Some times called Tisanes, Chinese herbal tea is technically not really tea at all! They are actually infusions that have been created with herbs. Teas are typically made with the wonderful Camelia Sinensis herb. Extracting the essences of the herbs can be done by steeping it with hot water.

Traditionally, Chinese herbal tea is used for the medicinal and healing properties. Of course, there are many such teas that are simply enjoyed due to their flavors! China has always been known for its production of medicinal herbs. Which is a of the reason that herbals teas have increased in their popularity.

The Benefits in Chinese Herbal Tea.

They are a caffeine free method to get all of the benefits that the Chinese herbal teas have to offer. On top of that many of the teas have comforting and soothing effects. A couple of the most popular herbal teas are Chrysanthemum and Rosebud.

In China, both Chrysanthemum and Rosebud teas are thought of as woman’s herb. However, they are a useful digestive aid. Every person who enjoys teas will love the fresh and floral flavors of this rosebud tea! Chrysanthemum tea is well known and has been used for a long time to aid in cooling your body and reduction in fevers and a very unique flavor.

As there is no caffeine at all, Chinese herbal tea is wonderful to have before bed time or during other times when you should avoid caffeine.

The Fantastic Floral Herbal Teas!

Flower teas are some of the most popular of the Chinese herbal tea. Like most herbal teas, these are great caffeine free teas that have many different benefits! Most of the teas have a number of different flavors and are some of the easiest ways to calm and sooth your body.

In no particular order, these are some of the most popular teas:

Wild New York Ginseng — This is for those that really value the untamed growing conditions that the roots ripen in. This is yet another of the well recognized Chinese herbal teas. It’s said that each individual root develops an appearance and personality all of its own due to the rugged conditions that it grows in. The size and the age can greatly vary, and some of these very wild roots start out small, while some of the larger roots may be younger than the small ones. These roots can live for well over seven years.

Carnation Flower — This tea that is brewed from the beautiful red flowers is known to help re-establish the energies of your body. Also, its extensively used for relaxing.

Yunnan Flower Bud — This Chinese herbal tea grows, in the old forests of Yunnan, as its name implies. This very rare flower is typically a local Yunnan drink.

Chrysanthemum Herbal — This delisious tea contains a very gentile sweetness as well as being thought of as being extremely refreshing. Amongst the many well known cooling infusions of tea this is a good choice.

Kuding Pearl — The leaves of this variety of tea are rolled to form big pieces, which is just a reason for its name of “one leafed tea”. Another reason it’s been named “one leafed” is due to of the idea that only single leaf of the tea is desired to aid in healing a great number of ailments.

Forget Me Not Flower — This creates a mildly grassy flavored tea. Known to help with your lungs. It’s well known for its wonderful purple flowers.

Jasmine Bud Flower — This Chinese blend of herbal tea, it’s created entirely of the small yet beautiful Jasmine flowers that are yet to bloom.

Gongju Herbal — The Gongju flower is well known for its relaxing and soothing qualities and brews a smooth and nice tasting herbal tea.

The array of bulk green teas available on the market today can be somewhat bewildering. It can be an overwhelming task, trying to work out which type will suit you best. It is always a good idea to shop around and get an idea of what is a good price, and where you can find the packet sizes that you prefer. Finding a reputable company that will provide good service and a high quality product will be worth the effort.

The major benefit to buying green tea in bulk, rather than in separate tea bags, is that the tea you receive has been through one less process. It has not had to be separated and packaged into bags. You will also find that you can measure the exact strength of tea you require, whether you are making a pot or a single cup, rather than being restricted to measuring by the bag.

Green tea is now available which can be brewed using an automatic coffeemaker, without losing any of its flavor. You can also use it, when bought in bulk, to make ice tea. High quality green tea will produce a tea that will keep fresh for at least a week in your refrigerator, and taste good at room temperature too.

There are some delightfully packaged green teas available online, which would be ideal if you are looking for a gift for a fellow tea-lover. Particularly interesting are those which are printed in Japanese, giving a hint that these are authentic, somewhat exotic, green teas. You may also be able to find one of the teas with bilingual English and Japanese text, just in case you need a little help reading the directions.

