1/30/08

Chinese tea or Leave tea


Chinese tea or Leave tea According to popular legend, tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC when a leaf from a Camilla sinensis tree fell into water the emperor was boiling. Not everyone agrees on the origin, but no one disputes that tea is deeply woven into the history and culture of China. The beverage is considered one of the seven necessities of Chinese life, along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar.Some writers classify tea into four categories, green, white, black and oolong. Others add categories for red, scented and compressed teas.Most Chinese tea is consumed in China and is not exported. Green tea is the most popular type of tea used in China.Within these main categories of tea are vast varieties of individual beverages. Some of the variations are due to different strains of the Camilla plant. The popular Tie Guan Yin , The largest factor in the wide variations comes from differences in processing after the tea is harvested. White and green teas are cooked soon after picking to prevent oxidization, often called fermentation, caused by natural enzymes in the leaves. Oolong teas are partially oxidized. Black and red teas are fully oxidized.

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