Chinese Tea – The Essence Of Tea Drinkers

Chinese tea drinkers have a long history with this hot beverage, especially since the practice originated from China. In fact the Chinese take tea drinking so seriously it has become a way of life to them.

The moist environment and the 200 year old wild tea trees, explain why there is much history surrounding Chinese tea. The plant Camellia sinensis is responsible for the main four tea types being black, white, green and Oolong.

There is known to be over a thousand varieties of Chinese tea. These differ in the province they are grown in or the way that they are processed. Some Chinese tea processing such as the Oolong tea, is kept as a closely guarded secret. So protective of the secrets of the production of the teas, that the Chinese will often only export certain products to other Chinese speaking countries.

The Types Of Chinese Tea

There are four main types of Chinese tea:

Black

Black tea is the most oxidized of the Chinese teas. It has a strong, robust flavor and has more caffeine then the other Chinese tea types. Black tea can keep its flavor for several years compared to that of green tea, which usually looses its flavor after a year.

Green

Green tea is only minimally oxidized and only needs a short steeping time. It does not have as much caffeine as black tea, and this Chinese tea has become a popular drink in the west. Green tea has been popularized for what many think are its many health benefits including lowering the chances of heart attack and cancer.

White

White tea is processed differently than other teas and the Chinese tea leaves are left to wilt slightly, causing them to lose the grassy taste of green teas. White tea may also have many health benefits including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It has also been rumored to halt the aging process.

Oolong

Oolong tea is the most popular Chinese tea drank in restaurants, It has a strong, yet sweet aftertaste. Oolong requires quite a long steeping time of up to five minutes. Unlike other teas it can actually be reused throughout the day. Oolong may also have many health benefits. Like other teas it contains antioxidants that may help stop the spreading of free radicals which are harmful to the body and can create wrinkles and speed up the aging process.

The Drinking Of Chinese Tea

Chinese tea leaves are processed in a certain way and need certain conditions to protect there full taste. One of these is the correct usage of water. Distilled water or tap water may cause the tea to lose its flavor. Prewarming the teapot and teacups is vital to the Chinese tea process, as otherwise the temperature can drop too quickly. In fact in early Chinese tea drinking history, prewarming the teapot was vital to avoid cracking the glass.

Pay close attention to the steeping and brewing instructions of the individual teas as each has it's own requirements.

Chinese tea has been incidental to the worlds favorite hot beverage pastime. However, there are still a few secrets that Chinese tea drinkers rightly keep to themselves.