FROM THE #LEGENDS TO THE #TASTE...

 

The origin of Tea

 

There are many legends about the origin of Tea, a stimulating drink resulting from the tea plant and savoured after infusion of these leaves. Everybody seems to believe that tea comes from China. The myth attributes its discovery to the “Emperor of five seeds”, Shennong, around the 3rd century B-C. This specialist drank delicately his bowl of hot water when a leaf of tea settled accidentally in its bowl modifying suddenly the colour of its beverage. After tasting, he was struck by the aroma and then discovered the virtues of this plant and used it in Chinese medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another legend assimilates the origin of tea to the Indian monk Bodhidharma, who came to teach the Buddhism in China. After nine years of meditation in front of a wall in the temple of the Mount Song in Henan, he would have fallen asleep. When he woke up, he cut his own eyelids so that he would never fall asleep anymore and threw them on the ground. Few years later, he discovered that two shrubs had grown in this place. He collected the leaves. Every moment of tiredness, he chewed them and was surprised by their power on the boredom and the concentration. This is how he developed the culture of tea for monks in meditation. Although this legend is quite unbelievable, the consumption of tea by the monks is an irrefutable fact. Few years later, we shall read in the papers of Feng Yan this sentence:

" devoting piously to an intense and prolonged practice, requiring absence of food and sleep, the tea became their only source of energy ".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, tea became the first drink consumed in the world after the water and before coffee today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do we cultivate tea?

 

Have you already had the opportunity to see a plantation of tea? You would believe you are in a divine "dwarf" forest by the greenery and small size of the plants. The tea plant is nevertheless a tree that can grow up to 20 meters. It is however cut by 1,20m to facilitate the manual picking and the regrowth of buds.

The tea plant belongs to the family of camellias and exists under two main varieties: one from China called sinensis with small green leaves, and another from Assam which is wider, clearer and fleshier. The tree grows in a loose ground, permeable and rich in nitrogen. Roots go by 6 meters in depth. That’s why we often find tea plantations in volcanic regions, being able to go to 2500m, in tropical or subtropical regions.

Leaves are picked with the bud and are picked 3 - 4 times by years. Every period gives to tea a particular flavour. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We distinguish three kinds of pickings:

 

“The Imperial picking” - picking of the bud + leaf (the last one of the stalk)

“The Fine picking” - picking of the bud + two leaves (both last ones)

“The picking Average” - picking of the bud + three leaves (three last ones)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We often make a mistake on the origin of the black, red, green or white tea. These various flavours and components of tea have nothing to do with the region or tea plants. The latter defines themselves by the quality of the picking and the preparation of leaves. For example, black tea undergoes a whole fermentation whereas green tea does not undergo it (this is why it is known for these antioxidant values). But we shall return later, through a precise article, on the differences.

 

 

Tasting time!

 

Every week, we invite you to discover our best “tasting”. What are best side dishes with a cup of tea? Sweet, salty? Creamy, solid? Everything is almost possible with tea. The gustative marriage defines itself by the type of tea we drink, it goes without saying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We leave today to London, capital of the United Kingdom, where tea is a real institution for XVII century dethroning coffee. At first, it was appreciated in the yard by Catherine de Bragance, fiancée of the king of England. It will affect then all the population. English take it generally in the morning for Breakfast, then at 11 am and finally for the famous Five O' Clock Tea, established in XIXth century by the seventh duchess of Bedford.

 

 

It is served with milk, sugar and lemon. The English tradition wants that tea is served with a sweet support (cookies, cheesecakes, brownies…etc).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two for Tea recommendation: drink it with a carrot cake! This is a revolution for our taste buds. Absolutely divine !

 

© Prince Vladimir