7 Thing You Didn't Know About Chinese Tea

In China, tea is more than just a beverage; it is an integral part of the country’s culture and tradition for several millennia. Tea has a lot to do with the development of Chinese society and its economy, and it has been a constant aspect of the Chinese people’s everyday life. The evolution of tea culture has progressed alongside Chinese culture, arguably making it one of the defining spirits of one of the world’s oldest civilizations. 

And so, if you are interested in learning about Chinese tea, here are seven (7) interesting facts you should know about this famous beverage.

Facts About Chinese Tea

#1 — Discovered 5,000 Years Ago in China

According to legend, tea is said to have been discovered in China by someone named Shennong Shi sometime around 2,500 BC. To the Chinese people, Shennong Shi was the “Divine Farmer,” and was regarded as one of the legendary Three Sovereigns of the country. As the first known Chinese herbal doctor, he is also seen by many as the father of Chinese medicine. 

Shennong Shi found a tea tree through his pursuit of collecting various plants and testing them as medicine. When he tasted this particular herb for the first time, he found that consuming tea had positive effects on the human body that could benefit those who needed to improve their health.

#2 — Originally Used as Medicine

Before the 8th century BC, the Chinese people mainly used tea as medicine before it eventually became a daily beverage. Fresh tea leaves were often boiled and consumed because ancient people thought that tea could reduce the human body’s “heat” and improve a person’s eyesight. In fact, until today, white tea, in particular, is still used in northern China as an antipyretic medicine to treat children who suffer from measles and chicken pox. 

#3 — Second Most Consumed Beverage in China After Water

Sometime between 221 BC and 8 AD, tea leaves were processed by pressing them together and shaping them into balls, drying them, and storing them for later use. From time to time, people crushed these ball-shaped tea leaves and mixed them with other herbs for boiling and drinking. Eventually, this practice became a regular habit that transformed tea into a beverage that is enjoyed by many people today from all walks life in different parts of the world. 

Drinking tea has become a huge part of Chinese culture that the country is filled with teahouses where people regularly meet to socialize with friends or discuss business matters with their colleagues over a good cup of tea. This is why it is not so surprising that tea is the national drink in China and that it is among the most consumed beverages in China, second only to water. 

#4 — Oldest Export from China

Not only was China the first to export tea to foreign traders, the country remains to this day as the world’s largest exporter of tea. Chinese tea was traded to various British traders around the end of the Ming Dynasty when several trading posts for foreign merchants were established in the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province. 

Interestingly, the word “tea” in Mandarin Chinese translates to “cha,” but in Fujian Province, the people of Xiamen referred to tea as “tay,” which the British traders spelt as “tea.” While the word “cha” was the first to spread outside of China, it was the term “tea” that gained ground in countries that spoke the English language and eventually to the rest of the world. 

#5 — Several Types of Chinese Tea

In China, tea can be classified into several types, but some of its main varieties include the following: green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, and dark tea.

GREEN TEA is considered as the most popular type of tea and is also the oldest one of them all. It is concocted from fresh shoots of tea plants and is well-known all over the world for its pale color when boiled with water and it's very strong flavor when consumed.

BLACK TEA is the second most-varied type of Chinese tea, and it is known for its aromatic scent as well as its distinctive reddish color. 

WHITE TEA is the uncured and the unfermented version of green tea, and it is indigenous to the Chinese province of Fujian. This type of tea is famous for its lighter color and its tamer taste compared to the other types of Chinese tea available on the market.

YELLOW TEA is made from naturally-dried damp tea leaves, and it is easily identified not just because of its yellowish color but also because of its distinctive aroma. Regarded as premium-quality tea, it was served as a beverage to the many emperors of China as its yellow shade resembled the nation’s imperial color. 

OOLONG TEA, which is also referred to as blue tea, is actually an unfermented tea made from a combination of green tea and red tea. It is popular for its taste as well as its health benefits, particularly in weight loss. 

DARK TEA is a type of fermented tea believed to have originated in the city of Anhua in Hunan Province around the 16th century. The dark tea’s actual process of fermentation entails multiple steps and is different from other main varieties of tea as it is assisted by bacteria. 

#6 — First Tea Monograph is Chinese

The earliest monograph about tea is called The Classic of Tea or “chájīng,” which was written by Lu Yu sometime between 760 CE and 762 CE during the dominance of the Tang Dynasty. The book contains ten chapters about the mythical origins of Chinese tea, the tools used for drying and storing tea leaves, as well as the proper preparation and consumption of tea. The book also discusses the history of tea as mentioned in Chinese literature and historical records. 

