Leaving It All on the Table

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. Tea-flavored cocktails are the new offerings of Yuanshe Tea Bar in Beijing. JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY istory was rewritten in many respects when the 1,200-year-old 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 30-square-meter altar of a antioxidants, such as tea polyphe- former Tang Dynasty (618-907) 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 co-founder of Beijing-based 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- (618-907), 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 best-seller 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 tea-related 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 pan-fried tea, they’d break the cakes into pan-fried 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 century-771 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. BC-AD 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 tea-infused 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 single-starred 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 tea-smoked 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 (960-1279), “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.

Load more