More Green Teas info :
"China Tea" is a term used to describe tea grown in China for the foreign or
export market only. "Chinese Tea" is the term used to describe that tea which is
grown in China and intended for local or internal consumption only. We, in the
United States, would probably never taste "Chinese Tea". That may be both
good and bad at the same time. There are over 1,200 varieties of tea grown in
China and since only a very few are exported, we are limited to what taste
experience we can enjoy. On the other hand, it insulates us from some extremely
unpalatable teas.
Tea is thought to have originated in China, broadly speaking, where longitude
100 passes through the Tropic of Cancer. From China it spread by seed, and for
the most part without the intervention of man, to most other parts of what is
now known as the tea-growing world, either directly or in steps from one
country to another. There are exceptions to this natural spread but they are
limited to those varieties hybridized by man.
The precise history of China Green Tea (China Black Tea is a relatively new
process or invention) is difficult to trace and thus establish. There are some tea
scholars who say it is 2,000 years old, others 2,500 and still others say it may
be 5,000 years old. There are several reasons for this confusion. The Chinese
character (ideogram) for tea, until recent times, was basically the same character
as that used for an herbal tea made from sow thistle or sow weed, making it
difficult to know exactly to which plant a writer was referring. Another reason
is that as each succeeding dynasty rose to the "Dragon Throne, " they would
eliminate previous records of a particularly excellent tea and literally rewrite
history to make their dynasty the one which discovered that particular tea. Also,
at certain times in China's history, there were two or more ruling dynasties or a
major and a minor dynasty coexisting, each of which would rewrite the history
of tea or a specific tea to prove that they had discovered it. Historical records
regarding China tea became very confused and confusing. The only thing that
can be said for certain is that the art of growing, processing, brewing and
drinking tea evolved in China; just when, however, is totally uncertain.
There are a number of China teas available to us, but because of growing
conditions and plucking seasons they are not all available at the same time.
Below are just a few, a very few, with their English spelling, Old Chinese
spelling and New Chinese spelling:
English/Old Chinese/New Chinese
____________________________________________________
Dragon's Well/Lung-Ching/Long-Jing
Lion's Peak /Shih-Feng /Shi-Feng
White Cloud /Pai-Yun /Bai-Yun
Jeweled Cloud /Pao-Yun /Bao-Yun
Purple Sprout /Tz'e-Sun /Ce-Sun
Old Man's Eyebrows /Shou-Mei /Shou-Mee
Sow-Mee
(None) /Pu-Erh /Pu-Er
Country Green /Ching-Cha /Ching-Cha
Oolong (Style) /Wu-Lung /Wu-Lung -or-(Wu-Long)
If one enjoys excellent China green or Oolong teas, it is a must to prepare them
using fine utensils from China. We most heartily recommend Yixing
(pronounced E-SHing) Ware. That is, authentic Yixing Ware, not imitation or
Yixing style (refer to section: Yixing Ware for more detail).
We respectfully quote from an honored Tea Master (Mr. John Blofeld): "a
combination of fine tea, enchanting objects and soothing surroundings exerts a
therapeutic effect by washing away the corrosive strains and stress of modern
life...(it) induces a mood that is spiritually refreshing...(and produces) a genial
state of mind." I honor Mr. Blofeld, now deceased, for the years he devoted to
his studies of China Green and Semi-Black Teas.
These are good tea places to visit on the web, if your fetish is really out of hand: www.truetea.com and www.uptontea.com. I have to say that tea is the superior beverage but coffee is the most effective anti-depressant.
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"China Tea" is a term used to describe tea grown in China for the foreign or export market only. "Chinese Tea" is the term used to describe that tea which is grown in China and intended for local or internal consumption only. We, in the United States, would probably never taste "Chinese Tea". That may be both good and bad at the same time. There are over 1,200 varieties of tea grown in China and since only a very few are exported, we are limited to what taste experience we can enjoy. On the other hand, it insulates us from some extremely unpalatable teas.
Tea is thought to have originated in China, broadly speaking, where longitude 100 passes through the Tropic of Cancer. From China it spread by seed, and for the most part without the intervention of man, to most other parts of what is now known as the tea-growing world, either directly or in steps from one country to another. There are exceptions to this natural spread but they are limited to those varieties hybridized by man.
The precise history of China Green Tea (China Black Tea is a relatively new process or invention) is difficult to trace and thus establish. There are some tea scholars who say it is 2,000 years old, others 2,500 and still others say it may be 5,000 years old. There are several reasons for this confusion. The Chinese character (ideogram) for tea, until recent times, was basically the same character as that used for an herbal tea made from sow thistle or sow weed, making it difficult to know exactly to which plant a writer was referring. Another reason is that as each succeeding dynasty rose to the "Dragon Throne, " they would eliminate previous records of a particularly excellent tea and literally rewrite history to make their dynasty the one which discovered that particular tea. Also, at certain times in China's history, there were two or more ruling dynasties or a major and a minor dynasty coexisting, each of which would rewrite the history of tea or a specific tea to prove that they had discovered it. Historical records regarding China tea became very confused and confusing. The only thing that can be said for certain is that the art of growing, processing, brewing and drinking tea evolved in China; just when, however, is totally uncertain.
There are a number of China teas available to us, but because of growing conditions and plucking seasons they are not all available at the same time. Below are just a few, a very few, with their English spelling, Old Chinese spelling and New Chinese spelling:
English/Old Chinese/New Chinese
____________________________________________________
Dragon's Well/Lung-Ching/Long-Jing
Lion's Peak /Shih-Feng /Shi-Feng
White Cloud /Pai-Yun /Bai-Yun
Jeweled Cloud /Pao-Yun /Bao-Yun
Purple Sprout /Tz'e-Sun /Ce-Sun
Old Man's Eyebrows /Shou-Mei /Shou-Mee
Sow-Mee
(None) /Pu-Erh /Pu-Er
Country Green /Ching-Cha /Ching-Cha
Oolong (Style) /Wu-Lung /Wu-Lung -or-(Wu-Long)
If one enjoys excellent China green or Oolong teas, it is a must to prepare them using fine utensils from China. We most heartily recommend Yixing (pronounced E-SHing) Ware. That is, authentic Yixing Ware, not imitation or Yixing style (refer to section: Yixing Ware for more detail).
We respectfully quote from an honored Tea Master (Mr. John Blofeld): "a combination of fine tea, enchanting objects and soothing surroundings exerts a therapeutic effect by washing away the corrosive strains and stress of modern life...(it) induces a mood that is spiritually refreshing...(and produces) a genial state of mind." I honor Mr. Blofeld, now deceased, for the years he devoted to his studies of China Green and Semi-Black Teas.
- bill 3-08-2001 8:08 pm
These are good tea places to visit on the web, if your fetish is really out of hand: www.truetea.com and www.uptontea.com. I have to say that tea is the superior beverage but coffee is the most effective anti-depressant.
- rachael 3-10-2001 1:37 am [add a comment]
"...coffee is the most effective anti-depressant." I guess I'm not alone.
- jim 3-10-2001 9:14 am [add a comment]
try this and this
- Skinny 3-10-2001 11:16 pm [add a comment]