Spreading of the Tea
Tea cultivation is first documented in China in AD 350; according to legend, it had been known there since c. 2700 BC.
It was established in Japan by the 13th century and was spread to Java by the Dutch and to India by the English in the 19th century.
Today tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world, drunk (either hot or cold) by half the world’s population.
“Chaii” in India, and Mid East
“Samover” in Russia
History of tea in China: 唐，宋，明
Like Art, Tea has its periods and its schools.
Its evolution may be roughly divided into three main stages:
the Boiled Tea, the Whipped Tea, and the Steeped Tea.
We moderns belong to the last school.
These several methods of appreciating the beverage are indicative of the spirit of the age in which they prevailed.
For life is an expression, our unconscious actions the constant betrayal of our innermost thought.
The Book of Tea, Kakuzo Okakura, chapter 2
唐代 Tang dynasty (618-907)
From the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, the most common type of tea produced was compressed tea.
The production of tea is almost limited to warm and humid climates. When tea was first produced, the transportation technology used to transport tea caused problems such as absorption of moisture and crumbling during transportation. It was also difficult to store for long periods of time. In order to solve these problems and to make storage and transportation easier, the tea was compressed and molded.
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① Roast the tea. Slowly roasted over a gentle fire again and again to completely dry the moisture absorbed during storage.
② Milling.
③ Boil the water. The water is taken from the mountain spring, followed by the river water and the well water.
④ Put tea.
⑤ Dividing the tea. Remove the layer of water on the froth that looks like black mica, otherwise the tea broth will not taste pure. The water from the first bowl is called “Chunyong”, which can be drunk directly and has a good taste, and can also be used to stop the boiling process.
When the tea is cold, the elite will disperse with the air and the tea will be tasteless.
宋代 Song dynasty (960-1279)
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