Originating from China and enjoyed globally, tea is not only a universal beverage but also a “Chinese calling card” that carries history and culture. What elegance does Chinese life imbue in its Tea drinking customs? How does tea culture influence us? On International Tea Day, let's delve into the world of Chinese Tea together.
As a drink, tea gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty and thrived in the Song Dynasty, becoming widespread by the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Tang Dynasty was a critical period for the formation of Chinese tea culture, most notably marked by the publication of “The Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu, the “Tea Sage,” which is also the world's first specialized work on tea. From the Tang Dynasty onwards, tea transcended its initial functional and practical uses, such as quenching thirst and boosting alertness, to become more integrated into daily life and artistic expression.
What did ancient tea tasting look like? We can find answers in artifacts. This set of Tang Sancai (three-color glazed) tea ware unearthed from a Tang tomb in Gongyi dates back to the sixth year of Emperor Wenzong's Taihe era. The figurine, wearing a narrow-sleeved, round-necked long robe, sits on a round seat with a slightly forward-leaning body, focusing intently on the “large-mouthed pot” over a wind stove. Its focused expression and relaxed posture indicate enjoyment. Upon identification, this figure is a representation of Lu Yu himself, making it the first known Tang Sancai depiction of the Chinese “Tea Sage” brewing tea.
How did ancient tea drinking differ from modern practices? According to records, before the Tang Dynasty, people commonly added seasonings and ingredients like salt, scallions, ginger, orange peel, and mint to their tea to create a “soup” or “tea porridge.” In the Tang Dynasty, the method of boiling tea emerged. By the Song Dynasty, the practice of preparing tea through whisking (diancha) became prevalent.
Ji Yilong, a librarian at the National Library, describes: “Emperor Huizong personally prepared tea for his ministers. He ordered his attendants to fetch tea utensils and personally poured water and whisked it. Soon, white foam floated on the surface of the cups, resembling sparse stars and a pale moon. Milky-white foam floated atop the tea cups, evoking images of serene stars and a gentle moon.”
With the export and spread of Chinese tea, tea-making techniques and drinking methods have continuously evolved. In most languages around the world, the pronunciation of “tea” has also transformed from Chinese dialect pronunciations.
Ji Yilong explains: “In many languages worldwide, the word for tea often relates to Chinese, such as the common English term ‘Tea,' which resembles the pronunciation in southern regions like Guangdong and Fujian. This indirectly verifies the routes of tea exports and its entry into foreign countries, providing strong evidence of tea's global spread and the popularity of tea culture worldwide.”
International Tea Day: Chinese Tea Art Spreads Worldwide
Today, as a beverage, tea is not only loved by the Chinese people but has also become popular in many countries around the globe. Meanwhile, Chinese tea-making skills are spreading across the world.
Turkey is one of the countries with the highest per capita consumption of tea. It is currently tea-picking season in Rize Province, Turkey's largest tea-producing region, where two-thirds of the country's tea is produced.
Ayture, who comes from a family of tea makers, is a native of Rize. She represented Turkey in a world tea-making competition in China in 2017, her first taste of Chinese tea, which sparked a deep connection with Chinese tea. Ayture brought back to Turkey the tea-making experience she learned in China, promoting hand-picking to improve the quality of tea leaves. Additionally, using Chinese tea-making techniques, she transforms Turkish tea into green tea, white tea, Oolong Tea, and other varieties.
Due to differences in climate and soil, the appearance, aroma, and taste of the tea made by Ayture are distinct from those of Chinese teas. Ayture says that their goal is not to replicate Chinese teas identically but to draw inspiration from Chinese methods while combining them with the unique characteristics of Turkish tea to explore new flavors.
According to Ayture, a Turkish tea expert: “The same tea plant can produce completely different flavors depending on the processing technique, a gift from nature that inspires me like art.”
Tea is also an important cash crop in many countries. In 2023, Kenya, an East African country, saw a significant increase in tea exports. At a tea plantation in Meru County, Kenya, tea picked here is not only made into tea bags favored by locals but also into loose-leaf tea preferred by foreigners, with products sold overseas. To further expand the market, the plantation owner specifically invited Chinese tea masters for guidance and introduced Chinese tea-making equipment.
Bano, the production manager of the Kenyan tea plantation, states: “The Chinese tea master was very generous, teaching me a lot about Chinese tea-making techniques, which will improve my skills and allow us to produce better tea in the future.”
Njeru, the owner of the Kenyan tea plantation, remarks: “China's tea market has a history spanning thousands of years, so their tea-making techniques are advanced. We have much to learn from China in terms of tea-making technology.”