Chinese Tea CultureKate Ma. 7Cl2

Origin Story says original idea came from legendary

Emperor Shen Nong because he had all water boiled as hygienic precaution

When the emperor was traveling, he stopped to rest and servants began to boil water to drink. Dried leaves from a bush fell into boiling water, and the emperor decided to drink it and found he liked it.

Origin (Cont.) So according to legend tea was created in 2737

BC (Zhou Dynasty)

People began to cultivate tea shrubs 3000 years ago

Tea Facts Is regarded as most Zen-like drink

Compared to personal character

Tea is a mysterious but harmonious combination, both spiritual as well as material

Tea Facts (cont.) Tea’s character is flexible in different

environments

Tea Drinking: Refreshment and Tonic Effect

Tea Tasting: Cultural Meaning

Tea Facts (cont.)

Before 8th Century BC tea was mainly for medicine

The name ‘cha’ comes from CHA which is tea in mandarin. The name ‘tea’ comes from TAY which is tea in Xiamenese (Fujian province)

Essential parts of meals in China

Tea Drinking Customs You should pour guests tea

It shows respect if the younger generation pours tea for the older generation

Tea wares should match surrounding elements (bamboo, plums, pine, snow)

Tea Brewing Four main methods of tea brewing (2

traditional, 2 conventional)

Gong fu method used to enjoy full flavor of tea (includes seven-piece utensil set)

You can brew tea by just boiling water and steeping the leaves

Tea Varieties Many different varieties, depends on how the

tea leaves are picked and prepared

Green, West Lake Dragon Well (Long Jing), Black/Red, Oolong (Wu Lung), Jasmine (Muo Li Hua), Scented

Tea Varieties (cont.) Different parts of China prefer different types

of tea

North China: Scented Tea

Eastern China: Green Tea

Fujian & Guangdong: Red/Black Tea

Bibliography http://

www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/tea-classification.htm

http://www.goldenteahouse.com/steeping_tea.php

http://chineseteas101.com/brewingmethod.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_tea_culture

http://www.sldinter.com/chinese-tea-culture.html

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/

The End