Considered the birthplace of tea, China is home to thousands of different types of tea. Grown across three time zones it produces over third of the world's tea crop.
The traditional Chinese tea ceremony involes multiple infusions per cup and with a whopping population of 1.4 billion, China's tea consumption massively exceeds that of the UK. In fact most Chinese Tea is both produced and is enjoyed in China both as a luxury product and as a simple, everyday beverage.
ETYMOLOGY
The word or rather Chinese character for tea "Cha" is composed of three parts. 'Plants', 'Human' and 'being rooted'. This combines to give us a meaning that loosely translates as a 'plant that keeps a person rooted or balanced'
The History Chinese Tea
The history of tea in China goes back so far, it is difficult to decipher between fact and legend. It is thought that the origins of Chinese tea date back to the second millenium BC when it was discovered almost by accident by the first Emperor of China, Shennong.
When leaves from a nearby bush fell into his pot of boiling water he drank the infused water and was pleasantly surprised by its refreshing effects. The vitality this drink gave him sparked a life long journey experimenting with other medicinal herbs and infusions. Among many other social and technological advancements he is considered the father of Chinese medicine and tea.
The Tang Dynasty
The popularisation of Chinese tea really began around 8th Century AD, during the Tang dynasty. Tea was offered as a tribute to the Emperor in the Royal court, initially voluntarily but later as a compulsory act. The standard of this tea became so high that officials would be sent to supervise it's collection.
This was a time of huge cultural and economic developments in China. Tea became increasingly more popular among all walks of life and even spread abroad. It was during this period that tea culture and the cultivation of tea began to spread to Japan.
The Song Dynasty
Chinese Tea production continued to grow throughout the 10th 12th Century during the Song Dynasty. Exports of tea reached as far as South East Asia and Arab Countries. To help preserve the tea for the long journey it was pressed into 'tea cakes' to make them more compact and resistant to physical damage. Binding agents such as flour, blood and manure were used to shape these cakes which had to be left to dry before being shipped and traded.
By the time of the Ming Dynasty Tea Bricks were used as a currency but due to the complicated production process they were abolished in attempt to relieve some of the pressure from farmers.
Modern Day Chinese Tea
As Communist China was recovering from post-civil war economic effects tea exports were prioritised at the expense of domestic sales. This meant that quality was often compromised over quality as more broken leaf tea was produced to pander to western tea dinking cultures. Community tea farms would produce a homogenised standard of tea and high quality tea would be considered bourgeois. However in recent decades, as tea gardens began to regain private ownership, more and more smallholders have rekindled the ancient, regional tea skills needed to put China back on the map producing some of the world's best teas.
Brewing Chinese Tea
Chinese tea is traditionally prepared using the Gong Fu method. This method originated in Fujian but has since spread across East Asia with each culture adopting it's own regional nuances. Preparing Gong Fu tea is all about brewing the best tea possible in an elegant, ceremonial-like process.
A typical Gong Fu set includes a kettle, a bamboo scoop, a clay teapot or Gaiwan (a bowl with a lid), a set of small cups, a decanting pot (chahai), a tray and last but not least, tea! The tray on which all this sits features a drip tray, used for pouring excess water and tea away.
The main steps to preparing Gong Fu tea are as follows;
1. The Gaiwan or teapot is rinsed with hot water.
2. Tea is placed into the Gaiwan or teapot with the bamboo scoop (usually at a ratio of 10g per 100ml)
3. Hot water is poured onto the tea to wash the leaves then the liquid is poured away.
4. Hot water is poured again onto the tea leaves, the lid closed and hot water poured over the pot.
5. The tea is brewed for 30 seconds to a minute.
6. The liquor is decanted in the Chahai to homogenise the brew and from there into each cup.
7. The process is then repeated until the flavour of the tea starts to fade. With good quality leas this can be up to 7 times.
Unlike western tea pots, Gong Fu tea sets rarely include a strainer. This is because they are not necessary. The large whole leaves are can easily be strained with the lid of the Gaiwan or narrow spout of a clay teapot.
At first glance all this equipment might seem a bit overwhelming but Chinese tea can also be enjoyed with a simple set up. All that is really necessary is a pot and a cup. The main thing to consider when brewing Chinese tea is to enjoy the process of brewing multiple cups and experiencing the change in taste with each infusion. Chinese tea culture is more about savouring the moment rather than grabbing a quick cuppa!
A quick and easy alternative to a Gaiwan in this neat little glass mug with built in strained from Kinto called a Uni Mug
Traceability
Because tea has existed for so long in China, the way tea production is organised can be more difficult to understand compared to other tea producing countries. In the east of China, individual family-run plots make up a considerable portion of the tea produced. However, once at the factory, teas are organised by style using a numbering system. This means that the quality of a particular lot can be lost as it becomes amalgamated into one style.
