Hey guys thanks for watching the Chen Dynasty, it's Mike Chen.
You know in China, tea is more than just a beverage; it's an integral part of the country's culture and tradition for several millennia.
And tea has a lot to do with the development of Chinese society and its economy, and it has
been a constant aspect of the Chinese people's everyday life.
Now the evolution of tea culture has progressed alongside Chinese culture, arguably making
it one of the defining spirits of one of the world's oldest civilizations.
So, if you love tea, whether that's green tea, black tea, bubble tea
Here are 7 facts interesting tea facts that you really should know.
No. 1: Tea is believed to have been first discovered around 5,000 years ago, basically as old as the Chinese civilization itself.
According to legend, tea is said to have been discovered in China by someone named Shennong sometime around 2,500 BC.
Shennong literally means "Divine Farmer," and he was regarded as one
of the legendary Three Sovereigns of the country.
And as the first known Chinese herbal doctor, he is also seen by many as the father of Chinese medicine.
As the story goes Shennong found a tea tree through his pursuit of collecting various plants and testing
them as medicine.
When he tasted this particular herb for the first time, he found that consuming tea had
positive effects to the human body that could benefit those who needed to improve their health.
And not only that he also found that tea could be used as an antidote
That's why he named tea, tea which in Chinese is "cha"
which sound like the Chinese word "ca" which means to scrub
As in scrub away all the impurities in the poison
This became particularly helpful because Shennong was at time tasting different herbs if found to categorize them by taste and color,
and medicinal properties. And sometimes he would injections something that was poisonous.
And when he did, he would always consume some tea and that would help alleviate the poison.
But unfortunately according to legend he didn't always have tea leaves with him
And one day he ate a particularly poisonous herb and toxin reacted and killed him before he could have any access to any tea leaves.
Shennong's death was seen as a selfless sacrifice and he's knowledge and categorization of the herbs
and the information he provided about all the herbs he has simple is still being use in Chinese medicine today.
And that leads us to - Fact No. 2: Chinese tea was
initially used as medicine.
Prior to the 8th century BC, the Chinese people mainly used tea as medicine before it eventually
became a daily beverage.
Fresh tea leaves were often boiled and consumed because ancient people thought that tea could
reduce the human body's "heat" and improve a person's eyesight.
In fact, until today, white tea, in particular, is still used in northern China as an antipyretic
medicine to treat children who suffer from measles and chicken pox.
Fact No. 3: Tea is only second to water as the most consumed beverage in China.
Sometime between 221 BC and 8 AD, tea leaves were processed by pressing them together and
shaping them into balls, drying them, and storing them for later use.
From time to time, people would crushed these ball-shaped tea leaves and mixed them with other herbs
for boiling and drinking.
Eventually, this practice became a regular habit that transformed tea into a beverage
that is enjoyed by many people today from all walks life in different parts of the world.
And drinking tea has become such a huge part of Chinese culture that the country is filled with tea houses
where people regularly meet to socialize with friends or discuss business matters with their
colleagues over a good cup of tea, also don't forget about all the dim sum pilars.
This is why it is not so surprising that tea is the national drink in China and that it's
the most consumed beverage in China, second only to water.
Fact No. 4: Tea is the oldest product exported from China.
Not only was China the first to export tea to foreign traders, the country remains to
this day as the world's largest exporter of tea.
Chinese tea was traded to various British traders around the end of the Ming Dynasty
when several trading posts for foreign merchants were established in the city of Xiamen in
Fujian Province.
And the word "tea" in Mandarin translates to "cha," and this is how tea got its name tea in English
Because while most Chinese people called tea "cha"
people of Fujian Province called it "tay," which the British
traders spelled as "tea."
While the word "cha" was the first to spread outside of China, it was the term "tea"
that gained ground in countries that spoke the English language and eventually to the
rest of the world.
No. 5: There are several types of Chinese tea and here's what's different about them.
In China, tea can be classified into several different types but some of its main varieties include
green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, and dark tea.
Green tea is considered as the most popular type of tea and is also the oldest one of
one of them all.
It is concocted from fresh shoots of tea plants, and is well-known all over the world for its
pale color when boiled with water and its very strong flavor when consumed.
Black tea is know for its aromatic scent
as well as its distinctive reddish color. And its also great in tea egg recipes.
White tea is the uncured and the unfermented version of green tea and it is indigenous
to the Chinese province of Fujian.
This type of tea is famous for its lighter color and its tamer taste compared to the
other types of Chinese tea available on the market.
Yellow tea is made from naturally-dried damp tea leaves, and it is easily identified not
just because of its yellowish color but also because of its distinctive aroma.
Regarded as premium-quality tea, it was served as a beverage to the many emperors of China
as its yellow shade resembled the nation's imperial color.
Oolong tea, which is also referred to as blue tea, is actually an unfermented tea made from
a combination of green tea and red tea.
It is popular for its taste as well as its health benefits, particularly in weight loss.
And lastly, dark tea is a type of fermented tea believed to have originated in the city
of Anhua in Hunan Province around the 16th century.
The dark tea's actual process of fermentation entails multiple steps and is different from
other main varieties of tea as it is assisted by bacteria.
Fact No. 6: The first known monograph about tea came from China.
The earliest monograph about tea is called The Classic of Tea or "chájīng," which
was written by Lu Yu sometime between 760 and 762 CE during the dominance of the
Tang Dynasty.
The book contains ten chapters about the mythical origins of Chinese tea, the tools used for
drying and storing tea leaves, as well as the proper preparation and consumption of tea.
The book also discusses the history of tea as mentioned in Chinese literature and historical records
And finally, No. 7: In Chinese culture, serving tea to your elders and guests is a
sign of respect.
Chinese tea embodies the spirit of respect, which is why in Chinese culture, serving tea
to a guest or an elder is deemed as an expression of a person's respect and gratitude to the
one the tea is offered to.
This is also why serving tea is common in special events such as birthdays and the spring festival.
In celebration of weddings, tea is also served by the bride and groom to their parents as
an expression of gratitude for being raised by them.
Tea can also be offered as a form of apology to another person and serving it is seen as
a sincere display of one's regret and submission.
And drinking tea is an essential part of the Chinese people's social life as its regular practice
is regarded in our culture as a demonstration of one's personal morality and social status.
Its importance as a Chinese tradition and the significant role it plays in Asian culture
for many centuries have led many people today to regard the process of making tea and the
method of drinking it as an art form.
And so, tea is not just a staple beverage to the Chinese people, it's a symbol of
a more enlightened and more appreciative way of life, which will be keep alive for generations to come.
And you know whats so great about this if your Chinese or Asian in general,
and you have really have problems with saying I love you to your parents
or you know apologizing saying I'm sorry, just serve them some tea, but make sure your serving your parents
hot tea nice quality tea in a tea cup. And when your apologizing to your friends
give them a bubble tea
Alright guys, thank you guys so much for watching this video, I'll see you later.
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