The History of Chinese Tea

For thousands of years, tea has transformed from a "magic leaf" in ancient myths to a daily drink enjoyed by people worldwide. 

When exploring the origins of Chinese tea , one often encounters the name Shen Nong, an ancient Chinese figure credited with its discovery. 

According to legend, Shen Nong sampled hundreds of herbs and accidentally encountered 72 kinds of poisons, but was cured by consuming Chinese tea . This deep-rooted connection highlights the significance of tea in Chinese history and culture.

The origins of Chinese tea have sparked much discussion among scholars. In the early 19th century, wild tea trees were discovered in Assam, India, leading some in the international academic community to believe that Assam was the birthplace of tea, coining the term "Assam variety." 

However, this theory was refuted by Chinese botanist Professor Zhang Hongda and others. Genetic testing later confirmed that tea trees originated in China. Even today, ancient tea trees can be found across China. 

In Qianjiazhai, Jiujia Township, Zhenyuan County, Yunnan Province, a 1,700-year-old tea tree—often called a "tea ancestor"—still thrives. 

Additionally, Yunnan has other tea trees around 1,000 years old, while a 600-year-old tree was found in Yibin, Sichuan, and a cluster of 500-year-old trees in Yuexi County, Anhui. 

These ancient trees, which still produce Chinese tea leaves, stand as living evidence of China as the true homeland of tea.

The character for "tea" (茶) has evolved over time, reflecting the rising cultural significance of Chinese tea . 

It's widely believed that the character "茶" originated from an earlier form, "荼." Throughout history, Chinese tea was known by many different names. 

In Erya, an ancient Chinese dictionary considered the oldest of its kind, the character for tea is explained as: “槚, 苦荼也” (Jia, a bitter type of "tú"). The character "荼" was commonly used in ancient times to describe what we now call Chinese tea .

• Before the Sui and Tang Dynasties: Eating Tea

In the earliest days of Chinese tea consumption, tea was not drunk as it is today but was "eaten." 

Fresh leaves were picked and directly chewed, resulting in a bitter flavor. To balance this bitterness, people began treating fresh tea leaves like vegetables, mixing them with seasonings. 

This practice gave rise to the term "eating tea," which can still be heard today. By the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chinese tea consumption grew more sophisticated. 

Fresh leaves were processed and made into tea cakes, sometimes coated with rice paste. To drink this Chinese tea, the cakes were roasted until red, then crushed into small pieces and steeped in boiling water. 

Various ingredients like scallions, ginger, and tangerine peel were added to enhance flavor. Though these methods improved the taste, the resulting brew was more like a type of "vegetable porridge" rather than the clear tea we know today.

• Tang Dynasty: Boiling Tea

During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese tea was primarily consumed by boiling it. 

Lu Yu, in his renowned book The Classic of Tea, detailed popular tea-drinking methods of the time, describing different forms of Chinese tea such as coarse tea, loose tea, powdered tea, and cake tea. 

These teas were cut, roasted, steamed, pounded, and stored, then brewed with hot water. 

This process was referred to as "An Tea," and ingredients like scallions, ginger, dates, tangerine peel, dogwood, and mint were often added. 

The Chinese tea mixture would be boiled multiple times to achieve the desired flavor or texture.

However, Lu Yu himself was not fond of this method, advocating for a "pure tea" (清饮) approach that focused on refinement. 

He outlined specific techniques for each step, from picking and processing leaves to choosing utensils, selecting water, and brewing. 

Even practices like roasting the Chinese tea and grinding it into powder were considered, with emphasis on achieving the best flavor and aroma. 

For Lu Yu, drinking Chinese tea was not just about flavor but also about technique, aesthetics, and mindfulness.

• Song Dynasty: Whisking Tea

In the Song Dynasty, Chinese tea evolved further with the practice of "whisking tea." This was a significant development in tea preparation; instead of boiling tea leaves with water, tea powder was whisked with boiling water. Emperor Huizong of Song, a tea enthusiast, described three methods of whisking tea in his work Treatise on Tea:

1. Quiet Whisking : Tea powder was placed in a bowl, boiling water was gently poured in, and a whisk was used to blend the tea without creating froth.

2. One-Time Whisking : Tea powder was placed in a bowl, and boiling water was poured while whisking at the same time, creating a layer of foam on the tea's surface.

3. Gelatinized Whisking : This favored method involved mixing tea powder into a paste, then pouring boiling water in a circular motion while whisking to achieve a thick consistency.

These whisking methods influenced Japanese tea culture, and monks returning to Japan brought back these techniques, eventually developing them into the Japanese tea ceremony. The "matcha" enjoyed in Japan today originated from the powdered Chinese tea of the Song Dynasty.

• Yuan and Ming Dynasties to Present: Brewing Tea

During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Chinese tea culture underwent another major shift. The method of consuming powdered tea gave way to brewing whole tea leaves. 

This change was closely tied to the reforms of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who promoted loose leaf tea over labor-intensive compressed tea cakes. 

Brewing loose leaf tea became a common practice, spreading from the courts to scholars and, eventually, to the general public. This is how brewing tea became the main way to enjoy Chinese tea , leading to its widespread popularity across all levels of Chinese society.