Chinese tea house is a well-known fact that next to plain water, the most popular drink on earth is tea. In China, almost every aspect of the growing and production of traditional teas is controlled. The Chinese drink green teas and some oolongs without milk, and black teas are produced solely for export.

Tea drinking in China has long been considered as a Chinese social activity. Stories have it that tea drinking began from the Tang Dynasty, when the Buddhist monks gathered to drink their brew after meditation.

The practice soon spread to the general public, while the refined scholars that time endeavored to perfect the art of tea drinking. Then, as the volume of tea production increased, the number of Chinese tea houses began to flourish, particularly in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279).

From the Song Dynasty, the number of Chinese tea houses peaked in the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911).  By that period, both the style and function of the Chinese tea houses had become diversified.

The tea houses started to adopt elegant setting decorated with paintings, bonsai and calligraphy. They sold only tea. There were also others that combined Chinese tea house and Chinese restaurant and offered the traditional brew. Some locally flavored snacks were also offered at these settings.

As you all know, the Chinese are so meticulous when it comes tea wares. Perhaps this is due to the fact that tea wares like the Chinese tea cups and tea pots play a very important role in the tea preparation.

A tea ceremony would not be successful without the use of tea wares. As many people said, the true essence of a Chinese tea ceremony would not be felt if tea wares are lacking.

One of most necessary item in a typical Chinese tea set is the Chinese tea cup.  Well, tea cups come in different designs and forms these days. They even differ according to their uses.

In this article, I will mention three of the most well-known and highly purchased Chinese tea cups these days.  Note that these tea cups are now available in the market and you can even found them online, particularly at EnjoyingTea.com.

Consider the following varieties of a Chinese tea cup:

Filtering Chinese Tea Cups

As the name implies, filtering tea cups or mugs are used by tea drinkers to primarily filter the tea.  Most of this kind of Chinese tea cup are designed and crafted with internal filters. Here are few samples of filtering tea cups:

The art of drinking and serving tea plays a very vital cultural role in China.  It inspires a lot of artists that the Chinese tea ceremony, as it is called, has been written in songs and poetry. The ritual of preparing and serving tea has even held a special place in the hearts and minds of the Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectual, poets, and even the common people.

On its most basic, the Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea itself, rather than the ceremony.  It focuses on what the tea tastes like, smells like, and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea, or in inclusive rounds of drinking.

It doesn’t mean that each server will perform the ritual the same way and it is not related to religion. Every step taken during the ceremony is meant to be a sensory exploration and appreciation.

How to conduct a Chinese tea ceremony is just so easy. However, it is important to note that steps to assure the finest tasting tea is very exacting. As often said, if done properly you can extract the finest flavor a tea has to offer.

Did you know that drinking Chinese tea, in particular, help you lose weight and get slim?  Well, several researches have found out evidences that could associate Chinese slimming tea to weight loss.  Some of these evidences showed that Chinese teas can help you burn fat and calories.

A recent scientific study particularly supports the ability of the Chinese green tea to burn fat and increase metabolism. According to it, the catechin polyphenols in green tea extract may alter the body’s use of norepinephrine, which is a chemical transmitter in the nervous system, to increase the rate of calorie burning.

In their conclusion, the scientists who conducted the study stated that green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content.

The green tea extract nay play a role in the control of body composition through sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both.

With a number of evidences that could like Chinese tea to weight loss, it’s no wonder that today Chinese slimming tea are becoming highly available in the market.

These Chinese slimming teas are manufactured usually with the combination of traditional Chinese herbs, and are intended for those who wish to lose weight and get slim.

Chinese oolong tea is in the first place a class as well as a kind of tea.  It is one of the most famous teas in the world.  According to many experts, the Chinese oolong tea is half way between green tea and black tea in a sense that it is half-fermented.

It is as clear and fragrant as green tea and as refreshing and strong as black tea. As often said, if you drink oolong, the natural aroma may linger into your mouth and make your throat much comfortable.

The name of “oolong” is said to be an enigma to Chinese tea history.  Nobody knows if it is named after a place or any variety of the plant.