#7 — Serving Tea to Elders & Guests Shows Respect

Chinese tea embodies the spirit of respect, which is why in Chinese culture, serving tea to a guest or an elder is deemed as an expression of a person’s respect and gratitude to the one the tea is offered to. This is also why serving tea is common in special events such as birthdays and the spring festival. In celebration of weddings, tea is also served by the bride and groom to their parents as an expression of gratitude for being raised by them. Tea can also be offered as a form of apology to another person and serving it is seen as a sincere display of one’s regret and submission.

Drinking tea is an essential part of the Chinese people’s social life as its regular practice is regarded in their culture as a demonstration of one’s morality and social status. Its importance as a Chinese tradition and the significant role it plays in Asian culture for many centuries have led many people today to regard the process of making tea and the method of drinking it as an art form. And so, tea is not just a staple beverage to the Chinese people, it is a symbol of a more enlightened and more appreciative way of life, which they intend to keep alive for generations to come. 

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Sources:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-tea/
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The Food Chinese Emperors Ate

What kinds of delicious food did the emperors eat in Imperial China? Since the time of emperors living in magnificent palaces, there were such things as imperial foods. Specially prepared meals exclusively for the emperors, their wives, concubines, and royal family members Imperial food represented the best cuisine that a dynasty had to offer. The emperors and those who cater to their health and nutrition used their resources and influence to discover the very best delicacies from across the nation and picked the top cooks to them.

While Imperial food is a reflection of each dynasty's diet, it's also an indispensable part of Chinese cultural heritage that endures even into our modern era.

What is Chinese Imperial Cuisine?

Chinese Imperial Cuisine's diverse cooking styles originated from different Chinese regions and are a collection of various dishes and delicacies that were originally invented by the common people. The royal chefs studied and refined the dishes until fit for an emperor.

The Imperial cuisines are characterized by:

1. intricate cooking methods,
2. meticulous selection of quality raw materials,
3. time-consuming and complicated preparation, and
4. elaborate visual presentation.

History of Chinese Imperial Cuisine

Styles and tastes of Imperial Chinese Cuisines differ from one dynasty to another, with each dynasty possessing its own distinctive features. China’s dietetic culture started from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties. However, the nation’s imperial cuisine evolved rapidly during the Qin and Han Dynasties' ruling periods and thrived in the Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties. It reached considerable heights in the more recent Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Although China’s dietetic culture developed much earlier than the Zhou Dynasty, most agree Chinese imperial food can trace its roots there. Not only was the Zhou Dynasty's Imperial Cuisine an improvement from those prepared in the early Xia and Shang Dynasties, it was also during this period that a complete imperial food management system of the royals and noblemen began. From procurement, diets, and preparation, to staffing, supervision, and the development of meal grades for the members of the imperial family, these responsibilities were handled in accordance with the empire’s established “eating rites.”

As prescribed in the “Rites of the Zhou Dynasty,” “when the emperor took a meal, there were 12 deep bowls with legs and 12 plates. Music was played to urge him to eat.” The rites also indicated that the three daily meals that the emperor would consume included beef, pork, mutton, fish, cured meat, intestine, and stomach.

Even banquets and feasts held by the emperor and his officials had rules to follow. For example, according to the Rites of the Zhou Dynasty, “When the Emperor gives a banquet, there must be six cereals and six animals for food, the six clears for drink, 120 delicacies, eight dainties, and 120 urns of sauce.” The six cereals mentioned in the Rites were rice, broomcorn, wheat, sorghum, millet and wild rice stem, while the six animals the Rites referred to were cow, pig, chicken, sheep, horse, and dog.

Zhou Dynasty

In the Zhou Dynasty, 22 departments were tasked with handling and managing imperial foods prepared and served in the palace. More than 2,300 staff members had different responsibilities and positions in the department like chief cook, internal cook, external cook, assistants, nutritionists, and even wine officers. This complex organization of the royal kitchen assured a detailed and well-defined division of labor that maintained the premium quality of the meals served to the emperor.

Food in Chinese politics became very important during the Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties, as holding banquets became standard practice whenever the emperor hosted meetings with princes, dukes, or royal family. The imperial food in the later Han and Wei dynasties largely followed this Zhou Dynasty system. However, China’s empowered economy and openness for cultural exchange allowed the palace to attain external sources of raw materials, superior cooking utensils, widespread use of ironware, and higher quality standards for imperial dishes and the skills to make them.

Sui, Tang, & Song Dynasties

The imperial food of the Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties also picked up the established system and rules of the previous dynasties, but there were also a lot of changes implemented during these periods in what kinds of food were served to the emperor and members of his family and how they were prepared. There were also more variety in the dishes that were made during these dynasties, as the royal kitchen paid a lot of its attention in diversifying the flavor, tastes, color, and presentation of these dishes. They also took great lengths into naming these dishes. Some popular imperial dishes handed down to us today are quick-friend prawns, fried ringing bells, crab rolls, and steamed Mandarin fish with no soy sauce.

