It's All About Tea — chinese tea

Years before tea became a standard beverage in Europe and North America, Chinese tea merchants created the myth of "Monkey Picked Tea."

At the time, tea for westerns was a wonder. They loved the unusual and exquisite taste. However, tea took so long to make its journey from China to Europe and North America. Most people were utterly clueless about how tea was grown and processed.

One myth that did prevail and kept tea drinkers interested and craving more tea was that the tea was picked by brilliant and well-trained monkeys. (Read more)

Chaozhou in Guangdong province is an enticing area of China holding mountains of tea traditions, literally. The city of Chaozhou is near Phoenix Mountain, the birthplace of aromatic Dan Cong Oolongs. There, the tea bushes grow semi-wild on high elevations amid fragrant fruit gardens.

Gong Fu Cha is a Chinese tea brewing practice that emerged in Chaozhou during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). It emphasizes small brewing vessels, a high leaf-to-water ratio, and several brief infusions using the same tea leaves. 

In other parts of China, you may find plenty of people practicing various tea brewing methods, like grandpa-style tea or western brewing. However, in Chaozhou, tea drinkers prefer to stick to their roots. Even today, the province’s tea traditions are highly treasured and preserved, playing an integral part in the community's social life. If you happen to be in a locals' presence for long enough, they are likely to treat you to Gongfu style tea. (Read more)

While we are not originally from a Chinese background, like many of our followers, we enjoy learning about the Chinese Tea Ceremony and everything it offers. It is easy to get carried away in the world of aromatic teas and breathtaking teaware. We are always eager to expand our knowledge of brewing techniques and proper tea preparation methods. However, today we will talk about the parts of Chinese tea ceremony culture that we don't part take in as often as we would in Gong Fu Style tea brewing. (Read more)

Tea (camellia sinensis) indeed originated in China. Green tea also originated in China. However, Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea vary quite a bit. From Chinese green tea coming in various elaborate shapes and colors to Japanese green tea, which tends to have a darker green color and small flat tea leaves after processing. With so many different tea varieties, green tea is still by far the most commonly consumed tea in both China and Japan. So what are the main differences between Japanese and Chinese green tea? (Read more)

Green tea is the most enjoyed tea in China, Japan and Korea. It was such an important part of the culture in China that the New Year was marked by the emperor drinking his first cup of first flush green tea. While it is one of the least processed of all tea types, it still requires precise technique and knowledge to make. Huang Shan Mao Feng is one of those green teas that wonderfully portrays to us the skills of the tea masters. If made correctly, it is a sweet, refreshing tea, with notes of chestnuts and spring florals, possessing plenty of cha qi. (Read more)