Chinese tea has been around for thousands of years.Chinese tea was first discovered and used as medicine.Then it evolved into a beverage, and further in to part of Chinese culture.
1.Before 8th century B.C., Chinese tea was primarily used as a medicine.
According to legend, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung(神農氏) was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling the drinking water, and then some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, decided to try this drink that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia tree, and this drink was later called -- tea.
2.During the Chun, Qin Dynasty, Chinese people chewed tea leaves and enjoyed the taste of tea juicy itself.
In this period, Chinese tea was cooked as soup. Tea leaves were eaten with the soup. Tea leaves were even mixed with food. Ancient Chinese books told that tea was eaten and used with other spices to cook .
During the Qin, Han Dynasty, there were also some simple processing of Chinese tea emerged. Tea leaves were pressed into ball shapes, dried and stored. When served, tea balls were crushed and mixed with green onion, ginger, etc., and then boiled in teapots. This was the point that Chinese tea turned from a medicine into a beverage. Also, it represented the beginning of Chinese tea was used to treat guests.
3.Later during the Tang Dynasty, tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became one of the favorite drinks during the late eighth century. A writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, "Literature of Tea", or Tea Classic. In the meanwhile, tea was first introduced to Japan, by Japanese Buddhist monks who had traveled to China to study. And then tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture(Tea Ceremony).
And also, Chinese tea trading had became extremely busy. Techniques in tea planting and processing advanced in great speed. Lots of famous teas were developed.
1.Before 8th century B.C., Chinese tea was primarily used as a medicine.
According to legend, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung(神農氏) was sitting beneath a tree while his servant was boiling the drinking water, and then some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, decided to try this drink that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia tree, and this drink was later called -- tea.
2.During the Chun, Qin Dynasty, Chinese people chewed tea leaves and enjoyed the taste of tea juicy itself.
In this period, Chinese tea was cooked as soup. Tea leaves were eaten with the soup. Tea leaves were even mixed with food. Ancient Chinese books told that tea was eaten and used with other spices to cook .
During the Qin, Han Dynasty, there were also some simple processing of Chinese tea emerged. Tea leaves were pressed into ball shapes, dried and stored. When served, tea balls were crushed and mixed with green onion, ginger, etc., and then boiled in teapots. This was the point that Chinese tea turned from a medicine into a beverage. Also, it represented the beginning of Chinese tea was used to treat guests.
3.Later during the Tang Dynasty, tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became one of the favorite drinks during the late eighth century. A writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, "Literature of Tea", or Tea Classic. In the meanwhile, tea was first introduced to Japan, by Japanese Buddhist monks who had traveled to China to study. And then tea drinking has become a vital part of Japanese culture(Tea Ceremony).
And also, Chinese tea trading had became extremely busy. Techniques in tea planting and processing advanced in great speed. Lots of famous teas were developed.
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4."Tea became popular in Tang and prospered in Song ". In the beginning of Song Dynasty, Chinese tea was kept in the shape of balls and cakes. When served, tea was crushed and boiled with seasoning material. But as tea drinkers became more particular, they paid more respect to the original shape, color, and taste of tea leaves. Seasoning material phrased out and loose leave tea started to take the center stage.
5.When the Mongol ruled in China, the drinking of tea a symbol of decadence. But it returned to popularity under the native Chinese Ming Dynasty
6.From the Ming Dynasty, tea began to be brewed by steeping cured loose leaves in boiling water. Because the tea was first tried by Europeans, it was this method of making tea that became popular in the West, and remains so to this day. Also under the Ming Dynasty there was many different types of teas, fermented black teas, unfermented green teas, and the semi-fermented variety that it is now known as oolong.
7.After Ming, numerous types of Chinese teas were invented. The Art of Chinese Tea is being perfected continuously. The famous Kung Fu Cha (or Kung Fu Tea) is one of the landmark development of Chinese tea brewing.
4."Tea became popular in Tang and prospered in Song ". In the beginning of Song Dynasty, Chinese tea was kept in the shape of balls and cakes. When served, tea was crushed and boiled with seasoning material. But as tea drinkers became more particular, they paid more respect to the original shape, color, and taste of tea leaves. Seasoning material phrased out and loose leave tea started to take the center stage.
5.When the Mongol ruled in China, the drinking of tea a symbol of decadence. But it returned to popularity under the native Chinese Ming Dynasty
6.From the Ming Dynasty, tea began to be brewed by steeping cured loose leaves in boiling water. Because the tea was first tried by Europeans, it was this method of making tea that became popular in the West, and remains so to this day. Also under the Ming Dynasty there was many different types of teas, fermented black teas, unfermented green teas, and the semi-fermented variety that it is now known as oolong.
7.After Ming, numerous types of Chinese teas were invented. The Art of Chinese Tea is being perfected continuously. The famous Kung Fu Cha (or Kung Fu Tea) is one of the landmark development of Chinese tea brewing.
