VI
EN
Tea and its influence on China.
Tea is believed to have originated in China, with legend claiming that Shen Nong was the first deity to taste and cultivate it widely. All tea leaves in the world originate from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, which were steeped in boiling water by the ancient Chinese, gradually developing into various tea processing methods.
Tea is believed to have originated in China.
The Chinese have used tea for medicinal purposes since very early times. From the 4th century, they drank tea as a therapeutic remedy and to boost immunity. By the Tang Dynasty, tea flourished and there was even a book dedicated to its importance. That book was...Tea SutraBy the tea master Lu Yu. This book describes everything about tea, from its origins to its cultivation..., it is almost the first dictionary of tea in human history.
During the Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong further amplified the power of tea by dedicating his life to studying it. This emperor also published a book titled...Tea CommentaryTo promote tea, not only to the people in the capital city but also to the entire country.
Particularly during the Song Dynasty, tea was considered a substitute for currency. With more than one tea cake, you could easily exchange it for a lot of fabrics, silks, or even fine horses. The Mongols and Tibetans were obsessed with tea. They were willing to trade their strongest horses for a single tea cake weighing just over an ounce (approximately 28.3495 grams).
At that time, one ounce of tea was worth as much as two ounces of gold. The freshest and highest-quality tea buds were always offered to the emperor, auctioned off, and sold among the nobility. The importance of tea is undeniable.
Before the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese had devised a way to compress black tea into cakes for easier preservation and transportation. These tea cakes were called "tea bricks" (茶磚), which the English loosely translated as "tea bricks".
A painting by Ting Quan depicting tea production in China, 19th century.
Tea-picking girl
Tea-picking girls have always been a very romantic image in both poetry and painting. In fact, the trend of selecting tea-picking girls is making a strong comeback today.
This trend actually originated a long time ago, back in the distant Tang Dynasty. Driven by a love and passion for tea, various forms of tea-making have flourished. High-quality teas, hand-picked by young women, are given unique names and carefully preserved.
The young girls are learning how to make tea.
Enjoying tea with friends.
The finest tea buds are always picked by young girls. Even if not offered to the emperor, high-quality tea is sold at exorbitant prices. These girls are young, innocent, and not overly plump. This is because discerning tea connoisseurs believe that tea must be truly pure, not only in the brewing process but also in every small detail.
Tea is typically harvested in April each year. Young girls are sent up the mountain slopes early in the morning, where they spend the warm spring preparing for a regular tea harvest.
Early in the morning, while the air was still hazy, the young women rose quickly, washed themselves thoroughly, and ate a simple breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a little rice, tofu, and vegetables, with very little meat, fish, and especially onions and garlic. They had to maintain this diet until the end of the tea harvest season. According to the supervisors' beliefs, the tea should not be tainted by the heavy breath of people who had eaten strong-smelling foods, protein, or spices…
After eating, the girls, with their youthful and innocent faces, slung small baskets woven from willow branches around their necks, their hands gloved, set off along the winding slopes, chatting and laughing merrily while admiring the clouds in the sky. A relaxed mood is essential for finding truly delicious tea leaves.
Small hands, clad in pristine white gloves, gently and skillfully pluck each tea leaf. They absolutely forbade using fingernails or pulling the leaves forcefully, as this was considered disrespectful to the tea plant. Tea plants that leak sap due to sharp fingernails would not produce the finest tea buds. They harvested the youngest, smallest, and most beautiful buds for the emperor. Next came the larger buds for officials and nobles. They never picked entire branches, as they couldn't allow tea dust and debris from the lower layers to enter their delicate baskets.
In some even stricter places, young girls, after picking tea leaves, must immediately stuff them into their breasts or armpits and take them out the next morning. This inexplicable act is explained as giving the tea its distinctive flavor from the sweat of virgins. As a result, the tea leaves become exceptionally fragrant and delicious, unmatched by any other tea.
From picking tea leaves...
...to drying, roasting, and dehydrating the leaves.
Tea leaves are only harvested when dew still clings to the leaves and the sunlight shines in thin, sparse rays. These tea leaves are treated with extreme care. After midday, the harvested tea is only second or third grade, not worth mentioning. As the sun rises higher, the girls hurry home to prevent the tea buds from drying out and becoming brittle in the sun. The tea is handled with tenderness, like a priceless commodity, in their soft hands.
By midday, tea leaves are dried, roasted, or dehydrated to reduce their wilting. High-quality tea is usually processed quickly to reach the emperor or nobility, as tea intended for the emperor cannot be delayed and left until the next day.
Following the tea bud to the Emperor's table
The tea offered to the emperor usually originated from the Yang Hsien mountain region in Shanghai. The tea there was so exceptionally delicious that during the April rice harvest each year, the emperor demanded a certain amount of tea as tribute. During the month-long tea tribute, rice production was disrupted, leading to devastating famines.
The tea ceremony within the royal family was also more complex, strict, and meticulous than any other.
For the royal family, tea was subject to strict requirements, from harvesting to production. The tea had to be delivered to the emperor immediately, not stored for too long. The tea maker also meticulously prepared the tea, using only the purest morning dew and cool rainwater. The teapot itself had to be made of jade-glazed porcelain. The translucent, smooth glaze enhanced the tea's shimmering appearance.
So many requests, all for the sake of a good cup of tea. If given the opportunity to drink such a cup, one would surely be delighted to raise a glass.
Tea in the modern era
Today, the fast-paced and modern lifestyle has significantly shortened and simplified the practice of tea drinking. From rituals that could last for hours or even weeks, or banquets with rare and luxurious tea boxes, everything has been transformed into a simple tea bag. One only needs to pour boiling water and wait a few minutes to have a hot cup of tea. The strict customs and requirements of tea are now confined to specialized tea regions, no longer widespread as they once were. The tradition of tea-picking by young women has also faded somewhat.
In China today, it's difficult to find a pound of the finest tea fit for royalty, meticulously hand-picked by virgins. But it's not impossible. Recently, a company in Henan province posted an advertisement seeking young, vibrant women, some even with... large breasts, to pick tea leaves and make the famous Virgin Tea. This event caused a stir for a while, but it's not surprising, as tea and everything about it is a long-standing tradition deeply ingrained in the consciousness of the people of this country.
