Green tea ready for steeping. Other than water, green tea is the most commonly drunk beverage in China. Chinese produce more green tea than any other kind of tea (black, red, green, white).
The most natural and the most common of all Chinese teas is Chinese green tea. It is popular not just in China but also all over the world. Green tea comes with a myriad of health benefits including combating diabetes, heart issues, and obesity.
Tea is still consumed regularly, both on casual and formal occasions in modern China. In addition to being a popular beverage, it is used as an integral ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in Chinese cuisine.
Best for overall health: green tea
“It's the Swiss Army knife of teas. It covers a lot of territory.” A medical literature review offers a snapshot of those benefits, linking the consumption of green tea to: Cancer prevention.
Green tea is often touted as the healthiest tea. It is chock full of polyphenols and antioxidants that help to boost brain and heart health. Green tea is considered one of the least processed true teas as it does not undergo oxidation. Leaves are harvested and immediately dried and rolled.
Other than water, green tea is the most commonly drunk beverage in China. Chinese produce more green tea than any other kind of tea (black, red, green, white). About 80% of the world's green tea is grown in China. Green tea is generally the least processed form of tea.
sinensis. Camellia sinensis var. sinensis is the varietal of the tea plant most commonly grown in China. Native to China (sinensis is Latin for “from China”), this tea varietal is typically smaller and more delicate, with a slightly lower caffeine content.
In China, drinking tea is mostly a cultural thing with the majority of the people drink tea throughout the day.
According to ancient Chinese medicine, drinking a glass of warm water in the morning helps kick-start the digestive system. Hot water and warm water, because of its temperature, supposedly aids blood flow.
Originally, tea was valued for its medicinal qualities. It has long been known that tea aids in digestion, which is why many Chinese prefer to consume it after their meal.
The ideal teacup should have a smooth surface and be impervious. This stops tannins in the tea from binding to the cup instead of dissolving in the water. That's where the china cup comes in. It's smooth, glazed surfaces don't bind the tannins, leaving the flavour of the tea untouched.
Not everybody knows it, but the Chinese digestive system is known to be weaker than others. Due to this it is beneficial to drink warm drinks and food to avoid indigestion. During eating if you feel thirsty it's wiser to drink hot or warm water, as it stimulates digestion.
An interesting part of the Chinese New Year Tea traditions is that the tea served is usually sweetened. Generally, it is not acceptable to drink high quality sweetened loose leaf tea.
Tea Versus Water Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, again tea will be an excellent alternative to water. At least, that will be the case during the day. The caffeine in tea will allow you to stay energized and burn more calories during the day.
Green tea is considered to be the healthiest and most popular tea to drink given its mild taste and natural health benefits like improved digestion and sleep.
DA-HONG PAO, CHINA
Priced around a whopping $1.2 million/kg, Da-Hong Pao tea is hands down, the most expensive tea in the entire world. This ultra luxurious tea is declared as a national treasure for its rarity.
One of the most popular milk teas in China is the Hong Kong-style milk tea. Stemming from the British practice of adding milk to black tea, the signature drink in Hong Kong is strained through a sackcloth to encourage smoothness, thus also known as "silk stocking milk tea".
Black Tea: The Most Consumed Tea Globally
The most popular black tea in the world is Assam tea, which is grown in the Assam region of India and is known for its strong, malty flavor.
Green tea has garnered attention as a superfood because of its antioxidants rich quality.
China has raised its life expectancy from 69.3 years in 1990 to 76.1 years in 2015. The leading factors for this substantial rise is the improvement in China's child mortality rate and their maternal health. Child deaths due to lower respiratory infections and diarrhea have decreased by 90 percent since 1990.
Hot tea works wonders in washing down your food thereby keeping your throat clear. It eases off the mucus accumulation and helps in breaking down the food better. As a result, you can expect your meal to digest faster and smoother.
In traditional Chinese medicine, garlic is used to improve cardiovascular health and immunity as well as to treat cancer (2, 4). Garlic was used in daily Chinese diet since around 2000 B.C. or earlier where it was consumed especially with raw meat (2).