Chinese tea culture.docx

Chinese tea cultureThe presentation of A History of Chinese Culture Introduction of Chinese Tea Tea culture Just as coffee became a part of daily life in the West, tea became a part of daily life in China. We can see teahouses scattered on the streets of China, much like cafes on the streets of the West. The Chinese have such a close relationship with tea that a new culture relating to tea began to rise in China. Tea Culture includes articles, poems, pictures about tea, the art of making and drinking tea, and some custom about tea. Tea plays an important role in Chinese social life. Tea is always offered to a guest immediately upon entering a Chinese home. Serving a cup of tea is more than a matter of mere politeness. It is a symbol of togetherness, a sharing of something enjoyable, and a way of showing respect to visitors. In some areas of China, it might be considered rude not to take at least a sip. Although there has been an increasing amount of literature about tea in recent years, such literature is certainly not new. During the Song Dynasty, Lu Yu, who is known as the "Tea Sage", wrote the Tea Scripture. This scripture describes in detail the processes of planting tea bushes, picking tea leaves and preparing leaves for brewing. Famous poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyi created large numbers of poems about tea. Famous painters Tang Bohu and Wen Zhengming even drew many pictures about tea. The Origin It is said that Shen Nong Shi, the God of Agriculture, was believed to be the first to discover tea. In his “Book of Herbs”, it says that “Shen Nong shi personally tasted hundreds of species of herbs and he was hit by 72 poisons in a single day. But he used a kind of tree leaves to ease his case and it turned out to be tea tree." Evolution Chinese tea was primarily used as a medicine before the 8th century B.C. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chinese people chewed tea leaves and enjoyed the taste of the juice itself. In the next stage, Chinese tea was cooked like a soup. Tea leaves were eaten along with the soup. Tea leaves were even mixed with food. Ancient Chinese books documented that tea was eaten and used with other spices to cook. During the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC - 8 AD), simple processing of Chinese tea emerged. Tea leaves were pressed into balls, dried and stored. When served, tea balls were crushed and mixed with green onion, ginger and then boiled in teapots. This is the point where Chinese tea turned from a medicine into a beverage. Also, it marked the beginning of Chinese tea being used to treat guests. Chinese tea evolved from a palace treat to a common beverage during the Jin Dynasty. Tea trading did not start until the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD) when techniques in tea plantation and processing advanced at great speed, resulting in a lot of famous teas. In the Tang Era, Chinese tea was processed and distributed in the form of tea cakes. People started to get serious about making tea. Tea became popular in Tang and prospered in Song (960 - 1276)". At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, Chinese tea was 1 The presentation of A History of Chinese Culture 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 attention to the original shape, color, and taste of tea leaves. Seasoning material faded out and loose leaf tea started to take the center stage. From the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) onward, loose tea leaves completely took over. In 1531-1595, Chinese tea completed the process of moving from boiling to brewing. Specialty tea tools like Yixing teapots became popular. After Ming, numerous types of Chinese teas were introduced. The famous Kungfu Tea was one of the landmarks in the development of Chinese tea brewing. Types of tea Tea is classified according to the way it is made. Principally, there are green tea, black tea and Oolong tea. Green Tea is the most natural of all Chinese tea classes. Its picked, naturally dried, and then baked briefly (a process called "killing the green") to get rid of its grassy smell. Green Tea has the most medicinal value and the least caffeine content of all Chinese tea classes. Aroma is medium to high, flavor is light to medium. About 50% of Chinas teas is Green tea. Black tea produces a full-bodied amber when brewed. Black tea undergoes withering (drying), long while fermentation before being roasted. Black tea leaves become completely oxidized after processing. Black tea has a robust taste with a mild aroma. It contains the highest amount of caffeine in Chinese tea classes. Oolong Tea is something half way between green tea and black tea. It is half- fermented. Its