METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CORDYCEPS SINENSIS-MYCELIATED GREEN TEA
Provided is a method for production of an improved myceliated green tea with increased herbal/vegetal/hay or floral notes, the method including the steps of providing green tea leaves, providing a fungal aqueous culture with Cordyceps sinensis fungus, inoculating the green tea leaves with at least a portion of the fungal liquid tissue culture; and culturing the fungal mycelium with the green tea leaves to produce the improved myceliated green tea, and teas produced by the methods disclosed.
1 . A method for production of a myceliated green tea, comprising:
providing green tea leaves;
providing a fungal liquid tissue culture comprising Cordyceps sinensis;
inoculating the green tea leaves with at least a portion of the fungal liquid tissue culture; and
culturing the fungal mycelium with the green tea leaves to prepare the myceliated green tea, wherein the myceliated green tea has improved flavor profile over untreated green tea.
2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises sterilizing the green tea leaves prior to the inoculating step.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the culturing step occurs at a moisture level of between 30% and 50% w/w.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fungal liquid tissue culture is prepared by a method comprising the steps of:
(a) inoculating a petri plate comprising a solid nutrient agar medium with a pure culture of C. sinensis;
(b) incubating the plate at 23 to 26° C. for 6 to 8 days;
(c) inoculating a liquid medium with C. sinensis grown on the incubated plate of step (b); and (d) incubating the liquid culture for 4 to 8 days at 26° C. wherein both filamentous and yeast forms of Cordyceps sinensis are produced.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises drying the myceliated green tea leaves for 1 to 2 days at 40 to 50° C.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises pasteurizing the dried, myceliated green tea leaves for 2 hours at 60 to 80° C.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the improved flavor profile comprises increased floral and grassy notes.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the culturing step with the fungal mycelium and the green tea leaves to prepare the myceliated green tea is carried out for between about 2 days and 4 days.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the green tea leaves comprise Camellia sinensis.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the green tea leaves further comprise Chrysanthemum indicum, Gingko biloba, Osmanthus fragrans, Ionicera japonica, Gomphrena globosa and/or Lavendula angustifolia.
12 . A myceliated green tea product prepared by the method of claim 1 .