. More historical accounts attribute the production of dark tea to the Ming Dynasty in the 15th and 16th centuries. It may have been first traded by tea merchants much earlier than the legends state, in areas on the borders of China and Tibet.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fermented tea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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