Art of Chinese History - Case Study Example

Surname: Presented to Institution Name, Location Date Art of Chinese history Development of Chinese tea Introduction In the books and stories of history, it has been said that one of the Chinese emperors was one day boiling his water and a leave fell from the tree into his boiling water, when he drunk to his surprise the mix he felt uplifted and revitalized. He concluded that the leaves had made the changes and, therefore, he decided to bring some to be experimented on. This small event led to the begging of tea in the Chinese community and the rest of the world. According to a writer named Lu Yu, who has written a lot concerning tea in china, the Chinese tea has been enjoyed for more than 4000 years. Tea was discovered first in china, Dutch East India Company were also the first to introduce tea to the entire of Europe. The afternoon tea in Europe has become a standard ritual by mid of 17th century(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The most interesting part is the two different dialect punctuations that exist in the word “tea” in which almost all the worldly languages use, they were borrowed from the Chinese-cha and tee that come originally from two different dialects of the Chinese. The languages of most of the countries that imported tea from northern china, including Turkey, Japan and Russia, their languages have adopted some sound that slightly vary from the Chinese "cha" such as china, chay and chai. The countries within the southern maritime borrowed the word in the form te, tee and tea. These countries include Spain, Germany and England. This word was borrowed basing on the southern Chinese pronunciations(Forbes & Henley, 2011). Tea is a concoction that is made from the young and tender leaves of a tree called tea. The difference that has developed among many variations of the tea that is available is due to the processes that are used in the manufacturing of tea(Parkinson, 2005). The main process that is used in manufacturing of tea is roasting and fermentation. Through the fermentation process the tea leaves that are originally deep green turn to be reddish brown in color. The longer the fermentation takes the stronger the color. Depending on the extend or time in which the roasting and fermentation processes take, the fragrance of tea changes from floral then fruity and finally malty(Forbes & Henley, 2011). Tea that has not been taken through the fermentation process is known as green tea. When the green tea is steeped then it changes to jade green or yellow green in color, they also give off the fresh vegetable fragrance. Some examples of the green vegetables in chine include the dragon well, and the green snail spring(Johnson, Bryant, & Huntley, 2012). The Chinese has named tea that has gone through all the fermentation process as red tea, but in the west they are known as the black tea. The tea that is made from the black tea leaves is usually reddish brown and had a malty aroma. The black dragon as the Chinese call it is a good example of the partially fermented tea. This particular tea is unique in both china and Taiwan; these are the most represented areas that produce the same tea(Evans, 2000). The oolong tea is known to have come from three different degrees of fermentation, the lightly, moderate and the fully fermented degrees. Some of the features used in the identification of the lightly fermented oolong tea are the full aroma, golden color and clarity. A good example of this tea is the Chinese Poaching(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The moderated fermented tea includes types such as, the Iron Budha, Narcissus and the Frozen Peak. They are brown in color, a fully mature flavor that totally appeals to the senses of tested more than that of smell, and they are also vaguely sweet after taste. Tea was then infused from the moderately fermented tea to the fully fermented that includes the White Hair Oolong that has a red-orange color and smells fruity aroma(Forbes & Henley, 2011). For one to be able to make a perfect pot of tea, it is crucial to pay attention to the quality of water, the amount of tea leave put, the temperature of the water, and the teapot that is used(Heiss & Heiss, 2007). Water that has very low mineral content also known as soft water should be used, it should also be clear and totally fresh. The accurate temperatures of water that the Chinese use and is totally recommended should be about between hundred and hundred and twelve Celsius. For the lightly fermented tea leaves, the temperature can be as low as ninety degrees Celsius(Forbes & Henley, 2011). The proportions of the tea leaves that should be used to that of the water also depend on the tea leaves that are used. The teapot can be filled from either one quarters to about three quarters depending on the on how tightly the tea leaves were curled while roasting and rolling were done. Then the teapot can now be filled with water, the steeping time usually starts after a minute but this depends on the on the tea(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The amount of time required for the same tea leaves to be used in brewing another tea should be quite lengthy. The best teapot that should be used while preparing the fermented tea is the clay ceramic purple teapot. The pot’s size should be directly proportional to the size of the cups. The cups also are recommended to have white interiors in order to get the right and appropriate assessment of tea. This the process and the details that the Chinese use when making their tea(Evans, 2000). People who are passionate with tea drinking also enjoy the beauty of the teapots and they possess a good feeling about them. In the republic of china, today small support is being used to steep tea by the citizens in their homes. This particular process has been passed down generations from the time of Ming dynasty emperor Sheng Stung in the sixteenth century of china. The full aroma and the sweetness that the tea has been usually fully brought out when small pots are used(Forbes & Henley, 2011). During the Ming and Ching dynasties, the support that was being used was the purple clay ceramic teapots of the Yihsing and Kiangsu. Any of the pieces that were made by the master