Today, we will be discussing the various health benefits associated with drinking this type of tea.

Chinese tea helps increase brain power

Drinking tea is more than just a tradition. It can also help you increase your brain power. With the combination of caffeine and L-theanine, it provides energy and regulates sleep patterns.

Some of the brain boosting benefits of tea include improved memory, enhance cognitive functions, and improved moods. The main reason for the boost in brain power is due to L-theanine which is found in green tea. L-theanine has been proven to increase alpha waves which are associated with concentration span and attention spans.

Tea drinking dates back centuries ago when it was discovered by Buddhist monks in China who drank it for its medicinal properties. Tea has been known to have many health benefits including anti-aging properties, but many don’t realize that it can also help boost brain power.

Decreases risk of heart attack by 30%

A study was conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong to determine the effects of drinking tea on the body. It was found that when compared to those who did not drink tea, those who drank tea had a 30% decrease in risk of heart attack.

The researchers followed up with participants from a large-scale population-based health promotion project in Hong Kong for over six years. When they analyzed data from more than 69,000 participants, they found that people who drank more than four cups of tea per day were 30% less likely to have a heart attack than those who never or rarely drank tea.

Promotes a healthy weight and mood balance

Tea is an indispensable part of Chinese life. It has developed into a cultural symbol, a daily beverage and an art form. Chinese Tea is used for various purposes in Chinese culture. For example, there are times when tea is consumed as a beverage, while in other cases it is used for religious ceremonies or as decoration.

The following benefits have been discovered by the research done on the links between tea and health:

1. It promotes weight management by decreasing appetite and increasing fat oxidation.
2. It helps improve mood balance by providing antioxidants that reduce inflammation in the brain.

Enhances memory and improves concentration

Drinking Chinese tea has been shown to have many health benefits. One of these benefits is the ability to improve memory. It is said that the amino acid L-theanine in tea improves memory and concentration by increasing alpha waves, which are responsible for feelings of relaxation.

It has also been shown that tea can inhibit oxidative stress and help with cognitive impairment, a condition where people find it difficult to think clearly or perform everyday tasks because their brain does not function properly.

Reduces risk of stroke by 10%

Researchers found that drinking tea reduces the risk of stroke by 10%.

A study conducted in China and published in the journal Stroke found that people who drank tea regularly for at least three years cut their risk of stroke by 10%. The research examined a group of 65,917 adults in China. The researchers found a 10% decrease in the number of strokes for those who drank tea, specifically Chinese tea and green tea.

The research team is not certain how drinking green tea lowers stroke risk, but they speculate that it might be because green tea contains polyphenols and other natural antioxidants which have been shown to improve the function of our blood vessels and increase blood flow.

Lapsang Souchong has an intense smoky aroma and flavor with a sweet and spicy finish. These characteristics are achieved by drying the leaves over fragrant pine fires, which are then smoked with pine needles and leaves from the Lapsang area before packaging. This process gives this tea its distinctive smoky flavor and dark coloration.

Why Choose Lapsang Souchong Over Other Teas?

Lapsang Souchong is a black tea widely known for the smoky, woodsy flavor that distinguishes it from other teas. It is a delicate and complex tea that is often considered to be one of the most enjoyable black teas on the market.

Lapsang Souchong tastes woodsy and smoky, which sets it apart from other blacks. The taste is also light and delicate. Lapsang Souchong is an excellent tea to be consumed at any time of day, but it may not be the best choice for someone who likes a more robust cup of tea such as Assam or Irish Breakfast.

How to Drink Lapsang Souchong Tea the Right Way

Unlike other types of teas, Lapsang Souchong is made using the traditional “wok firing” method in which pieces of fresh and raw leaf are added to a wok with water and allowed to steep for five minutes before being removed from the wok and allowed to cool. The leaves are then oxidized in airtight containers for up to three years.

Serving Lapsang Souchong tea is much easier than with other types of teas because it can be brewed straight, without any milk or sugar needed for its distinctive smoky flavor.

Other Types of Lapsang Tea and the Differences Between Them

As you might be aware, there are many types of Lapsang souchong that you might encounter in your tea journey.

Lapsang souchong oolong tea and Lapsang souchong black tea, both are made from oolong tea leaves that have been withered for 12 hours before rolling. However, the leaves must include only one bud and two tips.

Lapsang souchong green tea is made by steaming fresh oolong leaves during the wilting process. These leaves are then dried to stop them from opening further. This green tea will have a hint of vegetal character with a sweet aftertaste.