also called "Qing Cha" (grass tea). Typical Oolong Tea leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of the process of softening tea leaves. Oolong Tea leaves are withered and spread before undergoing a brief fermentation process. Then Oolong Tea is fried, rolled and roasted. Oolong Tea is the chosen tea for the famous Kung Fu Cha brewing process. Its the serious Chinese tea drinkers tea. Aroma ranges from light to medium. Beginners in Oolong Tea should be careful as even though flavor is only mild to medium, the tea could be very strong. In addition, there are flower-blended tea and flower scented tea. Flower-blended tea is an unique class of Chinese tea. It subdivides into Flower Tea and Scented Tea. Flower Tea is a simple concept that dried flowers are used, without much processing, to make tea. Scented Tea uses green tea, red tea as base and mix with scent of flowers. Most Chinese Compressed Tea uses Black Tea as the base. Its steamed and compressed into bricks, cakes, columns and other shapes. Compressed Tea has all the characteristics of Black Tea. It can be stored for years and decades. Aged Compressed Tea has a tamed flavor that Compressed Tea fans would pay huge price for. Advantages of Tea-Drinking Tea has been one of the daily necessities in China since time immemorial. Countless numbers of people like to have their after meal tea. In summer or warm climate, tea seems to dispel the heat and bring on instant 2 The presentation of A History of Chinese Culture coolness together with a feeling of relaxation. Medically, the tea leaf contains a number of chemicals, of which 20-30% is tannic acid, known for its anti-inflammatory and germicidal properties. It also contains an alkaloid (5%, mainly caffeine), a stimulant for the nerve centre and the process of metabolism. Tea with the aromatics in it may help resolve meat and fat and thus promote digestion. It is, therefore, of special importance to people who live mainly on meat, like many of the ethnic minorities in China. Tea is also rich in various vitamins and, for smokers, it helps to discharge nicotine out of the system. After wining, strong tea may prove to be a sobering pick-me-up. Green tea has higher values of medicinal properties than other teas, because of the special way in which it is dried. Our Green Tea is organically grown and the traditional drying technique used with Green Tea prevents the tea from the negative effects of fermentation. The widely recognized health benefits of Green Tea have been mentioned in many newspapers and journals including CNN, USA Today, New York Times, Chinese Daily News, Journal of National Cancer Institute, numerous US Universities and Research Centers. Some of the findings that have been established are: GREEN TEA can help reduce the risks of esophageal, (the tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach) skin and many other forms of Cancer, mainly by its highly significant antioxidant properties. (National Cancer Institute 1-800-4-Cancer). GREEN TEA can help to lower cholesterol and cuts the risk of stroke in men. (American Medical Association). GREEN TEA can help suppress and reverse aging, and refreshes the body with its high Vitamin B content that helps the human body better deal with stress, and release more energy. GREEN TEA can help restrain the growth of various bacteria that cause disease. GREEN TEA can help stop cavities because of its rich Fluoride content present in its natural form, and can help prevent bad breath. GREEN TEA helps eliminate constipation. The above, however, does not go to say that the stronger the tea, the more advantages it will yield. Too much tannic acid will affect the secretion of the gastric juice, irritate the membrane of the stomach and cause indigestion or constipation. Strong tea taken just before bedtime will give rise to occasional insomnia. Constant drinking of strong tea may induce heart and blood-pressure disorders in some people, reduce the milk of a breast-feeding mother, and put a brown color on the teeth of young people. But it is not difficult to ward off these undesirable effects: just dont make your tea too strong. Tea Made with Skill, Patience The word "Gongfu" in Chaozhou Gongfu Tea could mean "skill" or "patience." It is named partly because the tea making process is time-consuming and requires some skill to make tea, according to Xing Hualong, a local tour guide. He said Chaozhou natives have Gongfu tea any time of day, and anywhere - at home, work, or even in bars. Chaozhou Gongfu Tea sets are very small. The pottery teapot is no bigger than a fist and the white and transparent teacups are just larger than pigeon eggs. 3 The presentation of A History of Chinese Culture Traditionally, the