Tasting Chinese Famous Teas

Author: Wang Jianrong and Wu Shengtian (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Clean and non-staining, perfect for drinking to cleanse the mind. Tea, as one of the three major non-alcoholic beverages (tea, coffee, cocoa), is popular worldwide. Currently, over 50 countries produce tea, with an annual output of approximately 2.9 million tons. Around 3 billion people in more than 160 countries enjoy drinking tea. So, when did tea actually originate? Historically, it is said: "Tea originated from Shennong, became known to the Duke of Lu and the Duke of Zhou during the Zhou Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Song Dynasty." According to botanists, the tea tree has a long history of 60 to 70 million years since its origin. However, humans only discovered and utilized tea about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. China is the world's earliest country to discover tea trees and use tea leaves. The tea-drinking habits and tea production techniques of countries around the world were initially introduced directly or indirectly from China. Therefore, China is hailed as the "Hometown of Tea," and the southwestern region of China (including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan) is the center of the original habitat of tea trees. Legend has it that Shennong was the first to taste the fresh leaves of the tea tree and discovered its miraculous detoxifying properties. In the Han Dynasty's pharmacological text Shennong's Herbal Classic, attributed to Shennong, there is a record: "Shennong tasted the flavors of hundreds of herbs and the sweetness or bitterness of springs, and the people learned to avoid and seek what was beneficial. At that time, he encountered seventy-two poisons daily, and tea helped him relieve them." Here, "tu," refers to tea.