Tea Culture: Drinking Tea for Pleasure and To Promote Health
By:  Teresita Cheng Yu, MD, L.Ac.

            There is no argument that when we think of tea, we think of China. No matter how refined the English tea or the Japanese green tea have become, the Chinese have always lay claim to its origin, history and development into an art form and a lifestyle.
            In 2737, B.C., tea was accidentally discovered when Emperor Shen Nong was served what was supposed to be boiled water during an excursion outdoors. While boiling water in a pot, a dead leaf from a wild tea bush fell into the boiling water turning it into a brownish color. The emperor drank it and found it to be refreshing and Cha (tea) was born.
            Tea drinking began as medicine during the Han dynasty (207-220 AD) and grew into a beverage in the Tang dynasty (618-906 AD). It is also during this period when tea-making became a fine art. By the 13th century (Yuan dynasty period), tea connoisseurs were already taking part in tea-tasting competitions. As experts, they were able to tell apart the delicate flavors of a variety of Chinese tea.
            A book on tea growing and processing was written as early as the Tang dynasty by Lu Yu, the first apostle of tea. Tea drinking was already widespread at that time and the book Cha Jing discusses where the best tea leaves are produced. This long and complex history developed into a sophisticated and world re-known Chinese tea culture. All over the world today, especially in China and Asia, teahouses are visited daily by the common folks and elite alike. In China, teahouses have evolved into specialties. Besides pure teahouses where they served a variety of tea exclusively, there are also story telling-teahouses, chess players-teahouses and opera fan-teahouses. A grand teahouse such as the Lao She Teahouse in Beijing offers a tea ceremony, tea banquet, opera, folk art, magic, acrobatics as well as fine imperial refreshments and local snacks.
            In The Book of Tea by Okakura, it states-
                        “Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noble qualities. There is no single recipe in making the perfect tea. Each preparation of leaves has its  individuality, its affinity to water and heat, its hereditary memories to recall, its own method of telling a story.”
           
There are six major types of tea, the green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea (a kind of unfermented or unbaked and unrolled tea made by a special process), yellow tea and dark tea. In each type of tea, there is a top quality tea handed down from ancient times. For instance, long jing for green tea, keemun in black tea, tieguanyin in oolong tea, white silver needles in white tea, junshan silver needles in yellow tea and puh’er in dark tea. Of all these types, the green tea has the longest history and the most beloved by tea drinkers.
            The flavor of tea can be enhanced by adding dried scented flowers to tea leaves for re-processing. The end product is called “scented tea” or “fragrant flower tea”. Jasmine tea is the most widely favored among the scented tea. Aside from Jasmine, other fragrant flowers that are appropriate for making scented tea are gardenia, zhulan, roses and osmanthus flowers. Rose and black tea which are both red are a perfect match, osmanthus goes well with oolong tea, the former being strong scented and the latter light scented.
            Aside from the refreshing quality of fragrant flower tea, they are also drank for medicinal purpose. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shi Zhen in 1578, the chrysanthemum blossom taste sweet and cool and is effective in relieving internal heat and claming the liver to improve eyesight. This refers to the white chrysanthemum blossom which can be used as Chinese medicine as well as for drinking tea. In spring, drinking chrysanthemum blossom tea is effective in curing dampness induced diseases, in the summer-relives summer heat; in autumn-it relives internal heat and in the winter season, it moistens the lungs and skin. Adding mulberry leaves and Chinese hawthorn have the medicinal effect of relieving fever, lowering blood pressure and eliminating tension and indigestion. Rose scented tea can regulate Qi energy and improve blood circulation. Narcissus can help the hair grow back and moisten skin. Marigold excels in nourishing the liver and improving eyesight. Magnolia can tone up the heart and calm the nerves. Mint can reduce the bloated stomach. Rosella can reduce freckles and enhance beauty. Honeysuckle and sterculia seeds are effective in relieving internal heat. Gynostemma herb can help bring down blood pressure and is a powerful anti-oxidant with adaptogenic effect that promotes longevity. Marmodica grosvenori (monk’s fruit) can relieve inflammation.
            The Chinese tea culture emphasizes three basic requirements for enjoying a cup of tea. Selection of good quality tea and quality of water are essential such as water from Hutao fountain for steeping longjing tea. An appropriate teapot must also be used to bring about the right fragrance of tea. For instance the red porcelain teapot from the Qing dynasty comes from the red soil of Yixing province rich in iron, cold and high temperature resistant and does not overshadow the tea’s scent and preserves the original taste. Even the shape of the teapot is considered in the tea-drinking world, ” tall teapots for black tea and short teapots for green tea”. They believe that the tea will lose its original taste and flavor if steeped in the wrong teapot.
            Tea drinking among the different cultures of the world has evolved into a complex ceremony according to customs and traditions. One thing is for sure, tea will always be a part of our daily lives no matter where we are. Whether we drink it for pleasure or medicinal purpose, it will continue to be handed down through generations. Learning how to appreciate the nourishing properties of tea will indeed help us live healthier lives.

                                    References

1. Cotterell, Arthur; Ancient China, Dorling Kindersley Limited, London 1994
2. Lu, Henry; Chinese System of Food Cures; Sterling Publishing, New York, N.Y. 1986
3. Okakura, Kakuzo; The Book of Tea; Kodansha America Inc., New York, N.Y. 1989
4. Wen, Gong; Lifestyle in China; trans. China Intercontinental Press 2007
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/mamordica
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/gynostemma