16 CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, July 21, 2020 | 17 LIFE Steeped in history

The earliest artifacts related to tea in China reveal reciprocal influence between the drink and the civilization, Wang Kaihao reports. Tea­flavored cocktails are the new offerings of Yuanshe Tea Bar in Beijing. JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY istory was rewritten in many respects when the 1,200­year­old underground palace Hwas unearthed at the Famen Bud­ Leaving it all dhist Temple in Fufeng county, Shaanxi province, in 1987. Though the bone remains, of which some are thought to be of on the table Buddha, are generally considered to rank among the top archaeolog­ ical discoveries in China in the By LI YINGXUE from China Food Information Cen­ 20th century, other items found in [email protected] ter, the benefits of tea come from its the 30­square­meter altar of a antioxidants, such as tea polyphe­ former Tang Dynasty (618­907) Using peaches from Tangshan, nols, as well as boost provided by royal Buddhist temple are also Hebei province, that were fresh of the caffeine. Additionally, it’s a unmatched. the branch, Chandler Jurinka, 49, good method of consuming water The exquisite silver tea set gilt co­founder of Beijing­based Slow and staying hydrated. with gold — including cages, a con­ Boat Brewery, decided to create a He cites research published by tainer with sieves, a grinder, new craft beer. World Cancer Research Fund spoons and other instruments — However, one more ingredient International in 2015, which finds was the beloved possession of was required to perfect the flavor of that there is some evidence to sug­ emperor Li Xuan, who reigned the beer, so he chose oolong tea. gest that “drinking tea may lower from 873 to 888 and donated to the After a few days of brewing, once the risk of bladder cancer”. temple to show his reverence for the balance of the peach flavor and In the book Food & Health, Evi­ Buddha. the tea flavor reaches the point dence Based Review published in The world’s earliest known tea A grinder is part of the silver tea set dating to the Tang Dynasty where Jurinka is satisfied, the new 2016 by the Chinese Nutrition Soci­ set is now on show at an exhibi­ (618­907), among the rare relics unearthed in the Famen Peach Bum Tea Ale is ready to slake ety, it says “drinking tea may lower tion that opened in May at Buddhist Temple in Fufeng county, Shaanxi province. the summer thirst of China’s beer the risk of strokes, Type 2 diabetes, Shaanxi History Museum in the WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY aficionados. cardiovascular disease, ovarian provincial capital, Xi’an, known The combination of peach and cancer and stomach cancer”. as Chang’an during the Tang oolong is not new for tea lovers and Ruan says key to healthy tea Dynasty, when it was the nation­ was a diehard fan of such competi­ is already an online best­seller drinking is to avoid extra sugar and al capital and one of the world’s tions. among young customers, particu­ fat, and make sure the tea meets biggest metropolises. Tea bears witness to He wrote Treatise on Tea and larly at this time of year with its the trace standard of agricultural Liang Guilin, a researcher with thus left precious historical docu­ sweet, refreshing flavor always pesticide use. the museum and a veteran scholar how different mentation of the tea industry dur­ proving to be a popular summer­ “With all that considered, drink­ specializing in tea­related history, cultures mix in ing the period. time tipple. ing tea in the long term is a healthy says the earliest known tea was In the Ming Dynasty (1368­ Chinese tea has become more dietary habit,” he says. pounded and shaped into cakes China and is like an 1644), the way of drinking tea than a simple drink, but also an Fu Chun Ju restaurant in Beijing after being steamed and dried. ambassador became more casual by pouring ingredient with many possibilities was awarded a Michelin star last These were stored in cages when water on loose leaves. This practice in food and drinks. In the magic year in no small part thanks to the taken to the royal palace. spreading Chinese continues in the country today. hands of chefs, brewers and bar­ signature dishes of chef Yeung Wai­ “When people prepared to enjoy civilization around “During the Ming era, tea was tenders, tea leaves regularly enjoy a kit, one of which is his pan­fried tea, they’d break the cakes into pan­fried and dehydrated during new vitality through different prawns with Longjing tea. The tea small pieces and grind them into the world.” processing, and then rolled and forms and presentations. leaves are served in a dozen teacups, powder,” Liang explains. Liang Guilin, researcher, dried,” Liang says. It’s not the first time that Jurinka and each cup contains a prawn, over Sieved tea powders were poured Shaanxi History