Chinese Tea - An Introduction

English

 

The origin of the word ‘tea’ is the pronunciation in the Fujian (a province on the coast of China) dialect of the Chinese character ‘cha’ which means tea. The Chinese has been drinking tea since time immemorial and has been exporting tea to the rest of the world for over one thousand years. It was introduced into Europe in the seventeenth century and has become a very popular drink ever since.

According to legend, tea was first discovered and used as a medicinal herb by Yan-Di (Emperor Yan), one of the three ‘emperors’ in ancient China, about 4,600 years ago.  Written records have it that cultivation of tea started in China about 3,000 years ago. At that time, the Chinese character of ‘cha’ had not been created and instead another Chinese character ‘tu’ was used to represent tea. The character ‘cha’ was first used in the Tang Dynasty when the famous tea connoisseur, Lu Yu, wrote the ‘Tea Treatise’ and changed the character for tea from ‘tu’ to ‘cha’.

Before the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) in China, only people in the southern part of the country drank tea. Drinking tea became a wide spread pastime throughout the whole country in the Tang Dynasty and it even spread to Tibet, Mongolia and other neighbouring regions. It became even more popular in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) when new methods of processing tea leaves were developed and new utensils for preparing and drinking tea were made.

Health effects of tea

There are hundreds of chemical compounds in tea leaves. Those which are of benefits to or may affect human health are amino acids, flavonoides, catechins, vitamins (C, E and K), polysaccharides, fluoride and caffeine. It is generally believed that drinking tea in moderate quantity will improve one’s mental function, improve eyesight, strengthen teeth, increase immunity against intestinal disorders, and protect body cells from oxidation.

Types of tea

If tea is categorized according to the size of tea leaves, tea can be classified as large-leave tea, medium-leave tea and small-leave tea. Tea can also be classified according to the shape of the tea leaves; under this classification, tea is classified as long-leave tea, round-leave tea and willow-shape-leave tea.

Tea is also classified according to the method the leaves are processed after they have been picked and as such, tea can be classified as green tea, black tea, white tea, wulong tea, yellow tea and flower tea.

Green Tea (Lu Cha)

After tea leaves have been picked, they undergo a process which is unique to the processing of Chinese tea. It is called ‘sha qing’ (kill green). Under this process, tea leaves are placed in a large pan and heated up to 70 degrees centigrade to neutralize the enzyme in the tea leaves. If the temperature is below 70 degrees, the enzyme will be activated and turn the tea leaves red and damage the quality of the tea leaves. If the temperature is higher than 70 degrees, the leaves, especially the buds and young leaves, will be burnt and produce an unpleasant smell.  During the ‘sha qing’ process, the pan should first be covered for two to three minutes after which the lid is removed and the whole pan is shaken and tossed to stir and mix up the leaves.

The leaves are then taken for the ‘rolling’ process under which the leaves are pressed, twisted and kneaded in a pressing drum to break the tissues of the leaves and form the leaves into strips along the main vein. During this process, some sap exudes from the leaves. This process should last for about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the maturity and tenderness of the leaves or buds and the size of the drum.

Green tea does not go through the process of enzymatic oxidation; this process is usually called fermentation in China.

After the ‘rolling’ process, the tea leaves stick together and form lumps as big as fists. They are transferred to another machine to be broken up and the leaves are sifted according to pre-determined sizes and grades.

Such tea leaves are further processed in one of the following ways:

a. Steaming – This method was widely practised in the Tang and Song (960 – 1279) Dynasties and became obsolete during the Ming Dynasty. However, this method was transferred to Japan where it remains the dominant method of processing tea.
b. Pan-frying – This method started in the later Song Dynasty and has been the most common method of processing tea. The leaves remain greenish with a strong fragrance and the taste is mellow. More popular pan-fried green teas are Mei (Eyebrow), Zhu (Pearl), Longjing (Dragon Well), Biluochun (Jade Shell).
c. Roasting – Roasted green tea leaves do not look as firm and bright as the pan-fried leaves, but they are unbroken. They are brightly green and the tea infusion tastes mellow with a refreshing aroma. The more popular roasted green tea is Huangshan Maofeng (Yellow Mountain Hairy Down), and Taiping Hou Kui (Taiping County Monkey King) etc.
d. Sun-drying – Tea leaves so dried are not as fragrant as other types of green tea leaves and its infusion is yellowish. Most of sun-dried green tea is used as raw materials for making tea blocks.