What are the Benefits of Drinking Lapsang Souchong Tea?

This black tea is also known for its health benefits. It contains antioxidants and helps in fighting cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Lapsang Souchong tea has a flavor that you will not find in other teas like it because of the dry leaves used to produce it. The leaves have been heated up to release the fragrance in a process called roasting; this gives the black tea its unique smell and flavor.

The health benefits of Lapsang Souchong are unmatched by any other type of flavored black or green tea as it contains antioxidants that fight cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases.

For most people, tea-drinking is prescribed as alternative medicine. Many researchers have accounted for its use to enhance one’s immunity against diseases and sicknesses, alleviate inflammations, and prevent critical illnesses.

For some, sipping a cup of tea is an excitement-filled escape from the incessant and fast-paced motion of our lives.

BRIEF HISTORY

Legends of China tell of a serendipitous discovery of the mystical brew. Emperor Shennong had the first privilege to taste the strange drink when leaves from a nearby tree found their way to the emperor’s freshly boiled water. He was elated with the flavor of the drink and soon tested it with various other leafy ingredients. Some versions of the legend tell how the emperor poisoned himself with a bad herb, and how he cured himself with a good one; hence, the reason for its healing properties.

Nevertheless, in documented reports, tea is believed to be first developed during the Shang Dynasty (formally documented in the 3rd Century AD) in the Yunnan region of Southwest China, where it was used as a medicinal drink. Since then, it found its way to the western trade with the Portuguese and British.

Soon after, the word of the leafy beverage became widespread in various nations including India, Korea, and Japan where they cultivated their style of brewing. As centuries passed, the production and consumption of tea became increasingly globalized among nations like Africa, Taiwan, Iran, United Kingdom, Australia, Americas, and Iran – with each country imposing their modifications and having their preferences.

HOW IS CHINESE TEA MADE?

The Chinese boast of thousands of centuries worth of experience trying to make the perfect cup of tea for your sipping pleasure. Their expertise in the art of literally making tea from the start shows particular attention to detail aligned to the traditional Chinese method.

Tea-picking was a meticulous step in production, demanding intense labor due to the stringent method in picking tea leaves, and clutch-decision making due to the natural uncertainty of weather conditions. Following the collection, the leaves were cured by Sunning, Firing, and Rolling. Each step is carefully done to achieve the tea’s unique flavor profile.

According to tradition, the Chinese showed immense reverence to the art of producing tea that women were not allowed to engage in the activity during menstruation so as not to sully the practice or product.

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT?

Among various nations, tea style differences were due to the endemic plants that grew in their lands. And it was like this for quite a while back in the day. However, with the increasingly globalized world, products are massively traded among large tea-producing countries to take and give.

So, we now try to see how local preferences impose the differences in the tea culture. Focusing on the two major tea producers, China and India, there is not much difference between the two in terms of types of teas produced and how it is produced. There is, however, a distinct difference in the taste. Chinese teas are known for their lightness, simplicity, and refreshing sensation, whereas Indian teas give off a spicier, sweeter, and stronger linger in the taste buds.

In terms of being creative with their beverage, Indians may opt to enjoy theirs with sugar and milk, while the Chinese prefer to have it plain and simple.

Japan is also a big player in the tea-producing business. One major difference in the production method is that they prefer steaming the leaves rather than pan-firing as how the Chinese would do it. In terms of flavor, Japanese tea has a more vegetal and maltier taste as compared to the lighter and sweeter Chinese counterpart.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF CHINESE TEA

PU ERH TEA

Pu Erh Tea is made from the leaves of what the natives call the “wild old tree” which grows in the Yunnan Province of China, the birthplace of Chinese Tea. The traditional Chinese method of producing Pu Erh tea processes leaves by fermenting them rather than brewing.

It contains a decent amount of caffeine that invigorates both the nervous and cardiovascular systems. People mainly drink it for weight loss, cholesterol control, cancer prevention, and liver maintenance. Lovastatin, a prescription medicine used to lower cholesterol, is found in small traces in Pu Erh Tea, which is believed to be caused by a contaminant bacterium living in the leaves.

An exciting feature of the Pu Erh Tea is the dynamic flavor profile – on top of having a multitude of flavors such as sweet, bitter, woody, astringent, and floral. The intensity of flavor profiles changes with time. Fresher teas may be sweet, whereas older ones may be bitter or woody.

LAPSANG SOUCHONG

Lapsang Souchong was a variant of the traditional green tea which differed due to the altered rolling, oxidizing, and drying method in an attempt to preserve the flavor during a year and a half journey in trade. The result was a whole new flavor profile which gave it a smoky pine taste.

