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China
Information
Drinking
Tea In China |
In
China, tea ceremonies are
used to celebrate special occasions as
well. However, in China, more attention is paid to the event being
celebrated, along with the aroma and flavor of the tea than the ritual
itself.
The most famous Chinese tea
ceremony is the performed
when couples are married. Early on the wedding day, the bride serves
tea to her parents at their home before her groom arrives. After the
wedding ceremony, the newlyweds serve tea together to the groom’s
family.
The bride and groom kneel
before the groom’s family
members and serve them tea as a sign of respect. During the course of
the ceremony, the bride and groom receive red envelopes from the
relatives containing money or jewelry as wedding gifts.
Certain
symbols are extremely important in a Chinese wedding ceremony. These
include the lotus seeds and dates, which symbolize children to be born
early in the marriage and a sweet and happy life.
For
the rest
of us, however, green tea is consumed for enjoyment and health reasons.
In fact, drinking green tea may be one of the simplest and best habits
you can pick up to protect your health. Green tea’s potent
anti-oxidants have been shown to have many health benefits. Long term
green tea drinking has been shown to prevent many forms of cancer,
heart disease and high cholesterol. In addition, green tea has been
shown to be an effective weight loss supplement and to regulate insulin
naturally.
Green
tea has even been shown
to be an adjunct
therapy for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Studies have shown
chemotherapy to be more effective when patients consumed a green tea
regimen along with their chemotherapy compared to patients who did not
consume green tea.
To make
your own green tea, you
must first
choose a green tea variety. This may be the most difficult task of all,
because there are so many varieties of green tea available. In fact,
there is a saying that in China alone there are as many varieties of
green tea as there are towns.
Some
of the most popular
varieties of green tea include the following:
•
Gunpowder
Tea – known for its smokiness, Gunpowder tea is a tightly
rolled pearl that unfolds as it steeps to reveal a pale green brew and
beautiful tea leaves.
•
Sencha
– This is a
traditional
Japanese green tea that is a favorite of the Japanese people for
serving to guests. It is grown in the shadow of Mt. Fuji.
If
you’d like to try flavored
green tea, it is often found combined with the flavors of vanilla,
jasmine and mint.
To
brew the perfect cup of green tea, fill your kettle with fresh cold
water and place it on the stove to heat. While the water is heating,
add warm tap water to your teapot and your cups, if you wish, to warm
them.
When the water comes to a boil,
remove it from the heat
and remove the tap water from your teapot. Let the water sit for about
2 minutes to let the water cool down a little. Green tea should be
brewed with water that is about 160°F, which is cooler than other teas.
Add about 1 teaspoon of tea leaves per cup to your teapot and pour the
hot water over the leaves.
Most green tea should steep
about 1-2 minutes before serving. The best green tea will give you 2-3
infusions.
Whether
you choose green tea to use in a traditional ceremony, to protect your
health or just because you love it, you’ve made a wise choice. There’s
certainly a reason that green tea is used in so many ceremonies and so
highly revered in the Asian world. It’s a natural way to celebrate an
occasion that’s healthy and delicious, too.
Marcus Stout
If you’re a tea
drinker, it’s likely that you’ve tried jasmine tea.
Jasmine tea is the most popular blend of Chinese tea, and has been
produced for more than 700 years. It was first produced during the Sung
dynasty, by plucking the jasmine leaves as soon as they begin to bloom.
The
freshly plucked jasmine leaves were stored in a cool place until
nightfall, when the blossoms began to release their fragrance. Then the
jasmine petals were added to dry heaps of tea leaves, to allow the dry
tea leaves to absorb the fragrance. Ordinary grades were scented two or
three times; the special grades even more. Today, the process is much
the same, though it may not be carried out by hand these days.
The
best jasmine tea is said to come from the Fujian province in China.
This is because this area of China produces the largest and heaviest
scented jasmine leaves and some of the loosest tea leaves, which can
absorb the jasmine fragrance better.
Like with most other teas,
the first plucking in the spring produce the very best jasmine tea
because the tea leaves are so tender. In fact, jasmine tea produced
from the first plucking of the tea leaves is sometimes referred to as
“Spring Breeze” jasmine tea.
Jasmine tea has been the favorite
tea of those in northern China for many years, but has gained favor all
over the world in more recent years. There are some interesting facts
and differences about jasmine tea.
•It was believed
to have
spiritual powers – One of the reasons that jasmine tea
became so
popular came from the belief that the tea held special spiritual
powers. This made it a favorite for tea ceremonies.
•Jasmine tea
can be made from green, oolong, white and black tea – You
can find
jasmine tea in your favorite variety of tea, whether green, black,
oolong or white. Most jasmine tea is made with green tea, but it is
possible to find other varieties.
So, if you’re in the market for jasmine tea, which should you choose?
Well,
of course, it depends upon your tastes. It’s likely that your favorite
jasmine tea will be the one that’s combined with your favorite tea to
drink plain. But, you should experiment with other forms of jasmine
tea. You may find that other teas that don’t really appeal to you in
their plainest form are very appealing when combined with jasmine. Here
are some characteristics of the different varieties of jasmine tea.
Jasmine
Green Tea – This is the most common form of Jasmine tea.
Jasmine green
tea is one of the healthiest ways to drink jasmine tea. Jasmine green
tea has a very natural and light flavor, with the plant taste of green
tea complemented by the sweet and fragrant jasmine blossoms.
What
makes jasmine green tea so healthy is that it retains the tea’s
anti-oxidants in their most natural form, because the tea is not
fermented.
These natural anti-oxidants protect our health by
neutralizing the free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals,
which are created during our digestive process, can damage our cells
and DNA if we don’t keep them in check. A diet rich in anti-oxidants
like those found in green and white tea keeps these free radicals under
control.
Oolong
Jasmine Tea – Oolong jasmine tea is likely the
second most common form of green tea. Oolong teas are semi-fermented,
meaning that they are fermented for a shorter period of time than black
teas. To produce a oolong tea, fermentation must be stopped when the
leaves are 30% red and 70% green.
It is the ability to stop the
fermentation at precisely the right time that gives oolong teas their
distinct flavor. Most oolong teas are dried using charcoal, giving it
another distinct dimension. Oolong jasmine teas are smooth with the
fruity taste that is common in oolong tea. However, the jasmine also
makes the tea fragrant and sweet.
White
Jasmine Tea – The
combination of light and sweet white tea with fragrant jasmine makes
for a very delicate flavor. As white tea gains popularity in the
Western world, it’s likely that white jasmine tea will become easier to
find. Because white tea, like green tea, is unfermented, you’ll gain
the same health benefits from drinking white tea that green tea
provides.
Black
Jasmine Tea – While black tea is the most common
variety of tea consumed in the Western world, it is the tea least
commonly combined with jasmine. Black tea is bolder and stronger than
green and white teas, so the jasmine is not as prominent in the flavor
or aroma.
Regardless of the variety of tea you choose, it’s
likely you’ll find that the addition of jasmine is a true delight. Most
tea drinkers find the scent of jasmine tea very soothing, making it a
great tea to enjoy in the evening.
You’re certain to want to
sample many varieties of jasmine tea to determine your favorites. If
you love the fragrance and sweetness of jasmine combined with tea as
much as I do, you’ll have a favorite jasmine tea from every tea variety
available!
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