THE TAO OF TEA
Tea has a long history of romance. We look at some of its mythological origins, the rituals, ceremonies and developments alongside exotic beginnings marked with spiritual, medicinal and meditational purpose.
THE TAO OF TEA : Besides numerous health benefits tea is a soothing ritual with universal appeal. It is comforting, celebratory, ice-breaking and sometimes even diversion for awkward moments. It represents time out or time together.
Lu Yu, known as the Tea Saint, said tea should be made in an atmosphere of tranquility and the drinking of it should create still greater tranquility.
Both East Asia and India have stories claiming the origin of tea but stories more mythological than factual. Chinese legend has it that Emperor Shen Nong insisted his subjects boil water before drinking it. Leaves from a nearby tree fell into the pot and gave the water a distinctive aroma that prompted the emperor to sample it. After drinking it he immediately felt rejuvenated. Hearsay dates this occurrence over two thousand years BC. Another chronicle follows Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism on a journey to China where he undertook not to sleep during his travels. Days later he couldn’t hold out and fell asleep. So disappointed with himself he cut his eyelids off and threw them to the ground. They buried into the soil and immediately sprouted a tea bush. After chewing the leaves he instantly felt energised.
Myths aside, tea originally came from a plant native to Central and Eastern Asia. From around the mid fourteenth century, it was served ceremoniously by priests, and then taken up by wealthy tradesmen who brought it to their clients where it eventually spread to Europe and the colonies.
In earlier days tea was used as an antidote to the effects of alcohol, as a stimulant for meditation and prayer evenings, and as a gift for priests and emperors. It has also been used in healing. Elaborate ceremonies long practiced in the East are still conducted today. In Buddhist tradition a separate room is specifically used for symbolic ceremony that represents a humbling retreat from the world. Traditionally this room would be barren making it conducive to thoughtful contemplation. Tea is served ritualistically by a tea master.
The tea ceremony serves to purify the mind and allow a feeling of oneness with nature. Japanese tea culture takes preparation, etiquette and formalities to the extreme. It is believed that to know and understand the tea ceremony is to be at one with Japanese culture and sensibilities. Intricacies surrounding flower placement, etiquette, décor, methods, preparation and, serving are acted out with exact precision. Although tea was widely consumed as a staple in Asian culture, it made a huge economic impact after Lu Yu produced Ch’a Ching. Yu lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-901) and is famed as the foremost important person in the development and promotion of tea culture.
His Ch’a Ching was a somewhat poetic manual walking producers through correct growing methods, cultivation, manufacturing and drying and providing instruction in correct preparation. This fuelled a runaway industry that led to tea being a household tradition. The Ch’a Ching elevates the preparation and drinking of tea to an almost religious affair with set rituals, using implements imbued with significance, and advising on the appropriate state of mind required for the tea drinker. Taoism was a key feature of Chinese culture in the eighth century. With Taoist influence there was the belief that every detail of life was an act of living worthy of celebration. It emphasised the beauty found in everything and used tea as a marker to recognize tranquility and harmony.
Tea became popular in England in the seventeenth century when Queen Elizabeth developed a penchant for exotic luxury goods from the East. She founded the East India Company to go on trading journeys and tea started trickling in. Trading taxes and penalties were ignored while rogue importers started landing more tea, contraband increasing the appeal. At the same time tea spread to the colonies and to America. By the twentieth century tea houses were popping up in high level hotels and formed popular meeting places.
Ichigo-ichie is a Japanese proverb linked with famous tea master Sen no Rikyu. It reminds us that every meeting is unique and offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance that might never happen again.
TEA CLASSIFICATION IN THE TAO OF TEA
Tea is classified according to how the leaves are processed. Different levels of oxidation determine the colour, body and flavour. Some teas are fermented, some semi-fermented and
others like green tea are unfermented. Tea plants are temperamental and affected by soil, height above sea level and climate.
There are three basic types of tea: black, green and oolong. Herbal teas are classified separately and come from flower, bark, peels, grasses, berries, leaves and often flavoured
from a variety of plants
BLACK TEA: This is the tea we are most familiar with. Leaves are left to wither, then rolled, sifted and fermented ending with a full flavour and rich amber colour. Black teas include Orange Pekoe, English Breakfast and Darjeeling.
GREEN TEA: To produce green teas, the leaves are fired shortly after harvesting to prevent fermentation, yielding a greenish gold color and a delicate taste. Recent studies have shown
this tea can help reduce the risk of cancer.
OOLONG TEA: With oolong teas, the leaves are dried, rolled, twisted, and semi-fermented, producing a colour and flavor between that of black and green tea.
Have a beautiful journey exploring THE TAO OF TEA.
Tip: Find out which herbal teas are best suited to your lifestyle and needs by consulting a qualified holistic nutritionist in Cape Town.
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