Museum “Oxidation was avoided. has incorporated tea into his craft which the waiters pour tea during into boiling water. People added Green tea’s original flavor was beer. He has also used Yunnan black service. salt. preserved. This technique was a tea, a variety renowned for its gold­ Yeung says fried Longjing tea Boiling times were methodically Dynasty (c. 11th century­771 BC) big leap in the history of tea en leaves and gentle sweetness, to leaves with prawns is a traditional controlled to produce Goldilocks was founded, people in today’s making and is still the primary make Tea Clipper wheat beer. Chinese dish, but he wanted to add conditions — not “too fresh” nor Sichuan province offered tea as method in China.” Jurinka likes to visit Maliandao in a modern twist to the method of “too old”, he says. tributes to the king. Liang’s study of tea’s develop­ Xicheng district, Beijing’s best­ cooking it and its presentation. The set includes a tortoise­ The earliest specimen of tea in ment in China has led him to known marketplace for tea. He used “I want the diners to try this dish shaped container that’s believed to China was found in the mausole­ believe the leaves are more than a to travel to Shanghai right after the like they are drinking a cup of tea, be an incense burner used to um of Western Han Dynasty (206 base for a beverage. spring tea harvest to sample the so I serve it using a tea set, a novelty enhance the experience. BC­AD 24) emperor Liu Qi. “Tea bears witness to how differ­ fresh Longjing tea. He plans to which interests the diners,” he says. “This tea set’s discovery proves Before The Classic of Tea, ordi­ ent cultures mix in China and is experiment more with tea­infused Yeung marinates the shelled that tea ceremonies are rooted in nary Chinese “ate” rather than like an ambassador spreading Chi­ beers. prawns overnight in cold tea so China and offers a physical speci­ “drank” tea. nese civilization around the Like Jurinka, Antonio de Luca, that it absorbs the tea flavor, rather men of what’s recorded in The “People made tea into soup,” world,” he says. head bartender of Tian Bar in than deep frying the ingredients. Classic of Tea”. Liang explains. “In addition to salt, “It also represents Chinese peo­ Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Fellow single­starred Michelin The Classic of Tea was compiled they’d mix in ginger, peppers, ple’s philosophy and aesthetics, likes to try different combinations of chef Li Dong also uses tea in his by writer Lu Yu and was first pub­ mint, orange peels and different emphasizing harmony and ele­ tea and liquor to create new cock­ dishes. He uses tea to marinate beef lished in 780. It’s the world’s first spices.” gance.” tails. before roasting it to enrich the fla­ known monograph on tea. Even after drinking tea became He considers an exquisite tea set One of his concoctions, named vor of the meat. It offers comprehensive infor­ a ritual among aristocrats, monks to be the “father of good tea” and Passion, combines a soda made He says for Chinese chefs, tea is mation about how different varie­ and literati in the Tang Dynasty, it scalding water to be the “mother”. with jasmine tea and apple cider not only a drink but also an ingredi­ ties were grown, processed, rated, remained a way for commoners The best tea can only be made vinegar mixed with raspberry and ent. cooked and tasted, as well as how to feed themselves, Liang says. through balancing different ele­ sugar. It packs a complex punch on “We have a long tradition of tea sets should be designed and That probably explains why ments. the palate with its blend of sweet, cooking with tea leaves, such as produced. salty tea and butter tea are com­ “As Lu Yu has pointed out, tea sour and aromatic flavors. Sichuan cuisine’s Zhangcha duck, “It marks how the upper class mon dishes in some regions of drinking is not simply to quench Arriving in Beijing in 2018, de which is also known as tea­smoked then began to value tea’s ceremo­ today’s South China. your thirst,” Liang says. Luca started to drink Chinese tea, duck,” Li says. “The key to match­ nial significance,” Liang says. In the Song Dynasty (960­1279), “It needs a quiet atmosphere and Pu’er tea has become his favor­ ing the different varieties of Chi­ China has about 3,000 years of the ceremony evolved so that peo­ and simple lifestyle to fully appre­ ite. He says Pu’er and whisky is a nese tea with other ingredients is tea­drinking history, which began ple poured boiling water into a ciate the flavor. Ancient literati good combination for cocktails as pair local tea with local produce.” in today’s Yunnan and Guizhou bowl of tea powder. came to understand philosophy they both have strong flavors. provinces and gradually spread This practice was introduced to and even the wisdom to govern “Actually tea is one of the first northeastward. Japan and remains