| Do you like to start off your day with a cup of tea? Then you probably know the word for tea in Chinese already: 茶 (chá) Today the majority of the Chinese population, from all walks of life carry flasks of tea that are topped up with hot water at regular intervals! Or if you have been invited into a Chinese home, the first thing you will be will offered is a cup of Chinese tea. When drinking tea from a small cup it is preferable to finish it in three sips: Tasting the tea, drinking the tea, and savoring the tea.  Chinese Tea: Brief History Apart from coffee and cocoa, Tea is one of the most widely consumed hot beverages in the world. But do you know from where this popular drink originated? China! China is the homeland of tea 茶之故乡: Chá zhī gùxiāng. It was one of the first countries in the world to have planted tea and is considered to be the original homeland of tea culture. Thanks to different geographic climates, Chinese people have developed different varieties of teas with unique flavors – if you have been to China this isn’t new information! The discovery of tea if often attributed to the legendary ruler of China, Shennong (神农), who lived some 5,000 years ago! Working in the trade of medicine as a herbalist, he found that tea from the plant Cameilla sinesis acted as an antidote to poison. In fact, tea started out as a medicine. Many ancient and modern scholars have agreed that tea can cure many illnesses and provide various health benefits. ‘One day without tea will bring illness’ – saying from the Tang Dynasty Therefore, it was because of China that the custom of tea-drinking spread to other Asian countries such as India and Japan. Further, this widespread distribution of tea was mainly due to the cultural exchanges via the Tea Horse Road (茶马古道: Chámǎgǔdào) and other trade channels. How to Prepare and Serve Tea in China? Typically, many people serve tea in China using the 功夫茶: gōngfūchá or Gongfu Tea ceremony method. This literally means making tea with skill. It is popular method of preparing and presenting tea in China. It makes use of small Yixing teapots to prepare and serve the beverage. Water quality and temperature are the two most important aspects that have to be considered while brewing tea. The procedure is mostly applicable to Oolong teas, but can be performed for 普洱茶: pǔ’ěr chá & 红茶: hóngchá. |
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