Chinese Tea, from the tree to your cup.

Tea, like cheese and wine, is often associated to a certain level of sophistication.
And like cheese and wine, several regions claim to be the original inventor of
this precious substance, and pretend to be the legitimate authority as to its
definition and the unique and correct way of serving it.

The truth might rather be that there is no uniqueness, but a plurality that
makes those subjects so fascinating.

Whether it is Green tea, Chinese tea or
Black tea, whether it is served pure or with
additional ingredients, in an onion soup like in Mongolia or as the
Sweet tea you can be served in the South of the USA,
it seems that tea lovers will never agree on which is the "real tea"...

This entry intends to reduce its scope to what is commonly called "Chinese tea".
And even in this restricted field...

...there is tea, and tea, and tea, and...

Chinese tea is an acquired taste, probably as complex and diverse as French wine.
But there are ways to simplify somehow the distinctions, so that the beginner can
start and understand a few things.

Different varieties, types, and regions of origin

Tea is a plant of the same familly as a flower common on balconies. It is a species
(Camelia Sinensis) that cover a wide diversity of varieties. The variety/type, the region
where it grows, the altitude, and the type of climate have a strong influence on the
taste of the final product.

"Chinese tea" usually comes from the South of China, from Taiwan, or a few other
mountainous areas in South-East Asia. Different types of tea are often designated
by the name of the region they come from (like Pu'er), by a traditional/mythical name
(like Tie GuanYin), or simply by a number (#12 of Taiwan, #13 of Taiwan)
¹
.

But origin is not the only distinction, as tea leaves usually go through a complex
process of fermentation, drying, pressing and roasting, before they can be used.

Different levels of fermentation

After collection, the tea leaves are left to dry (under the sun, or in heated dryers)
for a while. Depending on the duration of this step, and general considerations of
hygrometry and the like, different levels of fermentation can be reached.

To simplify, "green tea" would be close to a level 0, while "black tea" is closer
to 100. In between lie the different types of Chinese tea.

Different roasting degrees

The second important step in processing tea leaves is roasting. Again, depending on
the duration and temperature of this step, different roasting degrees can be reached,
from "raw tea" to completely roasted.

Usually, teas are classified in three groups : "raw", "half-roast",
"full roast".

Different traditions interferring

The tools used and conditions of the previous steps, as well as different ways of
handling and packing the tea leaves traditionaly vary from region to region, and lead
to very different aspects of the final product. Tea leaves can be pressed together in
the shape of a small ball, a square brick, etc., like it is done with Pu'er, or can
be pressed individually to take the shape of miniature deer's antlers, like the famous
LongJing tea, or each leaf rolled (manually or by more automated ways) like most Oolong
or Gunpowder teas.

The season of collection also plays a role, and often, teas are identified as "Spring
tea", "second flush", "Winter tea", etc.

Good quality leaves are used whole, never chopped, and the best tea leaves are the
terminal leaves of a branch. Wood (pieces of branches, bark, etc.) should never be found
in a pack of good tea !...

After use, tea lovers often pull a few leaves out of the teapot to appreciate their
size, shape and color.

Additional ingredients

As for black tea, Chinese tea is sometimes added some additional ingredients, mostly
flowers. The most famous one would be the HsiangPian served in many Cantonese and Dim Sum restaurants,
where good tea leaves are mixed with a small amount of dried jasmin flowers.
In the same way, rose buds or white chrysanthemums are sometimes added to Pu'er tea to
enhance its specific earthly flavour. Or in Korea, raw green tea is brewed with pine needles
to make the very fragrant Sor-Yap Cha.

The four T's for Tea

Time

When to drink what type of tea is not just a matter of taste or availability.

In traditional Chinese medicine, non-fermented, raw, green tea is considered very "cold"
²
, and is best drunk in the middle of the afternoon, when the body's energy are the "hottest".
In general, the less roasted and fermented the tea leaves, the coldest they are. Drinking
"cold" in the morning can bring unpleasant digestive effects (diarrhea),
and make you actually feel cold.

It seems also that less roasted/fermented tea releases more stimulating substances
(mostly cafeine and vitamin C) : if you drink it too late in the afternoon/evening,
you might not fall asleep easily
³
.

Tools

In the many tools that appear during the preparation of Chinese tea, some are
absolutely essential, and some are quite convenient and may or may not be used
⁴
.

Some types of tea might traditionally require the use of certain tools, shapes and
materials
⁵
. But to simplify, there is :

• The teapot

  Teapots for brewing Chinese tea are usually made of clay, without any glasing,
  and are normally very small ; a teapot the size of a fist is already a large one
  ⁶
  ! It is much easier to control the temperature if the teapot is small.
  
  In Chinese, the verb that means "to breed" (animals) or "to raise" (children) also
  applies to teapots. And tea lovers often "raise" several teapots, each for a
  different kind of tea. Because the clay is porous, it absorbs part of the tea,
  and it is said that the oil contained in the tea leaves will slowly build in the
  teapot, to finally give it a healthy shine. New teapots are normally bathed
  in tea before their first use, to wash off the smell of the clay and start the
  coating process. As a consequence, one should never wash a teapot with any kind
  of detergent. Just pour hot water in and on it, that's all it wants !

• The kettle

  To keep boiling water handy. It usually comes on a stand where coal (or an
  alcool burner) keeps the water hot. Nowadays, electric kettles are often used.

• The tea leaves container

  It must be sealed tight, so tea leaves will not be exposed to humidity.

• The tea cups

  They come in many shapes, tall like miniature fruit-juie glasses, short and
  stout like little bowls. Usually without an ear. Theire size is proportionate
  to the size of the teapot, and one can usually fill 4 to 6 cups from one brew.

