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Evolution of tea-drinking methods

After tea was discovered by human beings, the way of drinking tea went through three stages of evolution of tea-drinking methods


 

The first stage, making tea. Whether Shennong cooks tea with water, or Lu Yu works in the Classic of Tea. Referred to the theory of frying and boiling tea, humans began to boil tea and take it. Guo Pu notes in "Er Ya": tea "can be cooked for soup". That is to say, when cooking tea, but also add corn and seasoning ingredients, cook porridge. Until the Tang Dynasty, people were still used to this drinking method. Today, some ethnic minorities in China are still used to adding other food to the tea juice.



Whisked Tea of the Song Dynasty
Whisked Tea of the Song Dynasty

 The second stage, half drink and half tea. By the Qin and Han dynasties, tea was not only used as a medicinal material, but also appeared in people's life, and gradually became a drink for guests. At this time, people also created "half tea and half drinking" ways of making tea and using tea. They mash the ball tea and put it into a pot, add boiling water and process and taste it.

 




Zhang Yi of the Three Kingdoms Period recorded in Guangya: " Picking leaves between Jingba for cakes. Ye old man, the cake into rice paste. If you want to cook tea, first order the red dishes, pour the porcelain with soup, and use onion, ginger and orange pen. Its drink sober wine, make people sleepless."Probably said, at that time, after picking tea, to make tea cakes, when drinking tea, and then mash into a final, with hot water brewing. However, in the process of cooking tea, spring onion, ginger, orange and other seasonings should still be added, which can see the traces of transition from brewing tea to brewing tea. This method can be regarded as the initial appearance of the brewing method, similar to the modern method of drinking brick tea.


Tea and snacks
Tea and snacks

The third stage is making tea. This way of drinking tea can also be called the whole-leaf brewing method. It began in the Tang Dynasty and prevailed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is another progress of tea in drinking. Before the middle of the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu had clearly opposed the addition of other spices and spices to tea, and emphasized the original taste of tea should be tasted, indicating that the method of drinking tea at that time was also in change. Pure brewing with tea leaves, it is called "clear tea". Drink clear tea, and then chew tea, fine taste its taste, can obtain great enjoyment. From then on, people only put tea leaves when cooking tea. The method of steaming green tea invented in the Tang Dynasty, the spring buds are steamed and baked into loose tea, and brewed with whole leaves when drinking. The excellent quality of this kind of loose tea can arouse the great interest of drinkers, and the drinking method is basically the same as modern, mainly whole leaf brewing.

 

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