potter was sought by almost everybody. While most of the master potters in the republic of china continued to make the purple ceramic clay pots for tea, with time they have also been able to come up with a good number of new teapots with different designs that have been praised enthusiastically by the public. Collecting the teapots have turned out to be one of the most fashionable way of passing time in the Chinese culture(Evans, 2000). Tea is part of the daily lives of the people of china just as coffee is part of the daily lives of the west. In the west, one can always notice that there are many teahouses scattered in the streets, it has a close relationship with the Chinese tea culture that has been introduced in the west. Many poets and musicians have created poems and songs that have reinstated the culture of tea within these nations(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The Chinese are highly critical about tea; the Chinese people always demand high quality of tea, water and their wares. Tea in china is always grown at altitude of about three thousand and seven thousands meters above the sea level. The Chinese usually use the spring water, snow and rain water to make tea. During the autumn spring and the rain water is always considered to be the best to make tea. The Chinese always put much emphasis on both the quality and taste of water, to them fine water that should be used to make tea should possess qualities such cool, clean, flowing and pure(Forbes & Henley, 2011). In china, there are a number of customs about tea. A person who is hosting friends or a new person should put tea to about only seven tenth of the cup and the other three tenth is said is supposed to be filled with both friendship and affection(Parkinson, 2005). In addition, the teacup is expected to be empty with only three gulps. Tea is a paramount aspect of the emotional character of the Chinese people. The Chinese always offers tea immediately a guest arrives. To them serving one with a cup of tea is just but more of a show of politeness. It is like sharing something that is very sweet and enjoyable it is also a way of showing respect to the visitors. Avoiding and not taking not even a single sip when served with a cup of tea is considered to be rude and disrespectful in some parts of the Chinese community(Evans, 2000). There is a saying that goes “the China have the best of the teahouses in the world while Chengdu has the best teahouse within China” china has deserved this reputation throughout the world. It does not only pose the most awesome tea houses, but they have the best team that is served in the most special way. Tea has been a totally indispensable part of the Chinese community since the ancient times; it has been identified as one of the daily necessities among the Chinese(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). It is said that during the mid-time of the Tang Dynasty, a man who was named Lu Yu got into the Buddhist Monkhood in his young age and came out when he was old into a secular life. Later he was recognized as the best for summarizing the knowledge that his predecessors and the contemporaries had into one of the first compendium in the world mainly in the tea, the tea classic. The work that Lu Yu created helped a lot in popularizing the art of drinking tea in china. He managed to make everyone within the country to be an avid tea drinker from the emperor himself to the hawker in the streets. Nations that bordered china including Japan, Koresthe southeast of Asia also adopted drinking of tea culture due to the work(Forbes & Henley, 2011). At the moment more than forty countries in the entire world grow tea, the Asian nations are the most prolific and they produce over 90 percent of the entire tea production in the world. His origin of the tea tree in all the other parts of the world either directly or indirectly came from china. As earlier explained just like the tree the origin of the words that refer to tea all over the world originated from the Chinese character that is pronounced as “cha” (Kit Boey Chow, 1990). During the summer season, is believed that tea can easily dispel the strong heat and bring an instant cool and relaxed feeling. At this particular time of the year, one usually fined people in the Chinese teahouses having chatted over with a cup of tea. Medically, tea leaves have been proven to poses a number of chemicals that include about 20 to 30 percent of the tannic acid, this is known to be an anti-inflammatory, and provision of germicidal properties. The Chinese belief that tea is medicinal and taken for this reason sometimes. Additionally, tea has an alkaloid also referred to as caffeine of about five percent, this always works as a stimulant within the nerve system and the metabolism process. Tea that has aromatic nature also is believed to help in solving problems digestion of food and fats. This means that the food is critical for most of the people whose basic food is meat like most of the minority groups of people living in china(Evans, 2000). Conclusion Although the tea originated from china, it has spread to almost all parts of the world. The culture of taking tea every day has been adopted by many other cultural communities in the world. It is the smell of the tea that is always sought after during the Chinese tea ceremonies, it is also this smell that has attracted many people into using tea on the daily basis. Tea is known to be the most famous and liked drinks in the entire globe and many can attest to that. References Evans, J. C. (2000). Tea in China: A History of China's National Drink. Contributions to the Study of World History, Number 33. New York; Westport: Greenwood Press. Forbes, A., & Henley, D. (2011). China's Ancient Tea Horse Road. Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books. Heiss, M. L., & Heiss, R. J. (2007). The Story of Tea:. A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, 179–185. Johnson, R., Bryant, S., & Huntley, A. L. (2012). "Green tea and green tea catechin extracts:. An overview of the clinical evidence." Maturitas 73 (4) , 280-356. Kit Boey Chow, I. K. (1990). All Teas in China. 179 - 675. Parkinson, R. (2005). "The Origin of Finger Tapping - Chinese Tea History." 45-78. Read More

