Chinese Tea

Who discovered Chinese Tea?

The Emperor Shen Nong is said to have been the first person to discover tea in around 2700 BC, and is also said to have founded what was recognised to be the start of the Chinese civilisation.

How it was discovered

There are two conflicting stories about how the Emperor discovered Chinese tea:

1. The Emperor developed food poisoning one day and was in terrible pain. He found some leaves that had fallen from a tree and decided to put them in his mouth just to see if they helped with his pain. He found that the leaves did in fact make him feel better and not only this, but the leaves had an unusual flavour that was unlike anything he had tasted before. So this is one version of how tea was discovered not only for its flavour, but also for its medicinal qualities.
   
   
2. On a hot summer's day, Shen Nong asked his servants to boil some water for him to drink. Leaves from a tree accidentally fell into the water and turned the water brown. The leaves had infused in the hot water and this was how the Emperor discovered the refreshing flavour of tea.

The actual word 'tea' is thought not to have appeared until around 74 to 49BC and before this time, 'tea' shared its name with 'bitter vegetable', a word used to describe many different types of varieties. The Chinese word for 'tea' is 'Cha Yei' which literally means 'tea leaves' and it is from 'Cha Yei' that the common word 'Chai' (a word universally used for tea) comes.

What was tea used for?

It has been said that up until around the 3rd and 4th centuries, tea was predominantly used for what was thought to be its medicinal qualities and it was around this time that it started being drunk also as a beverage.

For a long time tea was only drunk by the rich as it was only they that could afford it, until around the 7th century when it became more affordable; it was so popular that it became the most popular drink in China, overtaking wine.

Where can tea be found in China?

The best types of tea in China come from the mountainous regions where conditions are thought to produce that much higher quality tea. Tea is produced largely in south-east China and the growing season is between the end of March and October, sometimes November, but this differs from region to region.

Various types of tea

Green tea: The Chinese for Green tea is Pi Lo Chun which means 'Green Snail Spring' and is one of the most widely known teas in the world. This tea is the only one to keep its colour after it has been infused, but Green tea is very rare simply because of the amount of work that is involved in making it. This tea comes from the Kiangsu Province which was known as the province of China that produced tea for the Emperor. Nowadays, Green tea is believed to be one of the teas that can actual help to detoxify the body and is widely used as part of detox diets.

Black tea: In China, this type of tea is known as 'red tea' or 'hong cha' and unlike Green tea which is not fermented during production; Black tea is highly fermented and this fermentation is done before it is baked.

Oolong Tea: There are different types of Oolong tea and are all quite extensively known. Ding Dong tea, for example, is probably one of the most famous types of Oolong tea. Ding Dong Oolong is named after a mountain in Taiwan of the same name (Ding Dong). The name means to 'climb up to the mountain top with cold feet', 'Ding' being the Chinese word for 'top' and Dong meaning 'cold' or 'chill'. This meaning came from the fact that people used to climb to the top ('Ding') of the mountain to collect the tea leaves, but because the mountain side was incredibly slippery, they used to climb up in their bare feet. 'Dong' was used because the peoples' feet were so cold from climbing.

Compressed tea: This type of tea is commonly known as 'black tea' in China because of its colour after it is compressed and hardened. Due to the hardening of the tea, compressed tea is also often known as 'brick tea' because after hardening the tea comes out in the shape of a brick. This type of tea is highly versatile because it can be stored and transported easily.

Scented tea: Scented tea is scented simply because flowers are mixed in with the tea during the production period. The typical flowers used to make this type of tea are magnolia and jasmine, jasmine being a particular preferred choice in northern China.

Pu Er tea: Like Green tea, Pu Er tea is believed to have detoxifying qualities, in particular it is believed to be able to dissolve alcohol in the human body. Like black tea, Pu Er is highly fermented and if you have tea in China Town, then the tea you will be drinking will often be a lower grade form of Pu Er.

Pao Chung Tea: Interestingly, Pao Chung tea is often listed as a variation of Oolong tea and sometimes Green tea. There are many variants of this type of tea simply because they come from different regions in China. The word Pao Chung refers to the way the highest quality teas from the different regions are separately wrapped in paper.

There are broadly speaking, distant areas of China in which certain types of tea are more popular. For example, green tea is most popular in eastern China, whereas scented tea is more widely consumed in northern China.

The customs of drinking tea in China

Tea culture in China is arguably far more complex than in a lot of other cultures. Involved in the tea culture of China are different aspects or customs; how the tea is prepared, what wares are used in the preparation process, and also the many diverse occasions in which tea is consumed.

There is a Chinese saying: "Firewood, rice oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea." This saying related to the seven daily requirements, tea being just as important as the other six.

Unlike Britain, China does not just consume tea for refreshment only, as thee are actual situations and customs behind tea preparation and consumption. For example: Chinese families can often be quite extended meaning the family members don't habitually get a chance to see one another. When families do get together (Sundays being a big day for such gatherings, on which most restaurant are crowded with family parties), they drink tea as a custom and as a sign of the importance of family values.

Tea is also used in the Chinese culture as a means of apologising to someone, by pouring them tea and thus showing regret.

Tea is also used as a sign of respect, for example, the younger Chinese generation will prepare and offer tea to the older generation as a mark of respect.

Saying 'Thank you' for tea

Expressing thanks for a cup of tea after it has been poured for you is a custom that dates back to the Qing Dynasty around 300-400 years ago.

The Emperor, Qing Long often travelled incognito with his servants and one day sat down with his servants in a restaurant. It is a Chinese custom that if a pot of tea is placed in front of you, it is you that pours the tea for everyone else and then for yourself. The tea pot was placed in front of the emperor and so he had to serve his servants tea. The servants struggled the desire not to let the emperor do this, but because the emperor was in disguise, the servants could not reveal his identity. Neither could they show the honour they felt by this gesture by bowing to the emperor and had to let him serve them all tea. So instead of bowing, a finger gesture was given by tapping two fingers on the table in order to express thanks and respect towards the emperor. This gesture has become a customary action in Chinese culture when someone is thanking another person for being served tea. There are now many variations which can be used, for example, two fingers tapping twice, one finger tapping twice or either one or two digits tapping once.

The brewing process

The brewing process of tea differs as it depends very much on the type of tea being used. For example, green tea needs cooler water when brewing tan say Oolong or black tea because green tea has a much more delicate flavour.

The most widely used brewing method in China is as follows:

1. Hot water is poured over the tea pot to warm it up.
2. Tea leaves are then placed in the tea pot and hot water is poured over them, however, this water is immediately drained away leaving the tea leaves in the tea pot.
3. Hot water is again pored over the tea leaves and left to infuse for only about a minute.
4. Whoever is serving pours the tea into tea cups, filling others' teacups first and finishing with their own. It is generally the custom that whomever the teapot is set down in front of is the person to next serve the tea.
5. It is also observed that the teapot's spout must not point to anyone in the party as it is seen to be rude.