Red Tea Detox

Red Tea

Detox

To Lose

Weight

1

History of Tea

Ancient China: The Birthplace of Tea

The history of tea dates back to ancient China, almost 5,000 years ago. According to legend, in 2732 B.C.

Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when leaves from a wild tree blew into his pot of boiling water. He was immediately interested in the pleasant scent of the resulting brew, and drank some. Legend says the Emperor described a warm feeling as he drank the intriguing brew, as if the liquid was investigating every part of his body. Shen Nung named the brew

ch'a, the Chinese character meaning to check or investigate. In 200 B.C. a Han Dynasty Emperor ruled that when referring to tea, a special written character must be used illustrating wooden branches, grass, and a man between the two. This written character, also pronounced ch'a symbolized the way tea brought humankind into balance with nature for the Chinese culture.

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China's

Tea

History

The popularity of tea in China continued to grow rapidly from the 4th through the 8th century. No longer merely used for its medicinal properties, tea became valued for everyday pleasure and refreshment.

Tea plantations spread throughout China, tea merchants became rich, and expensive, elegant tea wares became the banner for the wealth and status of their

owners.

The Chinese empire tightly controlled the preparation and cultivation of the crop. It was even specified that only young women, presumably because of their purity, were to handle the tea leaves. These young female handlers were not to eat garlic, onions, or strong spices in case the odor on their fingertips might contaminate

the

precious

tea

leaves.

The

Invention

of

Black

Tea

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Up to the mid-17th century, all Chinese tea was Green tea. As foreign trade increased, though, the Chinese growers discovered that they could preserve the tea leaves with a special fermentation process. The resulting Black tea kept its flavor and aroma longer than the more delicate Green teas and was better equipped for the export journeys to other countries.

Tea

in

Modern

Day

China

Tea has remained an integral part of Chinese culture for thousands of years; it was popular before the Egyptians built the great pyramids and was traded with Asian countries even before Europe left the dark ages. The importance and popularity of tea in China continues in modern day and has become a symbol of the

country's

history,

religion,

and

culture.

Today, students compete to attend the very selective and exceptional Shanghai Tea Institute. The highest level students are required to play the traditional 4

Guzheng stringed instrument, perform a flawless tea -

serving ceremony, speak a foreign language to entertain overseas guests, and distinguish between about 1,000 different types of Chinese tea...to date fewer than 75 students have been awarded a Tea Art certificate. There is also an entire amusement park called the Tenfu Tea Museum - China's equivalent of Disneyland - that honors the Chinese tea-drinking traditions.

Tibet's

Tea

History

The Chinese had introduced tea to Tibet by the dawn of the 9th century. Tibet's rugged climate and rocky terrain made cultivation of their own plants difficult, so tea had to be imported from China via yak caravan.

The long, tiring journey into Tibet by yak took nearly one year and was threatened not only by the dramatic terrain of some of the highest mountains in the world, but by tea-seeking thieves and pirates. To keep up with the high Tibetan tea demand, nearly two to three 5

hundred tea-laden yaks entered the country daily. Tea became so popular in Tibet and the surrounding areas that it was used as a form of currency. Compressed tea was a common form of payment for almost anything, and workers and servants were routinely paid in this way.

Traditional

Tibetan

Tea

Traditionally, Tibetan tea is made by boiling the leaf for about half an hour before passing the liquid through a strainer made of horsehair (sometimes today made of plastic) into a long wooden container.

Traditionally, yak butter and salt are added to the tea and churned until emulsified. These additives help replace the fat and salt lost by those living in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayan Mountains. Younger generations of Tibetans sometimes drink a variation of Indian

Chai.

A

Tibetan

Staple

6

Tea remains a Tibetan staple, with per-person consumption of up to 40 cups or more daily. Tibetan etiquette dictates that no guest should go without tea and that his or her cup can never be empty.

Japan's

Tea

History

In the early 9th century, Japanese visitors to China were introduced to the values and traditions of tea.

The Buddhist monk Dengyo Daishi is credited for bringing Chinese tea seeds to Japan when he returned from his studies abroad. Tea became an integral part of Japanese monastery life; monks used tea to help stay alert during meditation sessions. By the early 1300's