Black Tea (Hong [red] Cha)

After the tea leaves have withered, they become soft with less water content. They are then pressed, twisted and kneaded in a machine so that the tissues of the leaves become torn and the leaves curl into strips. At the same time, the leaves emit some sap which sticks to the surface of the leaves.

The tea leaves are then placed in a fermentation tray to go through the enzymatic oxidation or fermentation (usually so called in China) process under which the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down and tannins are released. The room provided for the fermentation process is kept at a temperature from 25 to 30 degrees centigrade and the humidity at over 90%. After the fermentation process, the leaves turn reddish and are then roasted at an appropriate temperature, depending on the type of tea leaves.

Black tea produced in China includes whole-leave black tea and broken-leave black tea whereas black tea produced in other places is only broken-leave tea. Leaves for producing broken-leave black tea are cut into small pieces by machine after they go through the fermentation process and roasted to dry. Very often, such broken black tea leaves are fed into tea bags for convenient consumption.

Whole-leave black tea produced in China is called Gongfu Black Tea and the processed tea leaves are firm, slim and curly, and the leaves are whole leaves. They are normally named after the places where they are produced, for example, Qihong of Qimen (Anhui Province), Black tea from Yunnan Province, Yinghong from Yingde (Guangdong Province) etc.

Zhenghong from Zhengshan (Fujian Province) belongs to Small-Leave black tea category. The leaves are dark and glittery and the infusion tastes mellow and rich.

White Tea (Bai Cha)

White tea undergoes the semi-fermentation process and its main production areas include Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces in China. The leaves are mainly leave buds with an abundance of white hair. After the leaves have withered until they are 70% to 80% dry, they are not rolled or pan-fried but are roasted dry.

The more popular white teas produced in China include Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle with White Down), Baimudan (White Peony) and Shoumei (White Eyebrows).

Wulong Tea (Wulong Cha)

Wulong tea originates in Fujian and Guangdong Provinces. The leaves picked for producing wulong tea are mainly mature leaves. The picked leaves wither either in the sun or with heat; they are then placed in a stirring machine for stirring so that the edges of the leaves are broken and oxidize and the colour turns reddish. At the same time, fermentation takes place. Before the leaves go through the complete fermentation process (half fermentation), the leaves are pan-fried, then put into a rolling machine for rolling so that the tissues of the leaves are broken and the flat leaves are rolled into strips. Sap is also emitted from the leaves and sticks onto the surface of the leaves. After the rolling process, the leaves stick together into lumps which must be broken up and then roasted. Wulong tea’s fragrance is fruity and flowery, and it tastes rich and refreshing.

The more popular wulong teas include Wuyi Yan Cha (Rock Tea from Mount Wuyi), Tie Guanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), Huang Jin Gui (Gold Laurel), Shuixian (Narcissus), Fenghuang Dancong (Phoenix Wulong), Pauzhong (Taiwan Wulong) etc.

Yellow Tea (Huang Cha)

There are two types of yellow tea: large yellow tea and small yellow tea. Yellow tea differs from the other types of tea in that its leaves are yellow and the tea infusion is also yellow. Its production process includes the following steps:

a) ‘Sha qing’ (see description under Green tea above),
b) ‘Menhuang (fried in a covered pan so that the leaves turn yellow), and   
c) Roast.

The ‘stirring and rolling’ step is not usually required for producing yellow tea but for the famous Beigang Maojian (North Port Hair Point), Luyuan Maojian (Deer Park Hair Point), the leaves are rolled and stirred before the ‘menhuang’ step.