how matcha is nations from cups of tea. Tea can ingredients I always try to use That’s separate from the leg­ consumed today. continue to inspire us to look for when I’m creating new cocktails,” endary account that says tribal “Tea competitions” to designate inner peace and respect nature he says, adding that when using leader Shennong used tea as herb­ top­level tea makers became popu­ when pursuing our goals.” tea, 85 percent of the time, it’s bet­ al medicine nearly 5,000 years lar throughout China. ter with gin or vodka. ago. Emperor Huizong (1082­1135), a Contact the writer at Yuanchanghou Teahouse, which When the Western Zhou weak ruler but an excellent artist, [email protected] boasts a history of more than a cen­ tury, opened Yuanshe Tea Bar in Beijing last year. The time­honored brand is hoping to attract a young­ er clientele with a menu of creative Odyssey of a leaf: Snapshots of tea’s history tea­flavored cocktails. According to Ruan Guangfeng

• Tea went from China to Japan and the • The earliest reference to tea in Europe • Portugal began its tea trade with China • The first recorded shipment of tea by the • Princess Catherine of Braganza from Por­ • In India, large­scale tea growing appeared • The earliest recorded Russian contact • Though tea was introduced to Turkey via • Tea was first planted in Kenya in 1903. Korean Peninsula. The earliest tea­culture was written as chiai, which is similar to in the late 16th century, mainly in Guang­ Netherlands was in 1607 when a Dutch car­ tugal took tea­drinking fashion to the in Assam in the 1820s. In 1848, Robert For­ with tea was in 1567, when two Cossack the ancient Silk Road and known as chay, Commercialization of tea plantations began contact with Japan was during the Tang cha, the pronunciation of tea in both Man­ dong province. The Portuguese word for go ship carried tea from Macao to then­ English court when she married Charles II tune, a botanist, was commissioned to trav­ chieftains visited China. In 1638, a Russian drinking tea became common in the coun­ in 1924. Kenyan black tea gradually won Dynasty (618­907), when numerous Japa­ darin and Cantonese, in the 1559 Delle tea is cha. Dutch colony of Java. Tea then became a in 1662. The British general public only el to Fujian province to look for new tea diplomat brought a present — 64 kilograms try only in the early 20th century. Tea seeds popularity, even making Kenya the world’s nese delegations visited the Tang capital, Navigationi et Viaggi (Navigations and fashionable drink in the Netherlands, and began to afford the drink in the 18th centu­ plants. He disguised himself as a Chinese. of tea — to the Russian Tsar. Regular Sino­ imported from Georgia in the 1930s ena­ biggest tea exporter today, with 497,000 Chang’an. Tea­related rituals played a key Travels) by Italian geographer Giovanni was later introduced by Dutch people to ry. In the 1720s, black tea took over green He not only obtained seedlings from local Russian border trade in tea appeared in the bled Turkey to grow its own tea. Turkish tea metric tons sold abroad in 2019. part in their proceedings. Tea culture was Battista Ramusio. Germany, France and New York (then New to be the more favored by the British peo­ tea growers and took them to India, but 18th century, and tea was referred to as has gradually become a key cultural sym­ — WANG KAIHAO later widely spread across Japan by Bud­ Amsterdam). The Dutch word for tea is ple. In the 19th century, tea became an also introduced the relevant techniques “Chinese herb”. In 1893, on invitation of a bol of the country since then. dhist monks. The 12th­century monk thee, which is similar to the pronunciation everyday beverage for all social strata, and there. Though most of the tea seedlings he Russian merchant, Liu Junzhou, a tea culti­ Eisai’s contribution was exceptional for in the Fujian dialect. the traditional ritual of afternoon tea introduced to India perished, the knowl­ vator from Guangdong province, led 12 oth­ bringing tea seeds from China, and he appeared during Queen Victoria’s reign, ini­ edge he brought from China made a great er technicians to Georgia (then ruled by wrote the first Japanese treatise on tea. tiated by the seventh duchess of Bedford. contribution to the flourishing tea industry Russia), and grew tea for the first time in a The Japanese tea ceremony, starting from in India and Sri Lanka, particularly the well­ European nation. Black tea produced there Buddhist temples, grew to be a represen­ known Darjeeling tea. dominated consumption in the former tation of Japanese ritual. Soviet Union, and Georgia is still a tea­ Masters of food and drinks infuse the fragrant tea leaves into their growing country today. palate­pleasing products, such as oolong­flavored cocktails (top) and pan­fried prawns with Longjing tea. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY