At the 3rd China International Import Expo, commodities from all over the world were dazzling, among which tea was deeply loved by the public. Tea originated in China and then spread all over the world. Billions of people are drinking tea worldwide. How was tea born and popular? From ancient times to the present, what are the changes in the way of drinking tea? Where is China's good tea?
Tea was first used as a sacrifice
"Tea" has many names in countries around the world, such as "Tchai", "Cha", "Tay", etc., but the word "tea" comes from ancient Chinese dialects.
Tea originated in China. The Chinese Academy of Sciences confirmed that the plant samples unearthed from Hanyangling, Shaanxi a few years ago are ancient teas, which have a history of more than 2,100 years. These tea cultural relics have been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the earliest tea in the world".
Tea was first used as a sacrifice. In the late spring and autumn, people developed new functions for tea as food. In the mid-Western Han Dynasty, it developed into medicinal use.
"Fried tea" popular in Ming Dynasty
After thousands of years, tea has undergone a functional transformation from medicinal use to edible and then to drinking. The way of drinking tea in the past dynasties is also constantly evolving.
In the Tang Dynasty, it was usually "brew tea". Crush the tea leaves first, boil the water, add seasonings such as salt, green onion, ginger or orange peel, and then sprinkle the tea powder into the pot. When drinking, drink the tea dregs and tea soup together while it is hot, which is called "tea eating".
After the Song Dynasty, the way of drinking tea combined with aesthetic interest was called "Diancha". People decorate the tea cake with many dragon and phoenix patterns, which are very delicate, called "Dragon and Phoenix Tea". When drinking tea, first grind the tea cake into a fine powder, and make the tea with boiling water to better retain the aroma of loose tea. Teahouses were more popular in the Song Dynasty and became a place for literati to talk, appreciate the scenery and chant.
In the Ming Dynasty, the tea-making method and the tea-drinking method were simplified again and again. Instead of crushing the tea cakes, the loose tea leaves were directly "made". Before the Ming Dynasty, the steaming process was popular. After the Ming Dynasty, the "hot pot to kill green" technology appeared, which used the high temperature of an iron pan to stimulate the taste of fresh tea leaves, and "fried tea leaves" became popular.
After the Ming Dynasty, the tea category also developed greatly. On the basis of green tea, teas such as white tea, black tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, black tea and scented tea have been created one after another. The "bubble tea" method continues to this day, and tea tasters taste the original and true taste of tea.
Tea becomes the "messenger" of world exchange
China is the hometown of tea, and the tea culture has a long history. With the development of the Maritime Silk Road, tea as a representative of Chinese culture spread to all parts of the world, becoming a "gold plaque" for China's exchanges with the world, and exerting an important influence on the tea culture of various countries.
Japan had neither tea trees nor the habit of drinking tea. After the Tang Dynasty, Japan set off a climax of learning Chinese culture. A large number of Japanese envoys and monks went to China to learn Tang culture. It was against this background that the methods of tea drinking and the seeds of tea trees spread to Japan and gradually integrated with Japanese local culture. . Now, the Japanese Sencha ceremony originates from Gongfu tea from Chaozhou, Guangdong, China.
In the mid-17th century, tea was imported into Britain from China and other places through various channels. In 1657, a coffee shop in London, England, sold tea and tea drinks to the public for the first time, and said in the sign: "Chinese tea is good for health, suitable for all ages." It also listed more than 10 effects of tea, including refreshing eyesight. , Nourishing the liver and stomach, benefiting the kidney and diuresis, promoting digestion, etc. In the second year, another coffee shop advertised in the newspaper, emphasizing that tea is "a wonderful drink recommended by all doctors." This is also the first tea advertisement in a newspaper in British history.
Nowadays, Britain has become the "kingdom of tea drinking", and drinking afternoon tea has become a life custom of the British. Due to natural and cultural reasons, the British prefer fermented black tea, and they also like to add sugar and milk to the tea to create a British-style tea.
In Russia, social gatherings without tea are considered incomplete. Historically, tea was directly introduced to Russia from China via Siberia. Russians drink tea, accompanied by large plates of cakes, scones, pies, sweet bread, biscuits, jams, honey and other "refreshments", which often supplement or replace one of the three meals. Russians regard tea drinking as a way of communication, and prefer to chat while drinking tea.
India is one of the countries that produces and exports the most broken black tea, and its tea varieties originate from China. Assam, the most famous producer of broken black tea, started growing tea with the tea species introduced from China in 1835. In 1780, the British and Dutch imported tea seeds from China and began to plant them in India. Broken black tea has now become a global staple beverage.