What do we know about Chinese tea other than it is brewed and delivered to us in a teapot and a tea cup or both. Even when served to us steaming hot at a Chinese restaurant, our education of the tea that we are drinking doesn’t go much beyond that of our cup. We only know that we get this flavor only at this restaurant and we like it with our meal while we are here.

The making of Chinese Tea goes back over 4,000 years and was made for medical purposes back then. The Chinese has a long history of taking herb combinations to find cures for their many illnesses. As time went on, the Chinese used their tea for enjoyment and hospitality rather than for their medical needs.

The Chinese once used their teas as the beverage in their culture’s social rituals. The rich flavor is now enjoyed all over the world, not just socially but for the pleasure of that unique flavor.

Their are eight different types of tea thought about when you refer to Chinese Tea. You have flowered teas such as oolong and jasmine. Other teas within the mix of thousands of combinations are compressed tea, black tea, yellow tea, green tea, white tea and red tea. The Chinese were the first to come upon these types of teas and their variations.

Chinese tea is not just pleasurable for social advents or with a meal it may also aid in increasing your immunity and lowering your blood pressure.

If you like a variety of Chinese tea you may find it at your local grocery. Chinese tea is usually sold in loose tea or you can find it already packaged in a tea bag. If your local grocery is limited on the different flavors of Chinese Tea, visit an Asian market. The Asian market carries large varieties of Chinese tea whether you like loose tea or a flavored tea in a tea bag. They will be sure to have the flavor your looking for in a Chinese Tea.

For a rather busy or a very hectic day; brew yourself a cup of your favorite flavored Chinese tea and relax. There is nothing like ending a hectic day with your favorite cup of Chinese Tea.

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.

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.

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.

Chinese tea has long been considered an excellent diet aide. Many dieters consider a cup of diet tea standard with every meal. They believe it stimulates metabolism. Tea is low in calories, and is healthy when drunk with no added sugar or other ingredients.

Some expert scientists believe that the caffeine in tea is what increases body functionality and helps to burn extra calories. Tea does contain healthy polyphenols which have been noted as fat-burning substances. For this reason, Chinese teas have widely become known for their weight loss effects.

Although most types of Chinese tea are great for losing weight, two in particular are excellent. These are Pu-erh, and Oolong. These two are probably the best known Chinese teas for weight loss.

Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh Tea is gaining popularity in Western culture. Green tea has been the most popular tea lately, but pu-erh is quickly gaining on it. The Chinese have long thought of Pu-erh tea as a tea with medicinal properties.

Pu-erh varietals have been known since ancient times. One is even said to be more than 2, 00 years old. Pu-erh comes from a small leaf tea bush. The leaves on this ancient variety are processed in a different manner than one would process green tea. They need to be oxidized, similarly to how the leaves on the oolong bush are processed. The leaves are removed from the bush, and either dried loose or compressed. The leave can be compressed into what is called “bricks, “tea cakes” or “Tuochas”. Tuochas are so named because they look like little birds nests. This can be a sign of beauty for some Chinese tea drinkers. Tea cakes can be aged in dark places such as caves to strengthen their natural earthy flavors.

Pu-erh tea has some benefits that is greatly known for. These are decreasing blood cholesterol and improving the metabolism of fat. This tea can also be “double fermented” in order to enhance some of its special enzymes and microbes. This is done to increase is content of these ingredients known to be essential for one’s well-being.

In addition to these benefits, one cup of Pu-erh tea has been shown to stimulate weight loss when drank with every meal. It stimulates one’s metabolism and aides one’s body systems.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is another well-known semi-fermented or oxidized tea. It has a lovely flowery note and intense characteristics. Different varieties of Oolong can range in color from bright to dark. When it is fully-dried, the traditional rich flavors known for weight loss are locked in. This unique drying process will enable the stimulant qualities to come through, which are good for weight loss when added to a well-balanced diet.

Both Pu-erh and Oolong teas are becoming more widely available as they become more well-known for their weight loss qualities. One should be able to find both varieties more and more as they increase in popularity.