The more popular yellow teas include Junshan Yinzhen (Sovereign Mount Silver Needle), MengDin Huangya (Peak of Mount Meng Yellow Bud), Pingyang Huangtang (Pingyang Yellow Infusion) etc.

Dark Tea (Hei [black] Cha)

The Chinese name for dark tea is really ‘black tea’. The tea leaves for making dark tea are from tea trees with large leaves. As mature leaves are used for making dark tea and as their fermentation process takes longer than other tea leaves to complete, their colour is near black or dark brown, hence the name. The taste of dark tea is rich and mellow and can be brewed up to ten times.

Dark tea is a very popular drink amongst the ethnic minorities in China but pu’er tea which is produced in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan and Guandong has become very popular with people in Guangdong, Taiwan and South-east Asia.

Dark tea goes through the ‘sha qing’ stage as does green tea but when the leaves are being dried, the pans are covered. The leaves are then rubbed and rolled until the tissues break down and the leaves are formed into strips along the main vein. The leaves are then spread out for drying in the sun or roasted until they are about 90% dry. The dried leaves are then compressed softly to form piles and water is sprayed onto then. They are left to ferment until the leaves turn dark brown and produce a rich aroma. The leaves lumps are then dried in the sun and then broken up and the leaves are sifted according to grades.

Pu’er tea leaves can also be made into tea bricks or cakes during the fermentation stage for subsequent marketing.

Flower Tea (Hua Cha)

Flower tea is produced by fusing tea leaves and scented flowers to form an integrated product. Tea leaves are porous and have a high propensity to absorb both moisture and scent. Usually, roasted green tea is used to blend with selected flowers to produce flower tea but sometimes wulong and to a lesser extent black tea are also used for this purpose.

Before the roasted tea leaves are mixed with flowers, the moisture content should not exceed 4%. The flowers selected for blending should be in blossom as their fragrance reaches its peak at this point. After the tea leaves and flowers have been mixed, its temperature will rise as a result of fermentation. When the temperature reaches a certain level, the ‘rick’ should be stirred and spread out so as to lower the temperature and to allow the leaves and flowers to ‘breathe’ again. This process may be repeated.

The tea leaves are then separated from the flowers by sifts and roasted. In order to enhance the aroma of the ‘flower tea’, a small quantity of fresh flowers can be added to the ‘processed tea leaves’ but the new mixture need not be roasted again. After the mixture has dried, it is ready for consumption.

The more popular flower teas are jasmine, osmanthus, white orchid, rose etc.

How to brew Chinese tea

It is the usual practice to produce several infusions from the same tea leaves by refilling the teapot. In order to brew an enjoyable ‘cuppa’, we should take into consideration the following:

a. Quantity of tea leaves

There is no hard and fast rule dictating the exact quantity of leaves required for making tea. This depends on the type of tea being prepared, size of the teapot, and one’s habit and taste. Elderly people tend to find stronger teas more enjoyable and they use more leaves in a brew. On the other hand, most young people prefer lighter tea and fewer tea leaves are used. As a rule of thump, if we brew tea in a cup, we put three grams of tea leaves in about 150 cc of water. For pu’er, we need to increase the quantity to between five to ten grams for the same quantity of water. If we use a teapot, we would have to put more tea in the pot, depending on our taste; however, the following is provided as a guide:

Type of tea        Quantity of leaves

Pu’er and Liuan   1/5 of teapot
Green tea           1/5 of teapot
Wulong               1/3 of teapot
White tea            1/3 of teapot
Black tea            1/5 of teapot
Flower tea           1/5 of teapot

b. Temperature of water and brewing time

The temperature of the water used for brewing tea depends on the type of tea being brewed. Although one may brew tea in a cup, this is not an ideal way of preparing tea. However, if there is no teapot available or if this is preferred for convenience sake, one way to improve the quality of the infusion is to pour a small quantity of boiling water into the cup to cover all the tea leaves, wait for about one minute and then add more boiling water to the cup until it is 80% full. When about two-thirds of the infusion has been consumed, more boiling water may be added to the cup. If the tea is consumed in this manner, the concentration of the infusion after each refilling is maintained at more or less the same level.

