Tea in Japan

Historians do not quite agree on when tea first arrived in Japan but the general view is that Japanese priests brought it back from China between the 6th and 9th Century. Very soon after this a Japanese priest planted a tea plant in 49 different Buddhist monasteries. It was rare and very expensive that meant that only aristocrats and high priests could afford to drink it.

Some years after the first arrival of tea a priest called Eisai wrote a book "Exposition on How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea." The book basically discuss all the various ways in which tea can help keep your body healthy, especially the heart. It also describes the ways in which tea should be grown and drunk. This is his most famous line: "Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make one's life more full and complete."

The Japanese Tea Ceremony started to come about in the 15th Century. The ceremony was originally called cha-no-yu: hot water tea. Paintings, art and drama were all encouraged.

Then in the early 1500's the Japanese tea master Sen-no Rikyu opened the first tea house. This evolved the tea ceremony, called "The Way of Tea", into what it is today. Many Japanese family have a tea house at the end of their gardens for the tea ceremony. You wait outside the hut until you here the host inside ring the gong, then you enter a small room and wash. You then go into the small tearoom, in the centre their is a painting or flower arrangement. The host then prepares the tea and you share the tea while admiring the flowers or art. This is still a very practiced custom.

Green Tea would be the most popular tea in Japan. They have a special unfermented version. The leaves are first steam-pressed then rolled and dried.
This is a commercial in Japan for a brand of Green Tea:



All information gathered from:

• Wikipedia
• UK Tea Council
• Japanese Tea Culture
• Stash Tea
• 2basnob
• Japanese Green Tea Online
• Japan Guide

Picture: http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/24/117724-004-0B3C90DB.jpg

China: The Homeland of Tea

A traditional Chinese saying:
'Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day.'

Since the second Chinese emperor Shen Nung discovered tea in 2737BC, the Chinese have set about refining and improving it in every way. The Chinese have perfected the way in which they grow, prepare and drink tea, with variations in all of these matters within the different regions.

Although China discovered tea almost 5000 years ago, it was not introduced in Japan until the 6th Century and in Europe and America until the 17th Century. Now, tea is a worldwide necessity. It is grown in over 40 countries but 90% of all tea produced still comes from Asia and all tea plants in the world were originally from China.

Chinese tea is divided into five different categories depending on how it is made.
1)Black Tea: Called red tea (hong cha) in China. It is fermented before baking.
2)Green Tea: Keeps the original tea leaf colour and has no fermentation in the preparing.
3)Wulong Tea: Half way between black and green tea.
4)Scented Tea: Fragrant flowers such as jasmine are mixed into the tea leaves.
5)Compressed Tea: This is tea that has been molded into a shape, such as a cube. It makes it easy for transport.

There are also different methods of brewing tea in different regions.
1)Chaou Brewing: The chaou is actually a three piece teaware: lid, cup and saucer.

1. Boil water, or heat to specified temperature for tea
2. Heat the tea ware with boiling water
3. Add leaves to line bottom of the cup
4. Rinse tea leaves and drain
5. Slip water along the side while pouring into the Chaou
6. Fill to ~2/3 full
7. Wait for 30 seconds, Serve

2)Gongfu Chaou Brewing: It uses a small 100-150ml teapot. It is usually used for welcoming guests or for personal use. It is suitable for oolong tea.

The cups used in the ceremony are small and usually white to show the colour of the tea. Sometimes special utensils such as tweezers and sieves are used in the preparation. All of the utensils must be washed in a certain way.

The Chinese Tea Ceremony is very important time of friendship. The ceremony focuses completely on the tea; what it smells, tastes like etc. Each person preforms the ritual of drinking in their own way. It is meant to help you find inner peace.
To say thank you for the tea, the Chinese knock two fingers together. This is a very old custom but still very much practiced, especially in the south.

Tea Drinking is a very respected and traditional custom in China. It is a sign of respect, a family gathering, an apology, to express gratitude and to pass on the tradition.

professional chinese tea making from michaelwasowski on Vimeo.

Information gathered from:

• Chinese Tea Council
• Wikipedia
• Uk Tea Council
• Tea Council
• Chinese Tea Culture
• China Tea Shop
• Visit China
• Holymtn

Picture: http://www.holymtn.com/tea/chinetea.htm

The Tea Production Process

According to Wkipedia, the Tea Council of China and the UK Tea Council, There are four main steps in the processing of tea.

1. Plucking
The tea plant can grow to 2.5 metres in height over 4-6years. The plant, once plucked, can last for over 100 years. From late March to early December the shoots are plucked from the plant. These shoots are on the end of the stem in a curled leaf form. Some shoots are more valuable then others and are used in special brews of tea.

2. The Factory
The Tea is first "withered" for 14-16 hours, when it is brought to the factory. This releases 65% of the water content.
It is then screened
Then it goes through either rolling or cutting machines depending whether a light or strong tea is required.
The leaves then "ferment". This is in a cool room for 2-4hours. The leaves turn from green to brown.
Then the leaves go into the Tea Dryer for 20-30minutes. This deactivates the enzymes and leaves the tea with only 2% water.

3. Grading
After the tea leaves have been through this whole process they are graded. There is no instructions on how to grade tea except most grades are determined by the size of the leaf and where it was located on the tea bush.
Some grades include:
D - Dust : Fine, small particles. Often used in tea bags.
F - Fanning: Very small, broken leaf.
S - Souchong: Largest leaf, located at the bottom of the plant.

4) The End
The tea is then shipped to another factory to be bagged and packaged.
Then it is brought to your supermarket.
You buy it.
You drink it!

Most tea processing plants are in Vietnam, India, China and Japan.

Picture: www.travelblog.org/.../blog-279071.html

A Little Background...

According to Wikipedia, Tea is the most widely drunk bevererage in the world after water.

Tea was originally discovered in 2737BC in China by the second emporer, Shen Nung. Apparently he was drinking hot water and some tea leaves blew into it. It made a nice aroma and this, it is thought, was how the drinking of tea began.

Tea is thought to have many health benefits, such as reducing puffy eyes, the risk of heart attack, treat warts, can be good for oral health and helps sustain good health in general etc.

At the moment, there are four main types of tea around the world: White, Green, Oolong and Black. Nearly all tea leaves are grown in India, China, and Asia in general.

Tea is extremely important in Asia, and some countries such as China and Japan celebrate tea and have certain customs as to the way in which it must be prepared and drunk.

In conclusion, tea is a major world commodity. It can be a refreshing, cool drink on a hot summers day, a warming, comfort in the cold winter months or even just something to socialize over while catching up with friends.

Picture: http://www.taj-travel-india-miniguide.com/images/cuptea.jpg

Hi!

Hey!
My name's Emma. I'm in Transition Year and for my Geography Blog I have decided to do the Teas of the World.
:)