It’s anything but bitter, so it’s not usual to have it with sugar, milk, or honey. Depending on how it’s prepared, it can have a vast flavor profile such as smoked paprika, whisky, woody, and pine resin.

It’s often used in combination with other teas like Earl Grey or Keemin to augment flavor and provide a strong robust aroma. Lapsang Souchong Tea is also used in stocks, stews, soups, seasoning, and spices.

TIE GUAN YIN

Tie Guan Yin is one of the more popular versions of the traditional Oolong Tea, where the characteristics lie between that of the Green, less oxidized, Tea and the Black, more oxidized Tea. The two types of Tie Guan Yin are the yellow Anxi which has a flowery and light aroma and the reddish-brown Muzha, which has a more dominant nutty punch.

Drinking Tie Guan Yin Tea is believed to help slow down aging, lose weight, exude body heat, and alleviate the adverse effects of smoking.

“Filling a tea cup 70% full, Filling a wine cup 80% full” is a folk saying in Xiamen province, China which refers to when serving tea or wine to your guests, you should not fill the cup all the way to the rim.

The reason is that if your guests did not hold the cups well, the tea or wine might accidentally spill out from the fill to the rim cup. Not only is it wasteful, but it might also scalds the guests’ hands or splashes them on their clothing, which is embarrassing. Therefore, pouring tea or wine is good at seventy or eighty percent points, too much or too little will be considered ignorant of etiquette.

When serving tea for the guests, you should pour the tea first to the elders and then to the juniors, and to the guests first and then to yourself in the order. After pouring the tea, the teapot should be placed on the dining table and the spout should not be facing the guests. It’s better to pour tea at seventy percent full. As the saying goes: “Teacup is full, is signify as bully your guests.” First it will make your guests feel unhappy, and the second is that the cup is full of water, so it is not easy to serve it.

The story of filling a tea cup 70% full, wine cup 80% full is as follows

The famous thinker of the Northern Song Dynasty-Wang Anshi wrote a poem on chrysanthemum: The west wind makes it way through the garden last night, blowing down the yellow flowers like gold all over the ground, halfway through the writing, Wang Anshi had a visitor so he went to meet the visitor. It happened that Su Dongpo, a famous calligrapher in the Northern Song Dynasty, also came to visit Wang Anshi at the same time. After reading these two lines of poems, he continued: chrysanthemum is hardy, it will not be blown off by the wind like spring flowers, Poet, please recite carefully.

Because of this incident, Su Dongbo was banish to Huangzhou, Hubei for three years. Before he left, Wang Anshi ask Su Dongpo to bring some water from the middle gorge of the Yangtze River when he returned to the capital the next time. In the autumn of the first year in Huangzhou, and there were strong winds for several days. after the wind ceased, Su Dongpo goes to the garden to look at chrysanthemum. He saw the chrysanthemums petals covering the floor like gold. At this moment, he suddenly remembered the continuation of the poem to Wang Anshi a year ago, and he couldn’t help being dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time, repenting that he was wrong.

Three years later, when Su Dongpo was on the way returning to the capital, he deliberately went to the Three Gorges to fetch water, but he was preoccupy viewing the scenery on both sides of the strait. After the boat passed the middle gorge, he remembered about fetching the water. So he wanted to let the boatman goes back, but the boatman said that the water in the Yangtze is very turbulent and cannot turned back. The water from the bottom stream of the Yangtze River also come from the middle stream so it should be the same water. Su Dongbo took the water from the down stream and went back to the capital.

When Su Dongpo gave the water to Wang Anshi, Wang Anshi was very happy, inviting Su Dongpo to drink tea together, Wang Anshi took out the Mengding tea bestowed by the emperor and brewed it with water from the Yangtze River. While waiting, Su Dongpo start talking about his experience in Huangzhou, saying that he finally understood Wang Anshi’s poem profound meaning.

After the tea was brewed, Wang Anshi poured himself and Su Dongbo a cup each, only 70% full, Su Dongpo thought in his heart, this person is so stingy that he would not fill the cup of tea to the rim.

Wang Anshi picked up his teacup, took a sip, frowned and said: Your water is Yangtze river water, but it is not from the middle stream. Su Dongpo was taken aback, and quickly explained the real situation.

Wang Anshi said: The water in the Three Gorges is pure and lively, and it is good for making tea, but the upper Gorge is frivolous, while the lower Gorge is turbid, only the water in the middle Gorge is light and vigorous, and it is the best for making tea.

