中国茶叶

中国茶CHINATEA茶ThehistoryofteaThecategoriesofteaChina'sTea-ProducingAreasSomefamousteaHowtomaketeaTeaceremonyTeaserviceAdvantagesofTea-DrinkinghaveThehistoryoftea•Chinaisthehomecountryoftea.BeforetheTangDynasty,Chineseteawasexportedbylandandsea,firsttoJapanandKorea,thentoIndiaandCentralAsiaand,intheMingandQingdynasties,totheArabianPeninsula.Intheearlyperiodofthe17thcentury,ChineseteawasexportedtoEurope,wheretheupperclassadoptedthefashionofdrinkingtea.Chinesetea—likeChinesesilkandchina—hasbecomesynonymousworldwidewithrefinedculture.Attheheartoftheartoftea—thestudyandpracticeofteainallitsaspects—isthesimplegestureofofferingacupofteatoaguestthatforChinesepeopletodayisafundamentalsocialcustom,asithasbeenforcenturies.ChinatracesthedevelopmentofteaasanartformtoLuYu,knownastheSaintofTeainChinesehistory,wholivedduringtheTangDynastyandwhowroteTheBookofTea,thefirstevertreatiseonteaandteaculture.ThespiritofteapermeatesChineseculture,andthroughoutthecountrytherearemanykindsofteas,teahouses,tealegends,teaartifactsandteacustoms.Better-knownplacestoenjoyagoodcupofteainChinaincludeBeijingnotedforitsvarietyofteahouses;FujianandGuangdongprovincesandotherplacesinthesoutheastofChinathatservegongfutea,aformalservingofteaintinycups;theWestLakeinHangzhou,alsothehomeoftheTeaConnoisseursAssociation,notedforitsexcellentgreentea;andprovincesinsouthwestChinalikeYunnanwheretheethnicgroupslessaffectedbyforeignculturesretainteaceremoniesandcustomsinoriginaltea-growingareas.TheChinesepeople,intheirdrinkingoftea,placemuchsignificanceontheactofsavoring.Savoringteaisnotonlyawaytodiscerngoodteafrommediocretea,butalsohowpeopletakedelightintheirreverieandintea-drinkingitself.Snatchingabitofleisurefromabusyschedule,makingakettleofstrongtea,securingaserenespace,andservinganddrinkingteabyyourselfcanhelpbanishfatigueandfrustration,improveyourthinkingabilityandinspireyouwithenthusiasm.Youmayalsoimbibeitslowlyinsmallsipstoappreciatethesubtleallureoftea-drinking,untilyourspiritssoarupandupintoasublimeaestheticrealm.Buildings,gardens,ornamentsandteasetsaretheelementsthatformtheambienceforsavoringtea.Atranquil,refreshing,comfortableandneatlocaleiscertainlydesirablefordrinkingtea.ChinesegardensarewellknownintheworldandbeautifulChineselandscapesaretoonumeroustocount.Teahousestuckedawayingardensandnestledbesidethenaturalbeautyofmountainsandriversareenchantingplacesofreposeforpeopletorestandrecreatethemselves.Chinaisacountrywithatime-honoredcivilizationandalandofceremonyanddecorum.Wheneverguestsvisit,itisnecessarytomakeandserveteatothem.Beforeservingtea,youmayaskthemfortheirpreferencesastowhatkindofteatheyfancyandservethemtheteainthemostappropriateteacups.Inthecourseofservingtea,thehostshouldtakecarefulnoteofhowmuchwaterisremaininginthecupsandinthekettle.Usually,iftheteaismadeinateacup,boilingwatershouldbeaddedafterhalfofthecuphasbeenconsumed;andthusthecupiskeptfilledsothatthetearetainsthesamebouquetandremainspleasantlywarmthroughouttheentirecourseoftea-drinking.Snacks,sweetsandotherdishesmaybeservedatteatimetocomplementthefragranceoftheteaandtoallayone'shunger.•中国是茶的故乡，早在唐代以前，中国生产的茶叶便通过陆路及海运的方式远销各地。首先到达了日本和韩国，然后传到印度和中亚地区。在明清时期，又传到了阿拉伯半岛。在17世纪初期，中国茶叶又远销至欧洲各国，很多上层社会的贵族、绅士都养成了喝茶的习惯。中国的共和中国的丝绸及磁器一样，已经成为了中国在全世界的代名词。中国人饮茶，注重一个品字。品茶不但是鉴别茶的优劣，也带有神思遐想和领略饮茶情趣之意。在百忙之中泡上一壶浓茶，择雅静之处，自斟自饮，可以消除疲劳、涤烦益思、振奋精神，也可以细啜慢饮，达到美的享受，使精神世界升华到高尚的艺术境界。品茶的环境一般由建筑物、园林、摆设、茶具等因素组成。饮茶要求安静、清新、舒适、干净。中国园林世界闻名，山水风景更是不可胜数。利用园林或自然山水间，搭设茶室，让人们小憩，意趣盎然。中国是文明古国，礼仪之邦，很重礼节。凡来了客人，沏茶、敬茶的礼仪是必不可少的。当有客来访，可征求意见，选用最合来客口味的茶叶和最佳茶具待客。主人在陪伴客人饮茶时，要注意客人杯、壶中的茶水残留量，一般用茶杯泡茶，如已喝去一半，就要添加开水，随喝随添，使茶水浓度基本保持前后一致，水温适宜。在饮茶时也可适当佐以茶食、糖果、菜肴等，达到调节口味和点心之功效。Thecategoriesoftea•Chineseteamaybeclassifiedintofivecategoriesaccordingtothedifferentmethodsbywhichitisprocessed.1)Greentea:Greenteaisthevarietywhichkeepstheoriginalcolourofthetealeaveswithoutfermentationduringprocessing.ThiscategoryconsistsmainlyofLongjingteaofZhejiangProvince,MaofengofHuangshanMountaininAnhuiProvinceandBiluochunproducedinJiangsu.2)Blacktea:Blacktea,knownasredtea(hongcha)inChina,isthecategorywhichisfermentedbeforebaking;itisalatervarietydevelopedonthebasisofthegreentea.ThebestbrandsofblackteaareQihongofAnhui,DianhongofYunnan,SuhongofJiangsu,ChuanhongofSichuanandHuhongofHunan.3)Wulongtea:Thisrepresentsavarietyhalfwaybetweenthegreenandtheblackteas,beingmadeafterpartialfermentation.ItisaspecialtyfromtheprovincesonChina'ssoutheastcoast:Fujian,GuangdongandTaiwan.4)Compressedtea:Thisisthekindofteawhichiscompressedandhardenedintoacertainshape.Itisgoodfortransportandstorageandismainlysuppliedtotheethnicminoritieslivingintheborderareasofthecountry.Ascompressedteaisblackincolourinitscommercialform,soitisalsoknowninChinaasblacktea.Mostofthecompressedteaisintheformofbricks;itis,therefore,generallycalledbricktea,thoughitissometimesalsointheformofcakesandbowls.ItismainlyproducedinHubei,Hunan,SichuanandYunnanprovinces.5)Scentedtea:Thiskindofteaismadebymixingfragrantflowersinthetealeavesinthecourseofprocessing.Theflowerscommonlyusedforthispurposearejasmineandmagnoliaamongothers.Ja