Depending on the extend or time in which the roasting and fermentation processes take, the fragrance of tea changes from floral then fruity and finally malty(Forbes & Henley, 2011). Tea that has not been taken through the fermentation process is known as green tea. When the green tea is steeped then it changes to jade green or yellow green in color, they also give off the fresh vegetable fragrance. Some examples of the green vegetables in chine include the dragon well, and the green snail spring(Johnson, Bryant, & Huntley, 2012).

The Chinese has named tea that has gone through all the fermentation process as red tea, but in the west they are known as the black tea. The tea that is made from the black tea leaves is usually reddish brown and had a malty aroma. The black dragon as the Chinese call it is a good example of the partially fermented tea. This particular tea is unique in both china and Taiwan; these are the most represented areas that produce the same tea(Evans, 2000). The oolong tea is known to have come from three different degrees of fermentation, the lightly, moderate and the fully fermented degrees.

Some of the features used in the identification of the lightly fermented oolong tea are the full aroma, golden color and clarity. A good example of this tea is the Chinese Poaching(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The moderated fermented tea includes types such as, the Iron Budha, Narcissus and the Frozen Peak. They are brown in color, a fully mature flavor that totally appeals to the senses of tested more than that of smell, and they are also vaguely sweet after taste. Tea was then infused from the moderately fermented tea to the fully fermented that includes the White Hair Oolong that has a red-orange color and smells fruity aroma(Forbes & Henley, 2011).

For one to be able to make a perfect pot of tea, it is crucial to pay attention to the quality of water, the amount of tea leave put, the temperature of the water, and the teapot that is used(Heiss & Heiss, 2007). Water that has very low mineral content also known as soft water should be used, it should also be clear and totally fresh. The accurate temperatures of water that the Chinese use and is totally recommended should be about between hundred and hundred and twelve Celsius. For the lightly fermented tea leaves, the temperature can be as low as ninety degrees Celsius(Forbes & Henley, 2011).

The proportions of the tea leaves that should be used to that of the water also depend on the tea leaves that are used. The teapot can be filled from either one quarters to about three quarters depending on the on how tightly the tea leaves were curled while roasting and rolling were done. Then the teapot can now be filled with water, the steeping time usually starts after a minute but this depends on the on the tea(Kit Boey Chow, 1990). The amount of time required for the same tea leaves to be used in brewing another tea should be quite lengthy.

The best teapot that should be used while preparing the fermented tea is the clay ceramic purple teapot. The pot’s size should be directly proportional to the size of the cups. The cups also are recommended to have white interiors in order to get the right and appropriate assessment of tea. This the process and the details that the Chinese use when making their tea(Evans, 2000). People who are passionate with tea drinking also enjoy the beauty of the teapots and they possess a good feeling about them.

In the republic of china, today small support is being used to steep tea by the citizens in their homes. This particular process has been passed down generations from the time of Ming dynasty emperor Sheng Stung in the sixteenth century of china. The full aroma and the sweetness that the tea has been usually fully brought out when small pots are used(Forbes & Henley, 2011). During the Ming and Ching dynasties, the support that was being used was the purple clay ceramic teapots of the Yihsing and Kiangsu.

Any of the pieces that were made by the master potter was sought by almost everybody.

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