Su Dongpo suddenly realised his mistake. Wang Anshi said again; you see that I only fill seventy percent when pouring tea, you must think why am I so stingy. Su Dongpo was dumbfounded that Wang Anshi is able to read what he had in mind, but he still politely said he didn’t dare.

Wang Anshi continue saying: This Yangtze River water is not easy to come by, and this Mengding tea is a tribute tea, bestowed by the emperor. Pouring the tea up to seventy percent of the cup, is to means the preciousness of the tea, and also the respect for the gift-giver;

Pour a full cup for you to drink, would you cherish it? For wine we could be a little more bit more generous, so it’s only eighty percent full. Su Dongbo did not dare to respond a word. Since then, it has been handed down fill a tea cup 70% full and filling a wine cup eighty percent full.

七分茶、八分酒

“七分茶、八分酒”是厦门民间的一句俗语,指给客人斟茶，斟酒时不可以斟满杯子。

原因是客人不好拿杯子,茶水酒水也容易溢出来, 不但浪费,也会烫着客人的手或撤泼到衣服上面,令人尴尬 。因此,斟茶斟酒以七八分为佳,太多或太少都会被认为不识礼数。

在替客人斟茶时，应该先斟茶给长辈然后才给小辈，先给客人然后才给自己的顺序。斟完茶后，茶壶应该放在餐桌上，壶嘴不可对着客人。茶水斟倒以七八分满为佳。俗话说：“茶满欺客”，如果茶水斟满，第一是会使客人感到心中不悦，第二是杯满水烫，不易端杯品尝。　

七分茶八分酒的故事典故如下。北宋著名的思想家 – 王安石一次写了一首咏菊诗：西风作夜过园林，吹落黄花满地金，写到一半时，他有客人来访，他便见客去了，刚 好北宋著名的书法家苏东坡也来找王安石，看了这两句诗, 提笔续道 : 秋英不比春花落，说与诗人仔细吟。.因此事, 苏东波被贬去湖北黄州。临走时，王安石交待苏东坡说，让他回京城时，带一些长江中峡水回来。到黄州的第一年秋天，苏东波终于明白黄州的菊花是不落花瓣,算是长了一智。

三年后，苏东坡回京城时,特意到三峡取水，可是他只顾贪看两岸景色，船过了中峡，才想起取水的事，于是他要让船夫回头，船夫却说，三峡水流如此湍急，回头取水不容易，三峡水一流而下，下峡水也是从中峡来的呀。苏东波便取了下峡水回京城去了。

苏东坡把水送给王安石时，王安石很高兴，留下苏东坡一起喝新茶，王安石取出皇上御赐的蒙顶茶，用扬子江中水冲泡。苏东坡不待王安石问，便先说起他在黄州的经历，说他明白王安石的深意。菊花确实有不落瓣的。茶泡好，王安石给自己和苏东波各倒了一杯，只有七分满，苏东坡在心里想，此人如此吝惜，一杯茶也不肯倒满。王安石端起茶杯,喝了一口，便皱起眉头说道 : 你这水是三峡水，可希不是中峡水。苏东坡吓了一跳，赶快把真实情况说明。王安石款款说道；三峡水性甘纯活泼, 泡茶皆佳，唯上峡失之轻浮，下峡失之凝浊，只有中峡水中正轻灵，用来泡茶最好。苏东坡突然醒悟。王安石又说；你见我斟茶只有七分，心中一定想我的不是。苏东坡被说中他的心中所想之事，忙说不敢。王安石又说：这长江水来之不易，你自己知晓，这蒙顶茶贡茶，一年正贡365叶，陪茶20斤，皇上钦赐. 斟茶七分，表示茶叶的珍贵，也是表示对送礼人的尊敬；斟满杯让你牛饮, 你会珍惜吗? 好酒稍为宽裕，也就八分吧。苏东波一句也不敢回应。从此流传下来七分茶八分酒。

Not many people know about this, but Singapore was once an important centre of the global pineapple canning industry. Pineapples first originated from South America until Christopher Columbus brought them across the Atlantic to Europe by 1493. 100 years later, the well-travelled Portuguese then introduced this sweet and sour juicy fruit to Asia, specifically in Malaya. During the rubber boom of the early 1900s, pineapples would often grow alongside the slower-maturing rubber trees, becoming a cash crop for plantation owners in Singapore.

