subject: The Basics of Chinese Tea [print this page] The Basics of Chinese Tea The Basics of Chinese Tea
China is synonymous with tea. Legend tells us that emperor Shennong discovered tea in 2737 B.C. According to this legend, Shennong was boiling water when tea leaves fell in to the pot. In fact, tea is so valued by the Chinese that they consider it one of the "seven necessities of life," along with other staples such as firewood and rice.
The abundance of varieties make individual teas difficult to classify, however, a basic guideline separates Chinese tea into four basic categories: black, green, white, and oolong. Each variety has distinct characteristics.
Some researchers have placed the number of individual Chinese teas at over one thousand. The variations in tea come from a number of sources, including the genetic variations in the tea -leaf itself, and the oxidization of each batch of tea, which is ultimately determined by the process in which the tea is cured. For instance, white and green teas are subjected to a heat treatment, which stops oxidization, whereas black teas are allowed to fully oxidize.
Traditionally, tea is harvested when the shoots are young, generally in early spring. More robust teas, such as oolong or black tea, are allowed to mature before harvest.
China is a vast country. With so many varied geographical regions, climate dictates a wide array of harvest times and maturation periods for various types of tea. However, it is widely believed that all teas descend from the same genus of plant, the "Camillia Sinensis."
Chinese tea has been used historically as more than just a beverage. Over the course of Chinese history it has been used for currency, religious offerings, and medicine. Some types of tea are regarded like as fine wines, sought after by connoisseurs for their rarity and unique taste. In fact, some teas were valuable enough that the emperors of ancient China forbade their export, and levied heavy taxes to simply transport the tea from one province to another.
Interestingly, some of the most popular teas can trace their origins to a single plant discovered in Fujian province, such as the popular "Tie Guan Yin" tea.
Chinese people drink more tea, per capita, than any other nation on earth.
