Thé chinois

Tea

The history of the tea ( several versions):

1. According to Chajing de Lu Yu 陆羽茶经 (Book on the Tea), 2737 years B.C., 神农氏 Shennong shi (the legendary emperor, and the agricultural god) who tastes plants (for the good of the people) and was poisoned by 70 poisons. When he suffers from an atrocious pain, some leaves (we also say some drops fallen from these leaves) fall in front of him, unconsciously, he collects them and puts in the mouth. The bitter juice of these leaves, emitting a magnificent flavor, dissolves all the poisons.

2. One day Shennong boils the water, and some green leaves fall inside. The water becomes yellowish, its taste is mixed by the bitterness and the sweetness, which calms the thirst and stimulates (awaken) the spirit.
Originally the tea is classified as a medicine.

Where can the tea plant be found?

1. It is truthful that the tea plant comes from the east of the plateau Xizan (Tibet), that means, near Sichuan and Yunnan. The leaves of the primitive tea plant are enormous and they are trees which measure 7 in 10 metres in height.

2. There are today 4 big zones of plantations of tea plants:
- West zone (provinces Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou)
- North zone of Changjiang (Shanxi, Henan, the North of Anhui, Shandong, the North of Jiangsu)
- South zone Changjiang (Hubei, Hunan, the South of Anhui, the south of Jiangxi, Zhejiang)
- Zone in the South of the mountain Huanan (Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Taiwan)

To drink some tea developed under the dynasty of Tang a fashion. It plays a role so important in the life that Lu Yu, nicknamed " God of the tea ", being excellent expert of the tea, began writing the book on the tea ( Chajin).

We also exported in foreign countries, Japan among others, which will develop later their own ceremony of the tea ( Chadao). A post is created to charge with this commission of distribution.

Under the dynasty of Yuan, the tea is answered in all the corners of its conquest: in the North, Russia, on the West, Persia and the East of the Mediterranean Sea.

Under the dynasty of Ming, a critical turning point for the development of the tea, we change mode to prepare the tea (to cook the tea in the water to make some tea in a teapot). Thanks to the invention of artificial fermentation (we deep-fry leaves to dehydrate them faster), both categories, green tea and black tea, were born.

The tea is not any more in ball but in bulk, which simplifies our life.

Nowadays, to drink some tea became commercial. Everywhere are built tearooms, houses of the tea. In China every region has its speciality and attractions to keep customers. In Guizhou, narrators of novels; in Candong, Gongfu tea ; Sichuan is the champion in varieties.

The current events: there are receipts to make dishes with some tea. In Asia as in France (a report was on the TV this year, a French chef cook makes all with Chinese teas, even the desserts).

It was written during the Spring and Autumn Period the use of the tea in the kitchen. Under the dynasty of Tang we used it as culinary ingredient. And under the dynasty of Qing, more receipts are invented. Which corresponds the notion of eating healthy nowadays.

Some receipts:

1. To cook with the green tea:

* "Green tea Salad"
- Ingredients: 2 to 3 potatoes, a can of Tuna, 2 teaspoons of the green tea in powder, the mayonnaise (quantity according to your taste), candied fruits or cherries.
- Preparation:
a. Potatoes peeled and cubed, to steam,
b. Mix potatoes cooked with the can of tuna, arrange all in a plate,
c. Put the mayonnaise above, sprinkle the green tea in powder,
d. Put in the refrigerator, the salad is to be served cold.

* "Soup of Longjing and pectens"
- Ingredients : 250 grams of pectens, 10 gm of Longjing, a little sliced thinly ginger.
- Preparation :
a. Infuse the tea with some hot water, filter, keep the water filtered,
b. Boil pectens with the ginger in a pot,
c.When shells open, add the water filtered, boil.

2. To cook with the black tea (fermented):

* "Duck smoked with some black tea"
- Ingredients : a whole duck, the powder of 5 flavors, Soy sauce, cane sugar in powder, a little salt and rice alcohol, 20 gm of black tea, 230 gm of soft brown sugar.
- Preparation :
a. Clean well the duck, pass in the hot water, take it out from the water,
b. Cook the duck well done with powders of 5 flavors, soy sauce, cane sugar, the salt and the alcohol,
c. Mix the black tea and the soft brown sugar in a kok, put a grill of barbecue. (To put a white sheet on the grill.)
d. Put the duck above, make it smoke with average fire until that it becomes golden.

P.S. These receipts have nothing to do with the Chinese gastronomy, and to have them done, it is better to know some of the most known names of teas.