History of Tea
Excerpts from Wikipedia:
The History of tea in China is long and complex. The
Chinese have enjoyed tea for millennia. Scholars hailed
the brew as a cure for a variety of ailments; the nobility
considered the consumption of good tea as a mark of
their status, and the common people simply enjoyed its
flavor.
Tea was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shen
Nung in 2737 B.C. It is said that the emperor liked
his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would
be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day,
on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped
to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink,
and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the
water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed
and presented to the emperor anyways. The emperor drank
it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) was born.
While historically the origin of tea as a medicinal
herb useful for staying awake is unclear, China is considered
to have the earliest records of tea drinking, with recorded
tea use in its history dating back to the first millennium
BC. The Han Dynasty used tea as medicine. The use of
tea as a beverage drunk for pleasure on social occasions
dates from the Tang Dynasty or earlier.
At this time in tea's history, the nature of the beverage
and style of tea preparation were quite different from
the way we experience tea today. Tea leaves were processed
into compressed cakes form. The dried teacake, generally
called brick tea was ground in a stone mortar. Hot water
was added to the powdered teacake, or the powdered teacake
was boiled in earthenware kettles then consumed as a
hot beverage.
A form of compressed tea referred to as white tea was
being produced as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618-907
A.D.). This special white tea of Tang was picked in
early spring, when the tea bushes had abundant growths
which resembled silver needles. These "first flushes"
were used as the raw material to make the compressed
tea.
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Advent of steaming and
powder tea |
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During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), production and preparation
of all tea changed. The tea of Song included many loose-leaf
styles (to preserve the delicate character favored by
the court society), but a new powdered form of tea emerged.
Tea leaves were picked and quickly steamed to preserve
their color and fresh character. After steaming, the
leaves were dried. The finished tea was then ground
into fine powders that were whisked in wide bowls. The
resulting beverage was highly regarded for its deep
emerald or iridescent white appearance and its rejuvenating
and healthy energy. Drinking tea was considered stylish
among government officers and intellectuals during the
Southern Song period in China (12th to 13th centuries).
They would read poetry, write calligraphy, paint, and
discuss philosophy, while enjoying tea. Sometimes they
would hold tea competitions where teas and tea instruments
were judged. When Song Dynasty emperor Hui Zhong proclaimed
white tea to be the culmination of all that is elegant,
he set in motion the evolution of an enchanting variety.
This Song style of tea preparation incorporated powdered
tea and ceramic ware in a ceremonial aesthetic known
as the Song tea ceremony. Japanese monks traveling to
China at this time had learned the Song preparation
and brought it home with them. Although it later became
extinct in China, this Song style of tea evolved into
the Japanese tea ceremony, which endures today.
Many forms of white tea were made in the Song Dynasty
due to the discerning tastes of the court society. Hui
Zhong, who ruled China from 1101-1125, referred to white
tea as the best type of tea, and he has been credited
with the development of many white teas in the Song
Dynasty, including "Palace Jade Sprout" and
"Silver Silk Water Sprout".
Producing white teas was extremely labor-intensive.
First, tea was picked from selected varietals of cultivated
bushes or wild tea trees in early spring. The tea was
immediately steamed, and the buds were then selected
and stripped of their outer, unopened leaf. Only the
delicate interior of the bud was reserved to be rinsed
with spring water and dried. This process produced white
teas that were paper thin and small.
Once processed, the finished tea was distributed and
often given as a tribute to the Song court in loose
form. It was then ground to a fine, silvery-white powder
that was whisked in the wide ceramic bowls used in the
Song tea ceremony. These white powder teas were also
used in the famous whisked tea competitions of that
era.
Fermentation
After cutting, tea is subjected to a so-called "fermentation."
This process is not actually a fermentation, which is
an anaerobic process, but rather an enzymatic oxidization
of the polyphenols in the tea leaves, yielding theaflavins
and thearubigins. [1] When the tea leaves are dry, fermentation
stops, allowing some control of the process by manipulation
of the drying rate or adding water after drying. Fermentation
can also be interrupted by heat, for example by steaming
tea leaves.
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American Tea Encounters |
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In the 1600s tea became popular throughout Europe and
the American colonies.
By 1650 the Dutch were actively involved in trade throughout
the Western world. Peter Stuyvesant brought the first
tea to America to the colonists in the Dutch settlement
of New Amsterdam (later re-named New York by the English).
Settlers here were confirmed tea drinkers. And indeed,
on acquiring the colony, the English found that the
small settlement consumed more tea at that time then
all of England.
1773 The Boston Tea Party, protesting high taxes that
England levied on tea, began of the American colonies’
fight for independence. Under cover of night, colonists
dressed as Native Americans boarded East India Company
ships in Boston Harbor. They opened chests of tea and
dumped their contents into the water. This was repeated
in other less known instances up and down the coast.
1840’s Clipper ships, built in America, sped-up
the transportation of tea to America and Europe, livening
the pace of trade. Some ships could make the trip from
Hong Kong to London in ninety-five days. Races to London
became commonplace; smugglers and blockade-runners also
benefited from the advances in sailing speeds.
Two major American contributions to tea drinking
were
- in 1904, when Richard Blechynden created iced tea
for the St. Louis World Fair and
- in 1908 when Thomas Sullivan invented tea bags
in New York, sending tea to clients in silk bags,
which they began to mistakenly steep without opening.
While the pre-measured, self-straining bags have become
the most common way to make tea, the tea used in bags
is typically of the lowest quality.
Discovery of Indian Tea
When China was forced to open up to trade, The East
India Company’s monopoly was over. The British
were drinking huge amounts of tea and the John Company
was accustomed to making a great deal of money from
tea. Not only was China the only supplier of tea in
the world, but the methods of tea cultivation and
manufacture had been kept secret. Tea production was
a state secret in China and the cost of revealing
it was one’s life. In 1834, when the monopoly
was lost, the Tea Committee was appointed to make
sure the British continued to get their tea. They
sent a botanist, Robert Fortune, undercover into China
to collect secrets about farming and processing and
to bring back samples. These samples were the beginning
of experimentation with Chinese tea in India.
What the Tea Council didn’t know was that they
already had possession of tea, a different type of
tea, but tea just the same. Ten years before the Tea
Committee was appointed, a Scottish adventurer named
Robert Bruce had come across tea in Assam, a remote
area between India and Burma, while living with the
indigenous people. This was not the Camilla Sinensis
of the mountains of China, but another type. It was
the Camilla Assamica, plant that thrives at lower
altitudes in jungle type conditions. It was not what
the British were looking for, so they missed it. After
Robert’s death, his brother Charles sent branches
to the tea committee. It wasn’t until they received
seeds, live plants, and manufactured tea that they
agreed that Camilla Assamica was indeed tea. This
began a new chapter in the history of tea. India had
a new industry and the
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Common types
of tea : |
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Black Tea
Black tea blends are the most popular in the Western
world. After the leaves are picked, they go through
full fermentation that makes the leaves darken to almost
black. Black tea can be flowery, fruity, and spicy or
even have a nutty taste. Black tea, known for lowering
the risk of stroke, contains antioxidants, which help
reduce clotting of the arteries.
Green Tea
Green tea with its huge nutritional benefits is the
most popular tea in Asia. After green tea is picked,
it is dried using hot air. The leaves are then pan fried,
but not fermented, which helps preserve the high nutrient
and vitamin content. Vitamin C in green tea helps boost
the immune system and promotes overall good health.
Fluoride, found naturally in green tea, strengthens
bones and prevents dental decay.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea, known for aiding indigestion and lowering
cholesterol levels, is made from large, mature trees.
The leaves are left to wither after being picked,
which removes moisture. Semi-fermentation happens
after the leaves are left in the shade. Oolong tea
has a a full-bodied taste, a pleasant aftertaste,
and a sweet fruity aroma.
Rose Tea
A floral tea, Rose tea is made using rosebuds from
a rose bush. The tea has a very sweet, floral aroma
and a light, sweet taste; it is often brewed with
other types of tea. Essential oils in this tea help
aid circulation.
White Tea
Made by using very young tea leaves that are still
covered in down, white tea leaves are not fermented.
Instead, they are steamed and dried in the sun. Because
of the lack of fermentation, white tea contains a
high concentration of chemical compounds, known to
help fight cancer. The brewed tea has a silver-white
appearance because of the downy leaves. It has a sweet
aroma and fresh flavor.
Milk Tea
The most popular tea in India and Sri Lanka is an
Indian black tea mixed with spices. It's called Milk
tea because it is usually brewed with milk and spices,
such as cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Milk tea added
with other types of tea, such as green tea, contributes
to overall health.
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Benefits for the body, mind and soul: |
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Consumer Health Trends
American consumers have become more and more concerned
about health. Research indicates that people believe
that the number one influence on long-term personal
health has shifted from family history to food and
nutrition. Functional food and beverage products –
those that may provide a health benefit beyond basic
nutrition – have taken on a new level of importance
to an increasing number of consumers.
Tea and Health Research
From heart fitness to weight loss, bone density to
skincare, cavity-prevention to possible cancer-risk
reduction, the news about this ancient beverage is
very good and is just getting better. As the results
of studies linking tea drinking with good health are
reported in the scientific journals, consumers are
becoming aware that tea is naturally loaded with health-promoting
anti-oxidants and minerals such as fluoride. Tea tastes
good and is good for you!
Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease
Reduces the risk of cancer
Lowers the risk of stroke
Lowers blood cholesterol levels, especially low density
lipoprotein (LDL)
Protects against tooth decay
Antioxidant activity in tea exceeds
that of many fruits and vegetables
Prevents infection
Strengthens bone density
Stimulates alertness and mental performance
Increases capillary strength
Tea is a natural beverage containing
no fat, sugar or calories
More reading on benefits for the body, mind and
soul.
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Teas will not be responsible for any mis-appropriate
information.
http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/277
http://www.thenutritionreporter.com/flavonoids.html
The
Badagas of the Nilgiris :
Coming soon.
The Badagas of the Nilgiris www.Badaga.org
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Loose
tea info that you should know : |
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| The vast
majority of tea bags made around the world use
bleached paper as a filter and dust as the tea
- Only since they diffuse easily into the cup.
Tea leaves lose their essential oils and aromatic
properties when they are in dust form. Dust and
fannings are of the lowest quality tea available.
A tea bag is really just a way to get rid of left
over tea! High-quality, whole-leaf tea offers
tremendous variety, more healthy properties, and
a better taste! Make your own ice tea or hot tea!
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Enjoying loose leaf tea allows you to brew your
favorite selections in a larger leaf form than
is typically available in packaged tea bags. During
brewing, the water is flavored by the tea leaves.
A larger leaf means more leaf surface is able
to unfurl during brewing, providing more flavor
in the cup. If you brew your leaves directly in
your cup, mug or teapot, this gives the tea leaves
even more room to expand. With higher quality
tea leaves, a tea-spoon would give about six times
the tea of a lower grade tea. |
