Tea History and Legend

Tea History and Legend
The firsts reports on tea show that it appeared as a beverage in China around 2700 BC and 220 AD. It soon became an important part of the Chinese life and works specific to tea were published. The Classic of Tea (Cha Jing) was written by Lu Yu, a poet and scholar commissioned by tea merchants to gather all the information about tea growing, processing, brewing, serving and drinking. In time the style of cultivation, processing and consumption has suffered numerous changes, each succeeding dynasty imparting some of the flavor of the contemporary period to all aspects of the product. The now traditional styles of green, black and oolong teas made their first appearance in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the tea became an art between all the others parts of the Chinese culture.

Tea began to travel as a trade item as in the fifth century. Some sources indicate Turkish traders bartering for tea on the Mongolian and Tibet borders. Tea made its way to Japan late in the sixth century, along with another famous Chinese export - Buddhism. By the end of the seventh century, Buddhist monks were planting tea in Japan. Later the tea arrived in Russia and in Holland. Arab traders had dealt in tea prior to this time, but the Europeans saw the tea as a trade item when the Dutch began an active trade early in the 17th century. From Holland, tea spread quickly throughout Europe. Although Russia had access to tea, it got off to a very slow start, and tea was already very popular in Europe before the Czarist Russia started liking it. Tea made an early appearance in New Amsterdam, brought by the Dutch in the mid-17th century. It remained a very popular beverage throughout the newly colonized territories until the passage of the infamous 1765 Stamp Act. Finally, the American resistance to tea taxes led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and since then the Americans associated the tea with the idea of British imperialism.
There are many legends about the discovery of tea as a beverage.

The first is a Japanese legend, has it that the Buddhist saint Bodhidharma, had meditated for nine years until, extremely tired, he had fallen asleep. Angered at his weakness, he tore off his eyelids and cast them to the ground where they sprouted the tea plant whose leaves eventually would aid other Buddhists in successfully staying awake while meditating.

According to Chinese, tea was discovered by Shen Nung (2737-2697 BC), a legendary emperor, called also the "Father of Agriculture" and "Divine Husbandman," thought to have ruled about 2737 BC. The emperor is also credited for many other ideas that contributed to Chinese civilization. The legend says that, while the emperor was boiling water to drink, a tea leaf fell from a nearby plant and infused in the water. The resulting drink was pleasant and became a part of Shen Nung's herbal medicine.

Where did the Name "Tea" Come From?
In China and in Japan the word for tea is "cha." This part appears a lot in the tea names as Sencha, Houjicha, etc.) In the Fujian province the word for tea is "te" (pronounced "tay").

The first marketers of tea in the West were the Dutch whose contacts were in Fujian. They adopted this name and handed it on to most other European countries. The two exceptions are Russia and Portugal who had independent trade links to China. The Portuguese call it "cha," the Russians "chai." Other areas (such as Turkey, South Asia and the Arab countries) have some version of "chai" or "shai." "Tay" was the pronunciation when the word first entered Britain, and it still is in Scotland and Ireland. For unknown reasons, the English changed their pronunciation to "tee." Virtually every other European language, however, retains the original pronunciation of "tay."


The Monkey Legend
On the Mount Ying-T'ang near Wenchow in Chekiang Province, a lonely place haunted by wild beasts, hidden in the numerous valleys, there were many monasteries with monks or tenants engaged in farming and fruit growing. The legend says that a young novice from Heavenly Wisdom Monastery was looking after some pear trees. Suddenly, from the forest a large tribe of monkeys came swarming and set about gobbling up the pears. The trees had been stripped and the branches broken. The monk couldn’t do anything. They returned to the monastery, expecting a severe scolding from the abbot. Instead, the old man said resignedly, "Heaven commands us to show compassion to all living creatures, and so does the teaching of the Buddha. Things come and go. Moreover, monkeys, like all sentient beings, have a spiritual nature. They have taken our pears. Well, so be it."

Henceforward the monks allowed the animals to come and go freely, and later the monkeys lost their inborn fear of humans. In the cold winter that that followed a group of monkeys invaded the monastery grounds and, in an agitated state, ran about half-pleading, half menacing, as though to say, "Please give us food, or else we shall just have to break in and take it." So the abbot ordered that bags of food be taken out and distributed to the monkeys whereupon the animals, responding in loud cries, seized the bags and ran back into the forest.