The Japanese may have mastered the aesthetic art of tea boxes, but whether you are buying green tea from Japan or elsewhere, there is one thing you need to make especially certain of- that the packaging is secure enough for the mail. Most good online tea retailers will use boxes that cannot be cut or torn apart during delivery. This is the token of a good online service.

The prices you will find for bulk green tea online are not always indicative of the quality. Do not try too hard to find a bargain, or go for the highest price without reading the description and whatever product reviews are available. But remember that when you do find that great tea which comes without the huge price tag, you can be happy that quality is not a number. Don’t worry that you are paying less than what you believe you should for a good green tea. You will have found the perfect online brand of bulk green tea.

The ancient practice of tea-drinking has united many cultures throughout history, and is still bringing people around the world together today. Whether it is a vital burst of caffeine at breakfast, a traditional afternoon treat, or an essential and ceremonial part of the culture, tea drinking has remained a constant over centuries of social change. Although the favored flavors may differ and evolve, tea drinking is something that people from a multitude of different times and places have in common.

Chai tea has become a staple drink for many people around the world. The word “Chai” comes from the Hindi word for tea, and in India, Chai tea has now surpassed coffee as the nation’s favorite drink. Its increasing frequency on restaurant menus around the world reflects Chai tea’s increasing popularity with tea drinkers. Chai has now become a common choice for tea-lovers everywhere.

The drink that is commonly recognized as Chai tea is a mixture of tea combined with a unique blend of infused spices. In India, recipes for Chai tea are carefully handed down within a family from one generation to the next, each with its own unique blend of spices in particular combinations and strengths. The result has been that in India, the name Chai tea denotes a vast array of different recipes.

The basis of all Chai teas is a strong black tea. Heavy milk or cream is combined with it, and then a specific blend of spices is added into the mix. The particular combination will depend on the region in which the Chai tea is being made. Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger are all commonly used. The final stage in production is the sweetening of the Chai tea with a selection of one or more of the chosen sweeteners: honey, sugar and molasses.

Chai tea is now readily available in shops and restaurants worldwide. With a willingness to experiment however, it is possible to create your own Chai tea recipe and produce the exact blend of ingredients that suits your own tastes.

Whether you make it, share it or buy it, Chai tea will be a delicious, soothing drink with which to relax and enjoy the day.

Drinking and serving tea plays an important of Chinese culture. It inspired a lot of artists to write and sing about the Chinese tea ceremonies. The ritual of preparing and serving tea has even held a special place in the hearts and minds of the Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectual, poets, and even the common people.

Chinese tea ceremonies primarily emphasize around the tea itself, rather than the ceremony. It focuses on what the tea tastes like, smells like, and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea, or in inclusive rounds of drinking. Not all servers will use all these in the ceremony. Every step that is taken is meant to develop a sensory exploration and appreciation.

How to conduct a Chinese tea ceremony is easy enough. However, it is important to note the steps to assure the finest tasting tea is very exact and precise. As often said, if done properly you can extract the finest flavor a tea has to offer.

The Teapot and Tea Cup Preparation

The Chinese tea ceremony and Chinese culture mandates the use of small cups to match the small and unglazed clay teapots. Each cup is just large enough to hold about two small swallows of tea. These miniature sized cups are very important to people and are widely used in Chiujao and Fujian, while in Shanghai and Beijing, large cups are employed.

Curing the teapot and cups is one essential step in Chinese tea ceremony. When you receive your teapot and cups, they have to be cured. The teapot used is usually made from red clay, and to seal the inside layer of a teapot and the cups, you first need to place loose tea into the pot and fill it with boiling water. Let it sit for three hours to a day.

Some tea masters advise to do it for a week before curing of the teapot, cups and pouring pitcher. This technique is said to seal the inside area of the teapot. Also, oils from the tea leaves fill in all the tiny pours of the new clap teapot.

In a Chinese tea ceremony, washing bowls are also needed. You need to pour the hot tea that has been brewing for 5 minutes and fill the washing bowl with hot tea. Let the tea cups also sit in the tea. This is also done to seal the tea cups with the resins of the tea. And, once the teapot, tea cups and pouring pitcher have been cured, the next step is to get ready for the ceremony.

Tea Preparation

Make sure that the teapot and cups are now on the tea washing tray. Then you need to prepare the water that has been boiled, and cautiously place the tea into the teapot until it is about a third full. After, pour the hot water into the teapot until it is overflowing. Place the lid on, and continue to pour the hot water over the teapot–this is done to allow the entire teapot to be hot.

Afterward, pour the second brewed tea into the tea cups and pouring pitcher. This is to allow the flavor of the tea to penetrate the tea cups and pitcher. Then, pour the boiling water into the teapot for the third time and cover. Place the tea strainer over the pouring pitcher and wait patiently for the tea to brew.

After three minutes pour hot water into the pouring pitcher to assure that it is hot and pour that into the teacups. When ready, empty the tea cups and pitcher and then pour the tea into the pitcher through a tea strainer. Pour the tea into the cups, making sure you never stop to fill a cup at a time, but by passing the tea over each cup so they fill equally.

The Importance of Water

The water that is needed and used in the ceremony may be of more importance than the tea actually is. Water needs to be filtered for Chlorine and Fluoride as it can contain both and may harm the flavor of the tea. Distilled water is said to make flat tea, and thus should be avoided. The ideal water should have an alkaline pH around 7.9.

In the Chinese tea ceremony, the fragrance of the tea is what most seek in vain. When using the small tea cups never drink or gulp the tea. Instead, sip the tea through the lips and teeth making a hissing sound. The parties involved, will commence to drink and sniff the tea during the Chinese tea ceremony which may take over one hour and many fine conversations will ensure. The sign of the tea master is to insure that every round of tea tastes exactly the same.

The Chinese wedding tradition is as varied and complex as China is vast. Throughout the ages, it has evolved and changed due to a myriad of regional and cultural influences. However, as more Chinese choose modern day practices, the most popular Chinese wedding tea ceremony still exists and is still practiced by the Han Chinese in the south of the country.

The Chinese wedding tea ceremony is usually started when the bride arrives in the groom’s home. The bride and the groom will gather before the parents and the immediate relatives and the bride will serve tea for her in-laws.

The type of tea that can be used during the Chinese wedding tea ceremony usually range from oolong tea to jasmine. This ceremony takes place on the day of the wedding itself. After the serving of the tea, the guests (usually the parents first) would then give their approval to the couple and they would respond by giving them red packets. These red packets contain money to wish the couple a blissful life ahead.

Importance of the Tea Type

Tea is served during Chinese weddings because it is the national drink of China and by serving it your are demonstrating your respect. Also, it is somewhat practical as not everyone can drink alcohol.

During the Chinese wedding tea ceremony, lotus seeds and two red dates are used in the tea for two main reasons. The first reason lies on the fact that the words “lotus” and “year”, “seed” and “child” and “date” and “early” are homophones in Chinese, that is, they have the same sound but different meanings. Secondly, it is an ancient Chinese belief that placing lotus seeds and two red dates in the tea would help the newly weds produce children early in their marriage and every year, which would ensure many grandchildren for their parents. Also, the sweetness of the special tea used in the Chinese wedding tea ceremony is a wish for sweet relations between the bride and her new family.

Serving of the Tea

On the wedding day, the bride serves the tea by holding the tea cup with both hands. The tea is served to her parents at home before the groom arrives. According to Chinese belief, this is done out of respect and to thank the bride’s parents for raising her. The tea currently does not need to have the lotus seeds or dates, and there is no need for the bride to ask for an assistance of a “lucky woman”. She serves the tea by herself without the groom.

After the wedding ceremony, it is a tradition in China that the newlyweds serve tea by holding the tea cups with both hands. This then ssignals the Chinese wedding tea ceremony. During this event, the newlyweds invite the groom’s elders to drink tea by way of addressing them by formal title.