Chaozhou people use a small charcoal stove, a small water kettle and a porcelain base for holding tea sets. Spring or well water is good for making Gongfu Tea. Both teapot and teacups are first cleaned with boiling water to get rid of the remaining tea flavor and to warm the set. Then a handful of tea is put into the teapot almost to the rim. The kettle is generally raised high to pour the boiling water into the teapot. The first round of tea is not meant for drinking as it contains impure materials and foams. The second round is then poured with a circular motion into each cup to keep the color and consistency of the tea in all the cups. To avoid creating foam and scattering the fragrance of tea, the teapot should be held close to the teacups. The first sip tastes slightly bitter, but very soon, the sweet and mellow after taste lingers, which is said to help Chaozhou Gongfu Tea the most charming tea culture in China. Chaozhou natives tend to use tea leaves grown locally, which belong to the half-fermented Oolong tea series for tea making. Introduction about “tieguanyin” Tightly rolled and made in many styles, Tieguanyin is the best type of Oolong tea. Legend relates the story of how the tea was named after Kuanyin, the goddess of compassion. This tea was grown on a 70 degree slope at 3,300 ft in the mountains of Anxi, in Fujian province. It is darker than the local standard, as it has been roasted for eleven hours, and then finished for a few hours over charcoal. The resulting depth of flavor has notes of peach and other stone fruits. Best steeped traditionally in a yixing teapot. Introduction about every part of tea set: 1. three only bowls 2. serving container 3. smaller tea cup 4. iron kettle 5. waste-water stuff 6. smelling cup 7. teaspoon 8. teatowel The process of tea brewing Rinse tea set Pour the boiled water into the teapot. And then hold tea cups into the boiled water and wash them. This step is to clean whole tea set, to take away the dust and residues into the tea set. And warm up the tea pot and any other tea stuffs. Rinse tea leaves Put about 7 gram of tieguanyin leaves into the tea pot, pour boiled water into the tea pot. And pour out the water quickly to save the aroma of the tea leaves. Then rinse the tea cups with the used water again. Afterward pour the water into waste-water stuff. 4 The presentation of A History of Chinese Culture Brew the tea Pour the boiled water into the tea pot again, make the water full of the tea pot, and even a bit over the tea cover. Pour hot water down the cover to warm up the temperature. Wait for around 1 minute, when you see the water beyond the cover become dry off. Then it is the right time to pour out the tea into the serving container, then divided into every smaller tea cups. During the steeping time, the leaves have absorbed the water and make the tea into properly way. Three key points about brewing tea: 1. tempreture of water 2. quantity of water The water used in the tea ceremony is as important as the tea itself. Chlorine and fluoride in tap water should be filtered out as they harm the flavor of the tea. Distilled water makes flat tea and should be avoided. High mineral content in the water brings out the richness and sweetness of green tea. Black teas taste better when made with water containing less Volvic. Ideal tea water should have an alkaline pH around 7.9. Green tea is ruined by boiling water; the temperature is best around 170-185 degrees F. Oolongs made with underboiled water are more aromatic, which enhances the tea-drinking experience. 3. brewing time. If too long infusion would make the tea bitter and distroy the fresh aroma. Taste the tea Hold the tea cup with three fingers like three dragons holding one pearl. Firstly, look at the tea colour, this is a point of tea-enjoyment to watch the soup looks clear, light golden color. That is why we regard Chinese tea culture is a kindly delicated culture. Secondly, smell the fragrance, like smelling a nice flower and fruit. Thirdly,taste the tea. One cup normally just have two swallows. Drink a swallow and keep the tea in your mouth sipping for while to make your tongues get full taste of tea. The good tea will be present the feeling of smooth water, lasting aroma. The pleasant taste smoothes your throat and jaw. Resteep Make the resteeping time between the two times in right way and in right tempreture. The second and third time make the best taste of tea. Good Ooloong tea has long flavor. So if we control the timing in right way, we can make 6-7 steeping. After the third time, make the water stay in the tea slightly longer, it will be make the taste as good as the original ones Team members：0503010312李晓燕 0503010344梁肖露 0503010313熊佳妤 0503010342刘 雯 0503010340 王丽娟 5