Song & Qing Dynasties

Foods during the Song and Qin dynasties were very similar. However, when the Ming Dynasty usurped Mongolian rule in China, the royal kitchen abandoned the Mongolian food style served to the Yuan emperors. Instead, imperial cuisine during the Ming Dynasty was mostly inspired by Southern Chinese flavors because the emperor preferred it. Protecting the emperor’s health also became an important factor in the preparation of imperial meals, and the rulers of the Ming Dynasty were particularly mindful of protecting their well-being by eating the right healthy foods.

Ming Dynasty

Imperial cuisine of the Ming dynasty was essentially grain-based. At the time, meat and beans were used less in the emperors’ meals compared to their significant use in the earlier dynasties of China. The meat and fish eaten by the emperors were limited to chicken, pheasant, goose, duck, carp, golden carp, Mandarin fish, bream, rabbit, and deer.

The menu in the Ming Palace also changed daily, and the royal kitchen did not repeat the meals and light refreshments they served to the emperors on a daily basis. Some dishes worth noting are shark’s fin soup and edible bird’s nest. Prawns and sea cucumbers were also served in the palace during the Ming Dynasty. Peking Duck, a dish which was first heard of during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, were also fully developed during this time and included in official menus of imperial dishes cooked in the Ming Palace.

There are very few differences between the imperial food served during the Ming Dynasty and the subsequent Qing Dynasty, and even today, the cuisines from these two dynasties remain important to those with Chinese ancestry in different parts of the world. In the Forbidden City, around the imperial rule of the Qing Dynasty, the Imperial Household Department was the division in the Chinese empire’s government that was given the mandate involving the management of the emperor’s meals. There was also a special organization known as the “Imperial Kitchen” in the Qing palace that was tasked with the preparation of imperial cuisine for the emperor.

During the rule of Emperor Qianlong, the kitchens for the imperial tea and meals were separated into two groups: the External Kitchen and the Internal Kitchen. The External Kitchen handled the Qing palace’s official food-related events such as feasts, banquets, and sacrificial rites. The Internal Kitchen, on the other hand, was divided further into departments assigned in the management and preparation of vegetables, meat dishes, roasting, rice cooking, and baking. The meat department, for one, was responsible for cooking delicacies from both land and sea. The bakery was assigned with making cakes and pastries, and the rice-cooking department was the team designated with the preparation of cooked rice and different porridges.  

The Imperial cuisine was a significant part of the lives of the royal family members residing in the Qing Palace. The rites of preparing and serving imperial dishes during this time are arguably the greatest of all Chinese dynasties. They included the number of individuals required to make them, and the quality, variety, and cost of the courses served at every meal. Some of the notable dishes of this period were, for example, the Dezhou Braised Chicken – a which is a traditional cuisine that originated from Dezhou in Shangdong Province – and the Wensi Tofu – a soup dish that can be traced back to Jiangsu cuisine.

With how much of its legacy managed to endure until today, Chinese imperial cuisine cannot be dismissed as a minute and irrelevant element of the country’s history. In reality, besides reflecting the dedication, effort, and ingenuity of all the preparers, servers, and inventive common people, Chinese imperial cuisine is also an integral part of all Chinese people's cultural heritage.

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Sources:

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5 Most Feared Emperors in Chinese History

In ancient China, the emperor is believed to be the “son of heaven,” and he theoretically held supreme and absolute power to rule over the entire nation. Over its five thousand years of history, China has witnessed the rise and fall of dozens of dynasties and hundreds of emperors. A number of these emperors have gained renown for being feared by their enemies and even their own people, either for their intelligence and brilliant abilities as leaders or for their ineptitude as well as the madness and terror that reigned during their rule.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER VIDEO

1. Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty

Emperor Shi Huangdi is not only the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, he also created the first unified Chinese empire in 221 BC. As the first emperor of Qin, his legacy is in the establishment of a strengthened and centralized government, which he accomplished partly by taking away the properties of his feudal lords. He was also a strong follower of Legalism – a philosophy that regards people as individuals who are inherently evil and undisciplined – and so, Qin Shi Huang was not tolerant of dissent of any kind. In fact, he had books about Daoist, Confucian philosophies and other non-Legalist books seized and set on fire in 213 B.C. and had about 460 non-Legalists buried alive a year after that.

While he is considered to be a talented politician and a military genius, Shi Huangdi held no sentimental feelings for his people and was only concerned with maintaining a strong and unified China at the time of his reign. In his campaign for the unification of China, he resorted to massacring, enslaving and exiling royal members of rival states. He was also not above executing his own high-ranking officials and generals.

During his reign, he ordered the construction of a great wall – which is considered to be a prequel to today's Great Wall of China – and a massive mausoleum which contained 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldier statues. Many workers who built the wall died in the process, while those who built the mausoleum were killed to keep its secrets.  

2. Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty

Emperor Yang Guang was the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty and most agree he rose to power by cunningly framing his older brother Yong. So their father, Emperor Wen, appointed Yang Guang as crown prince instead. People believe Yang even killed his father to seize the throne and as the new emperor even took his father’s favorite concubines.

Yang went down in history as one of the worst most self-indulgent tyrants in ancient Chinese history. While there were some achievements during his rule, his abuse of power damaged the nation causing his people to suffer. For example, he imposed very heavy taxes to finish huge expensive construction projects like the Grand Canal, rebuilding the Great Wall, and redesigning the eastern capital of Luoyang. He also initiated a series of wars to subdue Goguryeo – one of the three old kingdoms that once ruled in the land of Korea – but each attempt ended in failure.

Emperor Yang also indulged in a very raunchy lifestyle with his concubines and embarked on extravagant tours of his empire. Eventually, people could no longer tolerate his rule or accept him as their emperor leading to one uprising after another. Then in 618, Emperor Yang hung himself in Jiangdu after the coup by his general, Yuwen Huaji.

3. Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty

Empress Wu Zetian is recognized as the one true Empress in Chinese history and for one of its most talented rulers. Starting as a 14-year-old junior concubine, Wu rose through the ranks and eventually established herself as the Empress of China. People have varying views regarding Wu Zetian’s reign. To some, she was an autocrat, who ruthlessly disposed of people standing her way to gain and keep her power. To others, she was simply doing what she had to do as an ambitious individual and as the determined leader of an empire. She acted the same as male emperors during that time. Although many of her actions were demonized, experts also note how she effectively ruled China during one of its more peaceful and thriving periods.

Of course, her achievements as an effective leader do not discount the fact that she did ruthlessly eliminate her opponents by dismissing, exiling, or executing them. And in some cases, some she brought to their knees were her own family members. One particular victim to Wu Zetian’s maneuvers was Emperor Kao Tsung's wife, Empress Wang. She accused Empress Wang of murdering her newborn daughter and Wu eventually replaced Empress Wang becoming Empress Wu Zetian.

Wu Zetian’s brutal tactics and talent for governance as a ruling empress instilled fear in China’s neighboring nations, especially since the military leaders she handpicked successfully took control over large parts of the Korean peninsula.

4. Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty

The Emperor Hongwu was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled all of China for almost three centuries. The emperor was born to a poor farming peasant family. He eventually rose through the ranks of a rebel army and emerged as the supreme leader of the rebels that sought to overthrow the Mongol or Yuan Dynasty. In January 1368, he proclaimed himself to be the emperor of the new Ming Dynasty with the primary objective of pushing the Mongols out of Chinese territory and restoring Han Chinese leadership in China. Soon after, people in many areas began rejecting everything Mongolian.

However, Emperor Hongwu held a grudge for the gentry class since his humble origins as a peasant farmer leading to a growing distrust of his ministers and generals. He demanded everyone obey his rules and, to consolidate his control over different government departments, he killed many "unqualified" officials in infamous purges. In one instance, he gave an order for extermination that massacred intellectuals, district officials, and nobility throughout the entire country. These repeated and increased in scale, assuring his absolute power as emperor.

As time went on, Emperor Hongwu grew suspicious of rebellions and coups from people mocking his poor background. Thus, he even executed his close advisers.

5. The Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty

The Emperor Kangxi reigned for 61 years, making him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history and the world. He is also considered to be among China’s greatest emperors, having brought long-term stability and wealth to the nation after years of war and chaos.

While he was a benevolent and wise leader that brought economic and cultural growth to the empire and its citizens, the Kangxi Emperor’s military tactics instilled fear in the hearts of his enemies and the empire’s neighboring nations. The leadership of the emperor successfully suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and forced the Taiwan Tungning Kingdom and Northern Mongol rebels to submit to Qing Empire rule. Emperor Kangxi faced Russian threats advancing from the north, and after a series of border conflicts along the Amur River region, the Qing Empire triumphed gaining control of the area. His leadership and genius also guaranteed the success of the empire’s invasion of Tibet.

The Kangxi Emperor also set strict military rules to be faithfully obeyed. According to this traditional military system, commanders and foot soldiers who returned from battle alone were put to death. This policy was strictly observed to motivate soldiers and commanders to fight together in battle fearlessly as one body.

The examples of Chinese emperors we discussed in this video were not just puppet leaders in their entire reign. These emperors from China were feared at some point - if not the entire duration – of their reign because they held an almost unlimited power that allowed them to freely make fate-changing decisions on the lives nobles, common people, and enemies. While the manner in which they exercised their power was not always for nor always lead to the betterment of the nation, they left a resounding impact through the Chinese empire and permanent mark in our global history.

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