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Tea, the Asian beverage.
From India to Japan, tea has been the favorite drink of many Asian people through the centuries. Legend says that Confucius discovered tea when a tea leaf incidentally fell into his cup of hot water. However, the invention obviously cannot be attributed to only one man. Humans, in their search for a tastier life have through the ages tried to accomodate water with various ingredients to give it flavor.
Indians, Chinese and Japanese are probably the people that drink tea the most. Taiwan alone consumes over ten thousand tons of tea each year. But tea is not just a beverage, it is an art form that has become so complex that we'll only be able here to give you a general overview. Closely related to zen meditation and arts in general, tea is also associated to refinement and education, and it can be either an individual or social activity. It is reputed for its healthy properties and is believed to clear the sight and mind, to fight stress, and to prevent cancer.
Although tea in China and Japan share the same origins, it has evolved in two totally different directions as diverse as the two countries' clutures. Taiwan is a unique location to experience both varieties and styles.
Chinese tea
Taiwan grown tea is excellent and easily stands comparison to tea from mainland China. The main varieties found here are Oolung, Tieh Kuan-yin, Pao Chong, and Oriental beauty. All grow on bush-size trees. The first three are naturally dried teas, while the fourth is a tea that has gone through an oxidation (or fermentation) process and has a stronger flavor. Pu-erh, a dark-brown tea compressed into square or round buns or packs only grows in the south of mainland China (Yunnan province) on large trees.
The tea ceremony in Taiwan is quite informal and simple. Tea is infused and served in tiny and beautiful earthen or ceramic ware. The main concepts are:
- use very small teapots and cups
- use excellent quality tea
- feel comfortable (in other words, do not stick to any tea drinking rules).
- Do not feel impressed by the various tea appellations
By following the above, anyone should be able to enjoy drinking very expensive tea.
A very small teapot requires only a very small amount of tea leaves (2.5g. on a scale). A high quality tea will give a perfectly balanced infusion: very aromatic, not too sweet and not too bitter, thus allowing you to infuse the tea leaves many more times than usual.
Preserve very good teas in airtight containers for many years; tea sometimes improves over the years. Add a few drops of XO brandy to Oriental beauty, for a different and flavorful creation.
Japanese tea originated in temples during the Kamakura period, around 1192AD. Monks who would study and meditate for long hours discovered that tea helped them to fight sleepiness. Afterwards, tea was long regarded in Japan as a medicinal beverage. Japanese tea was mainly boiled, and started to be infused around 500AD. Tea then evolved into a social ceremony - for men only and reserved to the upper classes - whereas men would gather in the afternoon for a few hours of unrestrained eating and drinking, ending up with a tea drinking ceremony.
There are many kinds of tea in Japan, but most are green teas coming in the form of a very fine, bright green powder. Although tea has become a common beverage, "Sato" the traditional tea ceremony in Japan is still a very much codified ritual where every gesture and move is carefully controlled.
[Source: Taiwan International Free News (TIFN) Vol. 2 #4 - May 2001]