The most ancient Tea
It's difficult to say, when exactly began the humanity has started to drink tea. Probably about 5 thousand years ago, but nobody knows for sure. Anyway they began doing it long time ago - and apparently by accident. No doubts the first tea was green tea.
The say, the story begins like this: several torn off by wind leaves accidentally fell down into the kettle with boiling water and turned into wonderful drink, that was tasted and evaluated at its true price by Chinese imperator and philosopher Shen Nun.
«If you feel yourself down, tea gives you cheerfulness & strength!» - noticed the wise man & issued an edict about universal tea usage. According to this legend Indian prince Badhidharma, while spreading Buddhism in China gave a promise to meditate during 7 years. But after 5 years of contemplation get tires. That’s when – this time not by accident, sure – tore off tea leaves and begun chewing them. They gave him his strength back. With animation and cheerfulness Badhidharma continued his meditation for another 2 years.
Altogether there is a great number of legends about origin of tea. But in each of it appears the green tea. Interesting that all the tea sorts that we know are received from mistaken production of green tea. Here is an example. If we want to have green tea, we need to work it up for 1 day. If we leave it till morning – only black tea can be produced from it.
The production of “the most ancient tea” nowadays is half a million tons in a year. But still it is 4 time less than black tea production. But what a variety! Traditionally the leader is China, where each province is specialized on several sorts of green tea at once. These sorts are intended both for common usage and for exclusive and rare, that are not being transported abroad.
Japan is another specialist in this sphere. This country produces green tea only and reaches striking results, though the Japanese tea is considered like the most northern tea and the country itself is not that big. Unique invention of Japan is shading tea plantations. This is used for producing different sorts of green tea. For 20 days the plantation it shaded with canvas, bamboo or reed covers. In that way content of tannin in tea leaves drops and taste becomes softer and the aroma more expressive.
Thought there is a plenty of Chinese, Japanese (as well as Vietnamese, Taiwanese and other) sorts of tea, “green” tea means technology of processing, after which the tea leaf is not being dried or fermented, i.e. there is an oxidation of tea juice influenced over outer factors. That’s how the note of fresh greenery is saved in its aroma and taste. Black and green tea that are made of one tea leaf – are antipodes. Because of the different production technology their biological values and tastes are different too.
Briefly the technological chain of green tea production looks like this: stuff collecting, fermentation process stopping, twisting and final drying. That’s when the common part ends and the differences begin. For example, side by side with mechanized method of producing green tea there is another one, that has remained from great great grandfather’s times, the traditional way. It is very difficult, but it justifies its existence. The most of the tea sorts that are valued the best are made by hand and often there is no other way to product them.
There is a variety of green tea sorts. It is distinguished by growing place, by kinds of tea trees, by collecting and cultivation technology, by form of tea leaf and, sure, by quality.