• A pot for the tea

  Because tea must not be left on the leaves more than a few minutes, and the
  guests might not drink fast enough, it is convenient to have a pot,
  like a second teapot, or a small jug, where to pour the tea when it is ready. Pouring sometimes
  is done through a small filter, to stop leaf particules to stay in the tea.

• The tea spoon

  Usually made from a small section of bamboo, split in two along its length, it looks a bit like the large spoon used in traditional western groceries to measure grain, coffee beans and flour. It is used to measure the tea
  leaves before putting them in the pot. It also avoid the contact between the
  leaves and the hand, that might spoil the taste...

  Sometime a little funnel is also used to make sure all tea leaves get
  into the tiny teapot.

• The used leaves container

  After use, the leaves are not left in the teapot, but should be dug out
  and disposed of in this deep plate. If a new spoonfull of new leaves is not quickly
  put in the teapot at that moment, but instead the teapot and tea cups washed in boiling water, and neatly arranged upside-down to dry, it is usually the signal for the guest to
  prepare and leave.

• The tongs

  This tools (like large bamboo tweezers) is used to handle the cups while
  "washing" them in boiling water ; also used to dig leaves out of the teapot
  afterwards.

• The poker

  A very thin tool made of bamboo or turtle shell or horn, used to dislodge
  tea leaves that could get stuck in the teapot's spout.

• The tea rag

  Lots of pouring and soaking takes place during the whole process. This small
  piece of cloth can be quite handy to wipe things dry.

• The tea plate

  This rectangular or oval plate looks like a large flat box, on the top
  of which tea is prepared and served, with openings in the lid so water and spilt tea
  can drip though and be collected in the box. Often made of bamboo, or other waterproof
  woods.

Only the first two are essential (teapot and kettle), everything else is optionnal !
Some tea lovers will even drink tea directly from the spout of their very tiny personal
teapots!

Temperature

Water has to be hot, sometimes just boiling, but with very tender leaves, like green
tea, LongJing, etc., the temperature can be as low as 60 or 70 (so as not to cook the leaves).

Rule of the thumb : the darker the leaves are, the hotter the water should be.


If the leaves are still rolled in tiny beads after the first infusion, after the
water was left on them for even 2 to 3 minutes, then water was probably not hot enough
(the leaves did not "open").


If the leaves and the tea smell of cabbage, then the water was probably too hot.

Technique

The teapot and cups are first washed in boiling water, then turned around and let to
dry for a few seconds.

The teapot is then filled up to a 1/4 or a 1/3 with tea leaves, before the water is poured.
The tea leaves, in contact witht the hot steamy teapot, will start to exhale their first fumes.
It is a good sign of fresh quality tea. Something like the smell of freshly cut grass, with a
hint of a fruity fragrance.

To know if you put too much tea leaves : after the 4th or the 5th time of adding water, the
tea leaves opened to their original size and shape, and should fill the teapot completely,
staying in the teapot if you turn it upside-down, but are still easy to remove with a finger
or the tongs. Too packed ? Then there is too much tea leaves. Everything falls off the pot ?
Not enough.

Water is poured in the teapot, up to the top, and the lid placed back on. Sometimes, some water
is poured on the top of the lid, to keep the teapot hot.

After a minute or so, tea is poured out in the cups, and any remaining tea has to be poured
in an empty pot, so that no tea remains on the leaves while you drink the first cup. This
is very important, or it will turn very bitter and spoil the leaves.

Water is poured several times on the same tea leaves before they have surrendered all their
fragrance. Each time, the water is left a little longer on the leaves (adding about a minute
to each turn). Each brew will develop a different flavour, stronger elements fading away to
reveal more subtle ones, until the leaves are completely washed. This may take between 3 to 7
turns, depending on the tea type and quality, and the duration of each infusion.

Tea : pleasure and philosophy

The whole process might sound very complex and unpractical (although watching it rather than
reading about it makes it all falls together). But drinking Chinese tea has to be an enjoyable
experience, not a rigid ritual. Most rules and habbits have practical roots, and all aim at
developping a quiet atmosphere where the drinker can "find himself" : tea as a tool to finding
inner peace. In Japan, it was fixed into a complex and very rigid ritual (often referred to as
the "Tea ceremony"), quite difficult to understand and enjoy without a full education in the
arts and ways of Japanese tea.

It seems that the Chinese way of enjoying tea is easier to apprehend without too much training
and explanation, even though one can find several schools that will still insist on the importance
of rules.

With a little bit of practice, and a minimum set of tools, Chinese tea can very well be enjoyed
at home or at the office. It is a pleasant alternative for office clerks who do not smoke, and
can't have a "cigarette break", but still would like to enjoy a break in their afternoon...

Heavy tea drinkers sometimes report a state of "drunkenness" due to tea, including a significant
uplift of the mood, a certain level of happiness, sometimes even a slight diziness, but without many
of the side effects of alcool intoxication (slower reflexes, judgement impairment, etc.)

Additionally, several studies seem to show that tea, especially green tea and Chinese tea,
have a positive influence on health, stimulating digestion, helping liver and kidney, even giving
a boost to the immune system and helping reduce risks of cancer...

Traditional Chinese medicine describes a certain type of addiction to tea, explaining that,
because tea helps fighting diseases and eliminates toxins, the body gets use to that level of
well-being, and develops an addiction to it. All the more reasons to give
it a try !

More entries related to Chinese tea

Tea: Some Thoughts Occasioned by Coleridge and a Tea Merchant
Essence of World Tea