There is one general rule applied during the Chinese wedding tea ceremony, that is, to have the woman on the left side and the man on the right side. The people being served will sit in chairs, while the newlyweds kneel. For instance, when they serve tea to the groom’s parents, the bride would kneel in front of her father in-law, while the groom would kneel in front of his mother.

It is further worth noting that the newlyweds serve tea in order. The serving will start with the groom’s parents then proceeding from the oldest members of the family to the youngest. In return, the newlyweds welcome lucky red envelopes that are stuffed with jewelry or money. The helpers, who are usually women, are the ones who blessed with a happy marriage or wealth. They are also chosen by the fortune teller or the bride’s mother, and they get lucky red envelopes stuffed with money from those who are served. The envelopes are usually placed on the platter which holds the tea cups.

The Chinese culture considers tea time, an essential part of their day. They have a wide range of knowledge and experience with tea making, especially considering they have been drinking it for as long as their culture has existed.

Tea making has many necessities when it comes to choosing the right Chinese tea set and is said to be very crucial in the tea preparation. In particular, a very vital role is brewing tea. Chinese tea sets include tea pots, tea saucers, tea bowls, and tea trays. Today, there are different forms and types of Chinese tea sets that have certain characteristics and designs. Because of certain traditional practices, tea sets are considered a very indispensable part of their artistry and market.

Chinese tea sets are highly valued and are dedicated to the established tea culture in China that is composed of two groups. The first refers to those that have a high artistic value, while the second refers to those that are used in every day life. Those with high artistic value are commonly used in special tea ceremonies like weddings and other important events. They are usually kept in beautiful cabinets and are proudly presented for everyone to see.

How to select the right tea set associated with their individual uses are not difficult tasks. Selecting Chinese tea sets for every day use largely depends on the types of tea that many people drink and where the individual is located throughout China. In the eastern as well as northern regions of China, natives usually drink floral teas, which are also known as herbal teas. These people commonly employ large tea pots to boil the tea water in which are made of ceramics, and their size depends on the number of people to be served.

In the Kangnam area, green tea is the customary drink and is made with a ceramic kettle–when drinking green tea or any kind that has fine leaves, a Chinese tea set with small cups are used. In areas like Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong, the people drink usually oolong teas, so they use a regular kettle to brew the tea. When brewing Gongfu tea or Hong tea, the Chinese also use a ceramic pot or a regular kettle. While drinking a high quality tea such as Xihu-long-jing, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, and Ton-ting-bilei-chun, clear glass cups are appropriate to use.

Brewing leaves too fast leaves a negative result. High levels of water brews fine leaves too fast, resulting in discolored tea leaves, and influencing the fragrance as well as taste of the tea. Some people also use a thermos to keep the green tea warm, which also affects the color and flavor. Today, most Chinese sets contain a thermos for this specific reason.

Along with the previously mentioned items included in a Chinese tea set, there are also tea plates, tea set cover cloths, tea spoons, tea trays, and tea brewing containers to complete the set. Tea making has been a part of not only the Chinese culture, but world history for many years. Chinese tea sets have created a valuable market within their culture and an irreplaceable place in history.

Herbal teas of Chinese origin are really not true teas, in that they are infused with herbs and are not derived of the Camelia Sinensis plant form. Steeping them, allows the herbs to be pulled from them.

Usually, these kinds of teas are used by the Chinese for their health benefits. But, they are also liked and used just for their flavors and taste. Presently, these can be widely purchased in the country as they produce thousands of different herbs.

Herbal teas from China give individuals who like to drink tea, many a choice by offering them a health caffeine free beverage. Herbals teas that are geared to be comforters and help you de-stress are teas such as Chrysanthemum and rosebud.

These two types of tea are known as an herbs mostly used by the female sex but, Chrysanthemum tea has been known to help anyone who has digestive problems. This tea has properties that when described has a cooling effect and aids in the reduction of fever. Light and delicate is the taste of the Chrysanthemum tea.

Herbal teas are usually great choices before one goes to bed, in that it will not keep you awake like coffee or soft drinks will.