The arrival of spring brought the time for harvesting tea leaves. While the monks were working, monkeys came swarming down from the peak dragging along the old food bags filled now with freshly picked young tea leaves. They were returning the winter gift. The tea picked in places inaccessible to the monks, had an unrivaled quality. In view of these facts, fine tea from that locality became known as Monkey tea.

Pi Lo Chun
Bi Luo Chun, one of the ten most famous teas in China is also known as "Spiral of Spring Jade" or "Green Snail Spring." Bi Luo Chun is mainly produced in Dongting East and West hills near the beautiful Taihu Lake. The best tea is picked at Emerald Spiral Peak in the Dong Ting Mountains. The humid climate by the lake and mist that often covers the mountains keeps the young tea leaves very moist and contributes to the flavor. Among the tea bushes plum, peach and apricot trees are grown and they are thought to contribute to Bi Luo Chun's sweet aroma and unique taste.

Bi Luo Chun has a history of more than a thousand years. As early as the late Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD) the tea was listed as a tribute to the emperors. Originally it was called "Xia Sha Ren Xiang" or "Scaring Tea." There are many legends about how this tea got its first name. One legend says that a nun picked several tea leaves and soaked them with boiled water. The striking fragrance made her say, "What a scary fragrance!"

Another legend says that the origin of this name comes from when tea pickers secretly hid leaves in their clothes with the intention of selling it themselves. The combination of the fresh tea leaves and body heat produced a terrible smell. By another account of the same story it was also called "Astounding Fragrance Tea."
In the seventeenth century Kang Xi, a Manchurian emperor, went to an inspection in the south. The governor of Jiangsu served the emperor with Scaring Tea. Kang Xi highly appreciated it but he decided to change its name. Since the tea was produced in Biluo Peak in Dongting East Hill, he called it Bi Luo Chun or Green Snail Spring.
The best time to pick the tea leaves is during the Pure Brightness festival when the buds are jade-green tinged with white. Bi Luo Chun is picked during the spring until April when the spring rains begin. Harvesting is done completely by hand so it requires great skill to roll and fire the leaves.

Dragonwell
Dragonwell or Lung Ching is the most renowned green tea in China and one of the finest. It is grown on the high peaks of the Tieh Mu Mountains near Hangzhou in the Zhejiang province. The best infusion is the one made with water from the Hupao Spring (Tiger Run Spring) from the Tiyun Mountains. Dragonwell is known for its four unique characteristics - the flat shaped leaves, pale jade green color, soft and mellow flavor and its fresh aroma.

The dried leaves are flat and smooth but when it is infused it opens up and one can see that the leaf consists almost entirely of intact buds. The tea has a cooling effect and is served during the summer, in hot weather. When the tea is steeped, the leaves float with the bud pointing straight up, resembling a pointed spear. This is called Qiqiang, meaning "flagged spear."

According to a legend, a great drought threatened crops of tea tended by monks high on the Lion's Peak Mountain in 250 AD. A young monk had heard tales of a dragon who lived in a spring near the monastery. He went there and prayed for rain. In an instant, the clouds rolled over the mountains brought the rain, saving the crop of tea. The spring, was thus called Dragon's well. The best tea is picked before the Clear Light Festival and before the spring rains (Qing Ming and Guyu seasons). The next best grade is called Queshe, meaning "sparrow's tongue."

Lung Ching has four categories: Shi represents Shifeng, Long represents Lung Ching, Yun represents Wuyunshan and Hu represents Hupao. The Shifeng Lung Ching tea is the best. The tea leaves are processed in a hot wok and the tea is not rolled. Pan-frying the leaves requires great skill to match the temperature to the tenderness of the leaves. It is said that one pound of the best Dragonwell contains around 25,000 buds and 25,000 leaves.

Story of Earl Grey
Earl Grey of Howick Hall, near Craster, was one of Britain's most popular Prime Ministers.

Many stories speak about the tea that carries the name of this Prime Minister. The most popular tale says that the tea and recipe was a gift from a wealthy Mandarin to a British envoy either for concluding a successful diplomatic mission or for saving the Mandarin's life. Earl Grey was delighted and in the future always asked his tea merchant, Twinings, for that blend. It became known that the blend was readily available and people would therefore ask for "Earl Grey's tea," hence the name.

Today, Earl Grey is the world's most popular blend and is sold in more than 90 countries. It is blended variously from China tea, Indian Darjeeling, Ceylon and sometimes even a hint of Lapsang Souchong. Its unique flavor is given by the addition of oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit classed between an orange and a lemon in taste

From: http://www.greentea.ro/en/tea_fairy_tale.html