Exploration of Chinese Tea

“This was the routine of the old China trade. These were the commodities traditionally brought to China and traditionally carried away. And at the heart of the trade was tea. It came from no other place. India did not then produce any, nor Ceylon, Java, or Formosa; Japan was inaccessible; the world perforce drank China teas. Above all, the English drank them” (17).

“Moderation is the very essence of tea. Tea does not lend itself to extravagance.” Thus is said about tea by Lu Yu, the Tang dynasty author of the groundbreaking work ambitiously titled The Classic of Tea. One cannot understand the mindset surrounding tea during the Tang dynasty without knowledge of this monumental work. Lu Yu 's role in spreading tea culture throughout the Tang dynasty was vast to the extent that

Through my study of sixty-nine pieces of tea literature circulated in early modern China, I argue that a new discourse and a new series of aesthetic principles on tea tasting was created by a community of scholar-official tea connoisseurs based on their commonalities in perceiving and understanding tea and tea-related objects. This commonality, on one hand, originated from their shared educational training through reading classical texts; on the other hand, depended on their experiences in sensing things through their bodies in forms of cultural practices. Both of their education and cultivation played significant roles in the formation of the cultural identity of scholar-official tea connoisseurs, who, with their writings, further influenced

Tea, as one of the most important tax revenues since the late Tang Dynasty, always occupies a significant position in China’s political and economic history; however, tea can also be understood in terms of social and cultural history. Members of the Ming elites had already regarded matters related to tea as a kind of specialized art. During late Ming period, the paramount interest of the connoisseur was taste and the singular ability to summon experience and knowledge in the appreciation of tea. “Taste” here not only refers to its sociological meaning, which emphasizes on personal and cultural patterns of choice and preference associated to social relations and dynamics between people; but also means gustatory perception, the sensory impression

Black, white and green tea are all made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, and although they undergo different processing each tea contains significant amounts of catechins. Catechins are a type of disease-fighting flavonoid and antioxidant that help to fight off cellular damage in the body.

The aesthetic principle created by the Song tea drinkers and their appreciation of the original flavor of water continued to the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, since loose tea, which tastes bitterer than both Tang and Song styles of tea, was adopted by scholar-officials and people from other classes, the original flavor/the sweet flavor of water was valued even more during the tea drinking in the late-Ming era. The bitterness of tea was appreciated when other flavors, such as the taste of salty or the flavors of spices, were removed from the tea due to the popularity of loose tea consumption. Timothy Brook has mentioned that the scholar-officials were the major practitioners of the Song style cake tea drinking in the early Ming era but later they

And at the heart of the trade was tea. It came from no other place. India did not then produce any, nor Ceylon, Java, or Formosa; Japan was inaccessible; the world perforce drank China teas. Above all, the English drank them” (17).

Many cultures still use tea for medicinal and therapeutic uses. Every country has it’s own way of enjoying tea and brewing it. No matter how an individual enjoys their cup, “tea is the universal drink of countless millions,” all thanks to Ancient China (Saberi, 2010).

I have three reasons of studying tea ceremony. First reason is that I wanted to revise Japanese culture. I am always interested in Japanese culture. When I was a junior high school, I played Kendo. When I was a high school student, I played Kyudo. From these experiences, I was very impressed with Japanese culture because I could understand how Japanese culture thinks and cares other people. For example in Kendo and Kyudo, even if I win the game, I do not have to show my feeling to the others. The reason of this is to respect and appreciate an opponent. I think it is very important thing as a human. Everyone cannot live alone so we need to live with supporting each other. To support each other, that spirit will be needed. That is why I love

When I am looking for a new flavor of tea, I often visit the Republic of Tea's website to browse all the unique varieties of tea that they carry. The Republic of Tea offers many different varieties of tea from around the world that you cannot buy in a local grocery store. Anyone, from tea connoisseurs to average students, can use this website to find great tasting tea. The Republic of Tea's website is well organized, with categories for each type of tea and all the different flavors. The homepage shows pictures of tea and accessories used to brew the perfect cup of tea. The main points of interest for the website is the text that describes the tea and the layout of the products being sold. These aspects along with the pictures

Wang’s Fortune Tea (WTF) is a Chinese herbal tea, a remedy that has been around since the 1800’s but Wang’s Fortune Tea created it into a pre-packaged reading to drink functional soft drink with a sweetened flavour. They’re product is unique and there is little else like it in the international market. They have managed to create their unique brand image not only through the product itself, but also because of their marketing mix that helps to promote a strong brand image of healthy life, and ancient Chinese remedy.

Along the lines of Japan’s long history of tea, the first signs of these exports appeared in “1610 by the Dutch East India Company, when a shipment of Japanese tea was sent to Europe” (Ito En). Later in 1858 Japan opened its ports, first to the United States, then to countries like the UK, Russia, and France. This marked the time in which tea became one of Japan’s main exports. Afterwards the export of tea expanded “due to the support of the Japanese government, with their main focus on the United States” as an export partner. These countries, along with many others nowadays, are still huge tea trading partners with Japan. They contribute a good portion to Japan’s tea market; the main attraction to Japanese tea has to do with their cultural practices attributed to earlier uses of tea and ceremonies in Japan.

Green tea use has been recorded Chinese culture since the third century B.C. One story suggests that Shen Nung, a scholar and herbalist, was responsible for making the first tea accidently while boiling water under a tea tree. The story goes to say that the wind blew some of the leaves into the boiling water which flavoring the water from the leaves. Later there is documentation of green tea being used in the third century A.D. to aid in alertness and to resolve depression, digestive, and nervous difficulties. The Tang Dynasty of A.D. 618-906 is when steaming of the leaves became a custom. During this period of time ceremonies for making and consuming tea were created.

However, Djie Ting Liat’s critiques, which are common criticisms found amongst those associated with the industry, are in contrast with Hao Wu The’s explanation for the industry’s decline. Instead of placing the blame on the domestic producers and distributors, Hao blames external factors which China could not control: “It is clear that china’s tea exports (like other exports) have been deleteriously affected by circumstances over which China

Our e-shop mainly is exported Chinese tea from China to UK. We have sold all kinds of Chinese tea which customers like. And also, we sell tea products such as teapots, tea cups, tea sets, tea trays. Moreover, we also try to teach customers to learn and appreciate the art of traditional tea making in a place of serenity, which is the value we provide to our customers.