Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 666 The Joy of Counting Banknotes

Because there is no steel frame greenhouse like in the past. If you want to use a high shed for covering, it is equivalent to using wood to build a pavilion on the tea tree.

But there are so many tea trees and the tea garden is so large that Hualei might still build one or two pavilions. However, building so many pavilions would require too much manpower and financial resources and is not cost-effective.

Moreover, the tea garden itself is planted on a sloping hillside, so it is even more impossible to build a pavilion-style high shed to cover it. So the flower buds are covered in a normal way.

Ordinary covering is actually direct covering. This is a temporary shading method, mainly used in steamed green tea gardens to block the sunlight.

It is usually carried out in spring and autumn. When the tea buds grow to one bud, two or three leaves, a straw fan or a specially made thin bamboo curtain is directly covered on the tea tree canopy. After covering for about ten to twenty days, the straw fan is removed and tea picking begins.

This shading method is not restricted by the terrain of the tea garden and is easy to operate. However, the new tea shoots are easily squeezed by the straw fan and cannot grow freely.

Especially in summer, when the temperature is high and straw fans are used to cover the leaves, the new shoots are easily burned, affecting the quality of the tea. Therefore, the limitations are relatively large, but due to the low cost and convenience, Huabud still uses this method to cover the tea garden.

After the tea garden is covered in this way, the tea leaves picked at that time can be made into matcha. The production method of matcha is also slightly different from that of ordinary tea.

Picking the new tea buds or one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves at the right time is a key step to ensure the quality and flavor of the tea. The picked tea leaves need to be processed quickly to keep them fresh.

Unlike ordinary tea leaves, Matcha tea leaves are steamed by quickly placing the picked tea leaves into high-temperature steam for a period of time, which varies from a few breaths to half a cup of tea, depending on the tenderness and water content of the tea leaves.

The purpose of steaming tea leaves is to quickly destroy the enzyme activity in the tea leaves, prevent the tea leaves from oxidation, and at the same time reduce the moisture content of the tea leaves, thus retaining the natural green color of the tea leaves.

It also gives the tea a unique fragrance and fresh taste. Compared with stir-fried green tea, steamed green tea often contains higher chlorophyll and vitamins.

The steamed tea leaves need to be rolled. This process is to break the tea leaves cells through external pressure, which helps the tea juice to precipitate and distribute evenly, forming the final shape of the tea leaves.

In addition, rolling can remove some of the remaining moisture and enhance the aroma of the tea. The rolled tea leaves are also shaped into specific shapes, such as strips or beads, as needed.

For convenience, the flower buds are arranged into strips. Then, the tea leaves need to go through the final drying process to further reduce the moisture content and ensure that the tea leaves can be stored for a long time without spoiling.

The drying method is relatively simple, just put it in a cool and ventilated place to dry naturally. After drying, the tea leaves need to be screened.

Remove tea stems, debris and other impurities, and grade them according to size, color, shape and other factors to ensure the uniformity and quality of the product. In this way, ordinary steamed green tea is ready and can be directly brewed in water and drunk.

If you want to make matcha, the next step is grinding. There is no better way to do this than using a stone mill and a roller.

Put the tea leaves into the roller groove, grind them finely, and sift them through a sieve. Grind them again and sift them again. After repeating this process several times, the artificial matcha powder is ready. Put it in a sealed can and store it in a cool and ventilated place.

These matcha powders can be used to make matcha lattes, and of course, various matcha foods can also be made, which taste very good.

Matcha has a bright green color and a fresh aroma, giving people a refreshing feeling. It is also more umami, less bitter, and more nutritious.

After the matcha is made, the buds are ready to make matcha latte. Put two spoons of matcha powder into a cup and add a little maltose syrup.

Add a little hot water and use a tea whisk to stir quickly inward in circles along the edge of the cup. When fine and evenly sized bubbles appear, the matcha powder is basically dissolved.

It doesn’t matter if there are a small amount of particles, it is normal. Then add warm milk and matcha and mix well. A cup of refreshing and slightly bitter matcha latte is ready.

Originally Hua Lei wanted to add ice cubes, but Rong Jin said that she was pregnant and would not let her drink iced drinks. Hua Lei tried several times to get it, but failed.

After asking Doctor Xu in the mansion, he also advised her to try not to drink iced drinks, so Hua Lei had to give up a cup of ice-cold matcha latte.

However, the warm matcha latte actually tastes pretty good. Hualei made herself a cup of matcha latte.

Considering the good fortune, Hualei also made matcha cake. Stir the cooking oil and matcha powder with a tea whisk until there are no particles, then pour in the milk and stir thoroughly.

After sifting out the coarse particles, add the flour and stir evenly, then add the egg yolk and stir evenly. Each step here must be fully stirred.

Otherwise, the matcha chiffon cake will not have a smooth taste, and the subsequent steps will be similar to making cream cake.

Now, a small oven has been built in the small kitchen of Qixiayuan, which makes it convenient for Hualei to bake various delicious foods.

After the matcha cake came out, Hua Lei made a few more cups of matcha latte and brought them to her grandmother, Mrs. Pei.

My grandmother and Aunt Chen, who was beside her, praised the matcha latte after trying it once before and liked it very much.

She should also like this matcha cake. Sure enough, Madam Pei ate several pieces in a row until Nanny Chen stopped her, then she stopped eating with a feeling of being unsatisfied.

In addition, Hualei also sent fresh matcha cakes to each room, which Rongjue and Linlang liked very much. It seems that the dim sum business of Mingxiang Pavilion can add new members.

In the past two years, the business of my family and Mingxiang Pavilion has been good. After returning to Beijing, maybe Mrs. Chen Shao went back to her parents' home to talk, and recently, the business of Mingxiang Pavilion and my family has become closer.

As a result, Hualei's matcha snacks became popular again in Shangjing City. And this time, unlike the egg yolk pastry, it was not easily imitated.

After all, tea leaves are precious, and matcha powder is even more precious. Many pastry shops are reluctant to use matcha powder for experiments.

Therefore, Hualei not only made a fortune from tea, but also made a lot of money from matcha powder and matcha snacks. Looking at the increasingly thick banknotes, Hualei was very satisfied.

The joy of counting banknotes was much greater than the joy of looking at the digital balance on the phone. Hualei was slacking off at work in the Ministry of Revenue while also looking after some of her own businesses.