Chinese tea has a very long history, and during that time it has absorbed both Chinese traditional culture and the natural environment. There is numerous information about tea’s health benefits, but there are a lot of people who still think traditional Chinese tea is a kind of western. The tea flavor has evolved over thousands of years, which made traditional Chinese tea to be what it is today.
Traditional Chinese Tea is made from different parts of the tea plant. For example, white tea is made from young leaves and tender stems, the green is made from leaves about one or two centimeters in length and 3-4mm wide, black tea is made from leaves of about three to four cm and rolled tightly, Oolong is made from leaves of about 5cm and rolled, and so on.
All kinds of Chinese teas have a long way to go before they can be completed. The traditional process of producing Chinese tea is as follows.
Withering: Leaves are spread indoors or outdoors to ferment and dry. During this process, enzymes and cells will be damaged and deformation can happen.
Rolling: Leaves are rolled according to the type of tea. For example, green tea is pressed by stone roller or manual rollers to make the leaves flat; for white tea, the leaves will be processed through a rolling machine with small rollers to break the cells in the leaves.
Fixing: Leaves are put into a pan to be heated or roasted. This process is to better stimulate their enzymes, which helps with the next step – oxidation.
Oxidizing: The leaves are left for oxidation under high temperature and humidity conditions according to different types of tea. During this step, polyphenols and another polyphenol oxidase will be produced, which is important for the color and flavor of the tea.
Drying: When tea leaves reach the required degree of oxidation, they will be dried under low temperatures to stop the process of oxidation. During this step, black tea leaves turn red or reddish-brown, Oolong takes on a yellowish-green color and green tea leaves become dark green.
Packaging: Packed according to different types of teas. For example, portioned manually for traditional Chinese tea, or sealed by automatic packaging machines for young Puerh tea leave.
After processing the above steps, the teas will be kept in storage and aged till they are ready for the market.
Benefits Of Drinking traditional Chinese tea
1. Improve digestive system
2. Relieve constipation, inhibit the secretion of gastric juice and protect the stomach mucus membrane
3. Enhance the effect of other Chinese herbal medicines, increase body resistance to diseases
4. Prevent arteriosclerosis, reduce blood cholesterol level and prevent thrombus
5. Fight against cancerous cells
6. Reduce blood pressure and maintain normal blood circulation
7. Prevent atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, and other effects on the cardiovascular system
8. Improve eyesight, enhance the activity of different cells in the retina and inhibit light damage
9. Reduce uric acid and prevent hyperuricemia and other effects on the kidneys
10. Prevent rheumatism, arthritis, and other effects on the joints
Conclusion
There is a long way to go before traditional Chinese tea can be completed. It has absorbed both Chinese traditional culture and natural environment, which makes the tea flavor different from western tea.
Traditional Chinese tea is made up of different parts of the tea plant, with hundreds of types to choose from.