Normally a teapot is used to brew tea. The temperature and brewing time after each refilling for the various teas are as follows. Again, this can be varied to suit individual tastes.

Type of tea    Water temperature and brewing time

Pu’er and Liuan  
Boiling water – 15 seconds for 1st and 2nd brews, 1 minute for 3rd to 5th brews, 3 minutes for 6th brew and 5 minutes for 7th brew

Green tea  
Boiled water at 85 degrees centigrade – 1 minute for 1st and 2nd brews and 4 minutes for 3rd to 5th brews

Wulong
Boiling water – 10 seconds for 1st and 2nd brews, 30 seconds for 3rd brew, and 1.5 minutes for 4th and 5th brews

White tea     
Boiled water at 90 degrees centigrade – 15 seconds for 1st and 2nd and brews, 30 seconds for 3rd and 4th brews and 1 minute for 5th brew

Black tea     
Boiled water at 90 degrees centigrade – 1 minute for 1st and 2nd brews, 1.5 minutes for 3rd and 4th brews and 3 minutes for 5th brew

When water is poured into a teapot, the kettle should be held high so that the water stream can penetrate into the tea leaves inside the teapot. On the other hand, when the infusion is poured from the teapot to cups, the teapot should be held as near to the cups as possible so as not to lose the tea’s flavour and taste.

Teapot

While China is famous for producing porcelain products such as crockery including teapots, most tea connoisseurs prefer teapots made of Yixing (a county in Jiangsu Province) purple clay. Yixing purple clay can absorb and retain fragrance better than other clays. After a Yixing teapot has been used for some time, the tea brewed in it produces a stronger fragrance. Because of the absorbent nature of Yixing purple clay, tea connoisseurs follow a strict practice which is: a teapot is devoted to brew only one type of tea. A Yixing teapot that has been used to brew black tea should not be used to make wulong tea otherwise one will not get the subtlety of the flavour, taste and fragrance peculiar to wulong.

Social functions of tea-drinking in China

While drinking tea quenches thirst and provides enjoyment for the taste buds, some customs have been developed over the years in connection with this activity. According to Confucius training, people should respect those who are senior to them in the family network as well as in age, those who hold senior positions in work, and  teachers (This must be the envy of members of the teaching profession in the Western world). Therefore as a sign of respect, people offer tea to their parents on Chinese New Year Day and on their parents’ birthdays. For the more traditional families, children kneel down and kowtow to their parents on these two important days and then present cups of tea to their parents who should give their children red packets containing some money (which in Chinese is called ‘lishi’ – lucky money).

To say ‘thank you’ to one’s parents for bringing one up, the tradition is that in a wedding, the bride and bridegroom kneel down in front of their parents and offer them tea in tea cups. Again, after the parents have sipped some tea, they give the newly-wed red packets which are supposed to bring the new couple good luck.

In the olden days, when a teacher admitted a new pupil, the latter had to kneel down in front of a portrait of Confucius and pour tea at the alter to show that he (girls were not admitted to schools then) would study hard and learn Confucius teachings. He would also present a cup of tea to his teacher. The same ceremony is followed when one wishes to learn martial arts from a martial arts instructor. The student had to kneel down and present a cup of tea to his teacher.

Tea is sometimes offered on occasions of an entirely different nature. When one has done something wrong and wishes to make an apology to the offended, one invites the latter to a meeting and offers tea to him/her. If the tea is drunk, this shows that the apology is accepted. Refusal to drink the tea means that the one making the apology is not forgiven.

When a family or a group of people are having a meal, it is normal practice for those junior in the family or in the social hierarchy to pour tea for those who are senior.   

Author

 

Kam has been interested in Chinese tea for nearly 30 years. Apart from enjoying the many cups of Chinese tea every day, he has also studied the various types of Chinese tea, the methods of their preparation and how they should be brewed.  He also practises taijiquan and does Chinese calligraphy.

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