In fact, the northern part of the island (Yishun town) used to be a huge rubber and pineapple plantation owned by Lim Nee Soon, better known as the ‘Pineapple King’. The surplus pineapples were canned and exported all over the world, and this became one of Singapore’s earliest manufacturing industries, providing many jobs for the people on the island.

With Singapore becoming a melting pot for colonials and early immigrants, food cultures also started to intertwine and the classic pineapple tart was born. These bite-sized snacks are an amalgamation of ethnic influences in Singapore: a distinctly European buttery biscuit base topped with a dollop of Nyonya-style pineapple jam scented with spices native to this part of the world (star anise, cloves and cinnamon).

In Hokkien and Cantonese, pineapple is called ‘ong lai’, which literally means ‘fortune come’. The golden pineapple fruit was seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity and was used in many Chinese rituals (Eg: like rolling it into a new house to welcome riches into the home.) Pineapple tarts also became ubiquitous during the Lunar New Year as it gained popularity as an auspicious gift for family and friends.

Source: https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en/article/features/5-chinese-new-year-goodies-and-why-we-eat-them

Keen to purchase our handmade pineapple tarts and tea bundle for gifting?
Check out our online shop: https://teachapter.com/product/cny-gift-set/

Alternatively, you can visit us at our retail shop at
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Nián: The New Year’s Eve Monster

Nián is a Chinese mythological beast that lives at the bottom of the sea. On the evening before the New Year, Nián would ascend from the water. According to Chinese New Year myths, Nián would terrorise villages and feast on animals and humans. Villagers would run to the mountains and seek temporary shelter in order to steer clear of Nián.

One New Year’s Eve, a beggar came to the village to seek sanctuary. The beggar promised to provide protection from Nián in return. Eventually, an old woman accepted his offer and kindly invited him to her house. The beggar started decorating the homes in the village, placing a piece of red Chinese New Year ornaments on doors.

At midnight, Nián came to the village and it immediately stopped as soon as it saw the red papers. The monster roared in frustration. All of a sudden, firecrackers started exploding and Nián trembled in fear. The old beggar came out, wearing red Chinese New Year clothes, to mockingly laugh at the creature as it fled the village.

The villagers returned the next morning and were pleasantly surprised that none of their homes were destroyed. From then on, before New Year’s Eve, people would fortify their homes with bright red ornaments and light up firecrackers at midnight. 

The Legend of Ang Bao

The origin story of the Chinese Ang Bao involves an evil spirit named Sui. On New Year’s Eve, Sui would pat the heads of sleeping children three times. The children would wake up the next morning with a fever that would cause great worry to their parents.

During one New Year’s Eve, a couple decided to gift some coins to their kid and left them by his pillow as he was asleep. When Sui came, the bright flash of the coins frightened the spirit. From then on, people started giving children money wrapped in red paper on New Year’s Eve.       

Source: https://chinesenewyear.co/myths/

It happened during the Yuan Dynasty where it was ruled by the Mongolians from the North. It was said that a Han Chinese rebel leader, Zhu Yuanzhang and his advisor, Liu Bo Wen, planned to arouse the Han Chinese to rise up against the ruling Mongolians and end the Yuan dynasty. However, due to the strict search by government, it was very difficult to pass messages. Liu thought of a strategy. He gained permission to give gifts to his friends in different bases. 

These gifts were round moon cakes. Liu ordered his subordinates to hide notes in the cakes with the date of the Han Chinese rebellion (the 15th night of the 8th lunar month). Thus, Liu got word to his people who found the revolutionary message when they cut open the moon cakes. They then set out together to overthrow the Mongolians, thus ending the Yuan dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang shared the joy by having celebrations in the upcoming mid-autumn and reward his subjects with the round moon cakes. Since then, eating mooncakes has been a custom of Mid-Autumn Festival.

有听说过中秋月饼的由来与传说吗？

饮茶是心灵的依靠。在人们的印象中，中秋的月是雅致的，而最堪与月相伴的，唯有茶。

中秋节吃月饼相传始于元代。当时，中原广大人民不堪忍受元朝统治，纷纷起义抗元。朱元璋联合各路反抗力量准备起义。但朝庭官兵搜查得十分严密，传递消息十分困难。军师刘伯温便想出了一计策，把“八月十五夜起义”的纸条藏入饼里面，分头传送给各地起义军中.

很快，徐达就攻下元大都，起义成功了。朱元璋高兴得连忙传下了口谕，在即将来临的中秋节就让全体将士与民同乐，并将当年起兵时以秘密传递信息的“月饼”，作为节日糕点赏赐群臣。这就是中秋月饼的由来了。