Articles
Chinese culture and tea cannot be separated
by Jean Alberti wildandbareTea and China are synonymous. Yes, there are some fine teas coming out of India and other parts of the world. But tea as a beverage got its start in China and the link between the two has never been severed.
Consequently, the Chinese culture is saturated with tea, more so than any other beverage-country combination. Wine in France doesn’t have the hold on the French culture that green tea has in China.
Part of it has to do with the antiquity of the relationship. Legends may exaggerate the beginnings of tea, but even recorded history dates it back 2,000 years.
Over so many years, tea in its many variations, including organic blooming tea, integrated itself into all the important areas of the lives of mainland Chinese.
Consider:
• The commercial value of tea mushroomed as it became established, taking on value comparable to gold. The famous tea horse road was developed to facilitate trade between Tibet and China. When Western trade ships discovered tea, the product moved into the international marketplace, where it continues to dominate the market.
• As the tea ascended into the upper levels of society, it took on both social and political significance. Some teas were especially prized and their growers rewarded by royal decrees. Tribute was paid in volumes of exquisite teas, both in cakes of aged pu-erh and in loose-leaf bundles. The social prestige accorded tea and tea gatherings eventually worked its way back down the social ladder, with all of society savoring it.
• Traditional Chinese medicine incorporated tea into its medicine kit. Healers and herbalists in China established a protocol of teas for specific ailments. Some were found to reduce anxiety, others to reduce menstrual discomfort, or to produce anti-aging benefits such as smoother skin. The benefits were spread among green tea, organic blooming tea, Chinese oolong tea, black tea and the other varieties.
• The drinking of tea took on ceremonial trappings. These included the attitude of the preparer, the expectations for guests, the types of tea-making and -serving paraphernalia, even the act of consuming was choreographed. Traditions grew around the choreography until they become full-fledged ceremonies. Then artists took over, with screen and wall art to complement the occasion.
In these and other ways, Chinese oolong tea and other teas not only became part of the Chinese culture, they became an inextricable part of it.
(Want to stay connected to other tea lovers? Check the Tea Twitterati 100, a list of the 100 most active tea industry social media users. The regularly updated list is posted on the website of premium quality tea supplier Wild & Bare Co. wildandbare.com)
This post is created by Jean Alberti, he carefully studies the unique soil characteristics and production methods at each tea garden he visits. Guided by local artisans whose families have grown heirloom tea for generations, Jean has curated a line of Chinese herbal tea of peerless quality and authenticity. Read the benefits of black tea by visiting wildandbare.com.
Consequently, the Chinese culture is saturated with tea, more so than any other beverage-country combination. Wine in France doesn’t have the hold on the French culture that green tea has in China.
Part of it has to do with the antiquity of the relationship. Legends may exaggerate the beginnings of tea, but even recorded history dates it back 2,000 years.
Over so many years, tea in its many variations, including organic blooming tea, integrated itself into all the important areas of the lives of mainland Chinese.
Consider:
• The commercial value of tea mushroomed as it became established, taking on value comparable to gold. The famous tea horse road was developed to facilitate trade between Tibet and China. When Western trade ships discovered tea, the product moved into the international marketplace, where it continues to dominate the market.
• As the tea ascended into the upper levels of society, it took on both social and political significance. Some teas were especially prized and their growers rewarded by royal decrees. Tribute was paid in volumes of exquisite teas, both in cakes of aged pu-erh and in loose-leaf bundles. The social prestige accorded tea and tea gatherings eventually worked its way back down the social ladder, with all of society savoring it.
• Traditional Chinese medicine incorporated tea into its medicine kit. Healers and herbalists in China established a protocol of teas for specific ailments. Some were found to reduce anxiety, others to reduce menstrual discomfort, or to produce anti-aging benefits such as smoother skin. The benefits were spread among green tea, organic blooming tea, Chinese oolong tea, black tea and the other varieties.
• The drinking of tea took on ceremonial trappings. These included the attitude of the preparer, the expectations for guests, the types of tea-making and -serving paraphernalia, even the act of consuming was choreographed. Traditions grew around the choreography until they become full-fledged ceremonies. Then artists took over, with screen and wall art to complement the occasion.
In these and other ways, Chinese oolong tea and other teas not only became part of the Chinese culture, they became an inextricable part of it.
(Want to stay connected to other tea lovers? Check the Tea Twitterati 100, a list of the 100 most active tea industry social media users. The regularly updated list is posted on the website of premium quality tea supplier Wild & Bare Co. wildandbare.com)
This post is created by Jean Alberti, he carefully studies the unique soil characteristics and production methods at each tea garden he visits. Guided by local artisans whose families have grown heirloom tea for generations, Jean has curated a line of Chinese herbal tea of peerless quality and authenticity. Read the benefits of black tea by visiting wildandbare.com.
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About Jean Alberti 
wildandbare
1 connections, 0 recommendations, 11 honor points.Joined APSense since, January 2nd, 2013, From Taipa Macau, China.
Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.
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