China has a variety of herbal teas and we cannot fail to mention the flower teas. Teas such as these offer teas that will calm, soothe and have no caffeine. They also have a wide birth of flavors and taste.

There is really quite a nice list of well known teas that are of the flower nature. There is the Carnation tea that is said to restore the bodies energy. The Chrysanthemum we have already gone over. The Gongju herbal tea has the ability to relax the body. The jasmine tea is a sweet one and has no caffeine. Forget Me Not tea lends a welcoming hand to the lungs and has a smooth, but earthy taste. And Yunnan tea is a flower that is known for being rare and has no caffeine.

The Wild New York tea is an herbal tea that works for the individual who is thankful for the place of it’s growth. Due to the terrain in which it grows, the roots of this herb have a particular look to them. The herbs root system is made up of tiny, long lived roots. They can live in upwards of ten years or close to it.

And last but not least we have Kuding Pearl tea. Individuals who have ventured to drink a spot of this tea, claim a very bitter taste. This teas leaves are process into big marble sized pearl shapes. Only a single leaf is needed for it’s healing properties to work. It’s leaves are of very old decent and holds your attention.

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in Chinese culture, and is considered one of the most important necessities of the day. The Chinese have thousands of varieties of tea. Each of the teas can be classified by how it is produced, by its quality, and preparation methods, etc. There are eight “classes” into which each tea can be grouped. These eight classes are compressed teas, flower teas, yellow teas, white teas, red teas, black teas, oolong teas, and green teas.

Compressed Tea

Compressed teas are excellent because they can be stored for a very long time, even decades. These use black teas as the base, which is then steamed and compressed. The compressed tea can take the form of bricks, cakes, columns, and more. Each of them has the characteristics of black tea because that is the base.

Flower Tea

Flower tea is one of the unique types of Chinese tea. Flower tea is exactly that, tea made from dried flowers. There are also “scented teas” that have floral aromas added to a green or red tea base. These types of teas have light to medium flavors. The aromas are medium to strong.

Yellow Tea

Some experts agree that the yellow tea class is the least common type. These teas have yellow leaves and are yellow in color. Yellow tea is normally mild. Some say it is quite refreshing.

White Tea

Some consider this to be a subclass of green tea. White tea, like green tea, does not get fermented during its processing—the tea leaves are simply withered and then roasted. It has low caffeine content.

Red Tea

Red tea is aptly named for its distinctive red color. Red tea is a fermented tea, like black tea, yet has a lower aroma and medium flavor. You can find red divided into three categories. These are Kung Fu, Ted, and Small Species.

Black Tea

Black tea is probably the most full-bodied of the Chinese teas. Black tea is withered, fermented for a long time, and then it is roasted. Black tea leaves are totally oxidized once processed.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is in the middle between green tea and black tea. It is half way fermented. Oolong tea is sometimes called Qing Cha by the Chinese. A standard oolong tea is green with red edges.

Oolong tea is simply withered and spread out before it is slightly fermented. After that the tea leaves are fried, rolled up, and roasted.

Green Tea

Green tea is probably the most natural tea. It is simply picked, dried, and gently fried so that it does not smell too much like grass. Green tea does not get fermented during processing. Some experts say that green tea is the most medicinal of all Chinese teas. Roughly fifty percent of all Chinese tea is green tea. The aroma ranges from medium to high. The flavor of green tea runs from light to medium.

Baojianmei Jianfei Cha, otherwise known as bojenmi Chinese tea is an increasingly popular tea for weight loss. It has been in use for this purpose for the last 20 years.

In Chinese, the word “bojenmi” means slim, and beautiful. Bojenmi tea is processed and packaged by the Egret River Brand. The parent company of this brand is the Xiamen Export Corporation (XMEHECO). The company is located in Xiamen. Xiamen is an island of the Fujian province.

