When our bodies are tired and tired from work or traveling, a cup of warm tea with a fragrant smell and delicious taste makes our bodies and feelings feel fresh and full of energy again. I always do this, inhale the fragrant hot tea “Sereity Tea” which is made from green tea and Lavender flowers and drinking it makes my body fresh, relaxed, all fatigue disappears, my mind becomes calm again. It is as if through tea we are connected to the universe, the expanse of tea trees is like a beautiful green carpet.
As a tea lover, I am very grateful that God has created a plant that can provide a pleasure when drunk, so I am moved to know and learn more about this tea that I really like.
A cup of tea is not just a cup of tea but has a very deep meaning because every tea leaf picked from one region has a different taste from other regions. The climate, soil and natural conditions in which the tea tree grows greatly influence its own taste and the way the tea leaves are processed will affect the quality and final result when the tea is brewed.
It is so complex and full of hard work from farmers and producers to make tea that can be served and enjoyed by tea lovers.
I have a lot to learn and everything is very unique so it makes me interested in writing about it on my blog so that tea lovers can enjoy it more or those who are not yet tea lovers can learn to enjoy and become a tea lover so that drinking tea, especially drinking premium tea, isn’t it? only the taste is very good but it also increases our body’s immunity because tea contains high anti-oxidants.
The tea tree was discovered 5000 years ago around 2737 BC. At that time in China there was an emperor named Shen Nung, which means Holy Farmer, he was an agricultural expert and also discovered various kinds of plants that could be used as medicine. He was an inventor from the beginning of Chinese medicine (Zhong Yao), he often traveled up mountains and also dived into lakes to look for plants, grass and roots, then mixed and tried them so that the potions could be effective in preventing disease.
According to legend, when Shen Nung was boiling water, suddenly some tea leaves fell into the water he was boiling and released a fragrant aroma. The boiled water changes color to brown. And when Shen Nung drank the boiled water from the leaves, he felt his body become fresh and healthy.
After drinking the water containing the leaves, Emperor Shen Nung described feeling warm in his body. It was as if the liquid was flowing and exploring every part of his body.
Legend also says that Shen Nung always chewed the leaves, stems and roots of various plants to find medicinal ingredients. And if he eats a poisonous plant, he will chew tea leaves to ward off the poison. Shen Nung also earned the name “ God of medicine ” Tea Emperor Shen Nung named the drink “ch’a” (茶), a Chinese character meaning to examine or investigate. In 200 BC. A Han Dynasty Emperor decreed that when referring to tea, these written characters should be used to represent branches of wood, grass and humans between the two characters. In Chinese culture, this written character is also pronounced “ch’a” which symbolizes that tea brings humans into balance with nature.
From the 4th century to the 8th century, tea in China continued to develop rapidly. Tea is no longer only used for its medicinal properties, but tea has the additional value of being drunk as a pleasant and refreshing daily drink.
Tea plantations spread throughout China, tea became popular. Tea traders became rich and tea became a valuable and elegant commodity symbolizing the wealth and status of its owner.
Then the empire in China strictly controlled the preparation and planting of this tea cultivation. Legend has it that only young women should handle tea leaves perhaps because of their purity. This young woman should not eat garlic. Shallots, or spices whose aroma is strong because the smell sticks to their fingertips can contaminate these precious tea leaves when they pick and process the tea leaves.
Tea from thousands of years ago until now remains the main drink and is popular with almost 99% of the population in China and has become a symbol of history, culture and religion in this country.
The cultural tradition of drinking tea continues to develop and also the cultivation and process of making tea continues to be studied and developed to produce new types of tea with better quality.
Then tea expanded to neighboring countries, namely Japan, Korea, Vietnam to Europe, the Middle East and finally throughout the world.
Tea was introduced to Japan by Monk Dengyo Daishi by bringing tea seeds from China to Japan so they could be planted and developed in Japan. So finally tea became a part of life in the monastery. Monks use tea to keep the body fresh during meditation. Beginning in the 1300s, tea became more popular throughout.
History tells us that tea can provide pleasure and happiness as well as medicine that can heal, but sometimes tea is the beginning of greed in the human heart which causes many tears and bloodshed. Where in the 19th century the British Empire took tea tree seeds from China to plant in the Tamarind region of India.
Starting in 1657, tea became known in England when green tea exported from China first appeared on menus along with leaflets explaining that the exotic drink had various medicinal properties. The existence of tea which was only available in China, especially since the Chinese kingdom was not interested in trading it, made the price of this tea very expensive so that it could only be enjoyed by the upper classes.
In order to obtain tea from China, the British Empire introduced the illegal drug opium to the Chinese people, making them addicted and selling anything including tea to obtain this opium.
Currently, tea has become one of the most consumed drinks in the world after water.
In England, 165 million cups of tea are drunk every day, which means each person drinks two and a half cups of tea every day.
What about in Indonesia?
The tea tree, which in Latin is Camellia Sinensis, originally grew in the wild, describing how kind the earth and nature are in providing everything humans need. It’s just a shame that many people, because of their greed, have destroyed nature for their own selfish purposes.
We can imagine how nature synergizes with tea trees through their roots, tree trunks, and leaves which are oval or oval and serrated. Then it is cultivated en masse to pick the shoots, wither them, dry them and after going through various complex processes they can finally be brewed to make a cup of tea that we can enjoy.
In fact, there is only one type of tea, but the influence of terroir, environmental factors such as soil, climate means that even though the type of plant is the same, it can provide a different taste and aroma. Plus, different manufacturing processes will produce various types of tea.
Tea can be divided into two categories
1. Single Origin Tea
Made from tea leaves obtained from one area or plantation which are picked in the same season or harvest period.
Single origin emphasizes the taste and characteristics of a tea. Therefore, the production process must be really paid attention to in order to produce tea with a stable taste. The superior quality of the tea leaves and the complex taste are what determine the price of the tea. Which is sometimes very expensive and rare on the market.
Tea lovers enjoy single origin tea and are able to understand where the tea comes from and understand the nature where the tea is grown and the hard work of the producers to produce quality tea.
2. Blended Tea
In contrast to single origin tea, blended tea is more commonly found on the market at more affordable prices and also blended tea is made with the aim of body health (Herbal Tea).
Blended tea leaves, a mixture of tea leaves mixed with other tea leaves picked from different plantations, with different seasons or harvest times and grades. This method is usually used by large tea companies to maintain the consistent taste of the tea they
produce and also meet market demands.
Meanwhile, blended tea leaves contain other ingredients that are not tea, such as flowers, fruit, roots or other herbal plants, this mixture is called Tissane. If the mixture contains tea leaves, we call it Herbal Tea. Usually this Tissane concoction is made for body health, for example increasing body immunity “Wake Up Tea by Vitablitz”, Relaxing Tea “Serenity Tea by “Vitablitz”, and “Elegant Tea” by Vitablitz” functions as a Detox Tea