About Bojenmi Tea

The bojenmi tea is typically made into loose tea and tea bags. There are many different ingredients in bojenmi tea other than the tea leaf, including crataegus, malt, pharbitis, pogostemon, hoelen, citrus chenpi, alisma, cassia, phaseolus, shen-chu, and raphanus. Each of these ingredients and herbs are added to increase digestion of the tea. They are also added to prevent accumulations of phlegm, to prevent food stagnation, and impart a subtle laxative effect. These ingredients have been in use by Chinese doctors to increase weight loss and reduce the level of one’s blood lipids. Other than these additional ingredients the main component of this tea is the leaf itself, coming from a bush in the Fujian province. The tea leaf is sprayed with the additional ingredients during processing, so that when the tea is steeped in water for three to four minutes, they will be extracted along with the tea itself.

The main health benefit of the tea leaf is the drop in one’s blood lipid levels, however, the other additional herbs and ingredients have significant benefit on one’s digestion. It has also been noted that herbs and plants such as the holen mushroom, phaseolus, alisma, citrus peel, and pogotemon impart the benefits of relieving excess fluid in the body.

Cassia and pharbitis will produce a laxative effect. Cassia, crataegus, and alisma also reduce blood lipid levels. Some of the ingredients in bojenmi tea have been shown to increase bowel function, as well as lessening abdominal distention, acid reflux, gurgling, and cramping.

Finding the right dosage

It is recommended that one takes 3 to 6 grams of the tea three times daily. That equates to between 9 and 18 grams a day. One bag of the Egret River brand bojenmi tea contains three grams. What is quite intriguing in fact is that the package states that even without adding the tea to a low calorie diet, one can still lose extra weight with the tea as compared to not drinking the tea at all. They state, however, that the biggest benefits come from combining the tea with a reduced calorie diet. Bojenmi tea tastes a lot like to black tea. It does, however, have a slight bitter taste. Sweeteners can cover most of that bitter flavor if you do not prefer the taste of the tea by itself.

Oolong tea is an ancient Chinese tea that according to some experts is similar to green tea and black tea in that it is half way fermented. Oolong tea is clear and fragrant like green tea. It is also refreshing and strong, like black tea. It has been said that the aroma of oolong tea will linger in your mouth and relieve a sore throat.

The origins of the name itself are somewhat of an enigma in Chinese tea history. It is not known whether the tea is actually named after a place or a variety of plant. A similar Chinese word is “wu long” meaning dragon, which has connotations of luck, but it is not known if oolong is itself a derivative of that term.

How Chinese Oolong Tea is processed

One can process oolong tea in one of six widely-accepted methods. You can wither the tea in direct sunlight; you can process it by tedding fresh leaves, by rocking green, stir-frying green, rolling or drying. It can be considered one of the most complicated of Chinese teas, and even the most complicated whole food beverage.

After oolong tea leaves are plucked, they are withered, then bruised, then dried. Then they are twisted or rolled by hand, depending on what type of oolong it is. It may seem fairly straightforward, but the varying techniques and the need for exact timing of the process impart very complex and wide-ranging flavors, fragrances and colors on different types of oolong teas.

Many Types and Flavors

Chinese oolong tea is generally available in many varieties. These range from light and sweet, such as from the large beautiful leaves of the Formosa oolong. Another good example of a light and sweet oolong is Tieguanyin. This variety has thick, shiny, dark green leaves that impart an amber colored tea reminiscent of flowers. Tieguanyin is a great all-purpose tea with lots of balance.

Another type is the Wuyi Cliff oolong. This is grown in a Fujian province where temperatures are mild most of the year, and the mountains are misty and cool. Wuyi Cliff has rich, lasting flavors. The leaves must be highly fermented prior to twisting and drying. This tea is said to be one of the best Chinese oolong teas in aiding digestion. It is a great complement to Pu-erh tea when striving for a well balanced weight loss program.

More benefits of Chinese Oolong Tea

Chinese oolong has many medicinal properties, just like other Chinese teas. It is said to have great anti-aging properties such as lowering blood pressure, improving immune system functionality, and preventing heart disease. Studies show that this tea can help one’s digestion, as well as be a refreshing way to fight off the effects of drinking alcohol.

Some say it can even prolong your life. Chinese oolong has also been shown to improve one’s results when trying to loose weight. To perform at ones peak as far as energy and vitality it is best to increase your daily consumption to between four and ten cups daily.