And, although the pinyin for oolong is “Wu Long”, which means black dragon, nobody can tell if the name “oolong” has any relation with “dragon”, which traditionally taken as the Chinese lucky indication.

The Processing of Chinese Oolong Tea

When it comes to the procedures involved in the processing of Chinese oolong tea, experts have shown six procedures that are usually considered. These include sunshine withering, tedding fresh leaves, rocking green, stir-fry green, rolling, and drying.

Chinese herbal teas are technically called Tisanes. These are recognized as infusions made herbs and not tea from the Camelia Sinensis plant. The essence of the herb is extracted when the tea is steeped in hot water.

Traditionally, the Chinese herbal teas are used for their medicinal and healing properties.  However, there are many varieties that are also enjoyed simply for their taste. Today, these teas can be bought in China as the country produces an entire pharmacy of herbs.

The Benefits of Chinese Herbal Tea

One of the well-known benefits of Chinese herbal tea is that it offers the tea drinker caffeine free alternatives. Many of them are considered to be very soothing and comforting. The Rosebud and Chrysanthemum herbal teas are just two of them.

The Rosebud and Chrysanthemum teas are known in China as a woman’s herb.  However, it is also useful for aiding digestion. As noted, even a hardcore tea drinker will surely enjoy the flowery freshness of these miniature rosebuds.

The Chrysanthemum in particular has a unique flavor. It has long been used to cool the body and reduce fever. The Chinese herbal teas are even great beverages to have at night, especially when you might not want caffeine.

Chinese teas have long been considered great for dieters. In fact, many companies have manufactured and distributed these products labeled “Chinese diet tea” for those who wish to lose weight.

Perhaps the main reason for this production is that many believed that tea by itself carries only 4 calories per serving, and the caffeine in tea is potent enough to increase body function to help burn more calories.

Also, it is believed that the polyphenols in tea seem to aid in the digestion of fat, truly making it a Chinese diet tea.

Chinese diet tea, fasting tea, slimming tea, super dieter’s tea, weight loss tea, although they come with somewhat different names, all promote a common message – drink this tea and you will lose weight.

However, many experts noted that what you are actually drinking from these products is a plant based laxative that can cause certain disorders like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fainting, chronic constipation and perhaps even death when consumed in excessive amounts.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) once stressed that the laxative teas and dietary supplements of most concern are those containing one or more of the substances, such as aloe, senna, rhubarb root, buckthorn, castor oil, and cascara.

Did you know that during the Boston Tea Party, the tea that was dumped into the harbor was mostly Chinese diet green tea?  Well, this delightful beverage has been around for thousands of years and has been part of the Chinese diet since the ancient times.

Today, it is highly appreciated for its advantages. As numerous studies have found out, the Chinese diet green tea has a significant number of health benefits.

Chinese diet green tea Origin and Background

As noted, Chinese diet green tea has been around for thousands of year, approximately 4,000 years. Legend has it that this delightful brew was discovered accidentally by a Chinese emperor.

It comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, as traditional black tea and oolong tea.   And, for centuries, Chinese medicine has used it to treat headaches, digestive problems, lack of energy, and immune enhancement.

The Chinese diet green tea is actually produced by steaming the fresh tea leaves at high temperatures, leaving a significant part of the nutritional enzyme content intact. Unlike the black and oolong tea, the green tea is never fermented.

Also called by many as ‘red tea’, the Chinese black tea has been enjoyed by the Chinese tea drinkers and the world for centuries.

Its popularity is even soaring these days and I guess the primary reason for that is many believe that the Chinese black teas harbor profound and promising health benefits.

Chinese Black Tea Basics

As the name implies, the Chinese black tea originates in China and has long been used by the Chinese as part of their daily meals.

The brewed black tea ranges from reddish brown to black in color. According to some resources, one of the most obvious characteristic of the Chinese black tea is that it mellows with age and grows richer and deeper in flavor.

The vintage black teas in particular are deemed superlative, boasting flavors and aromas that conjure up the same adjectives used to distinguish fine wine or whiskey.

Storing Chinese black tea is simple. It is usually kept in a well-ventilated place and the tea requires no temperature regulation. Also, unlike the other teas, Chinese black teas come in compressed cakes with a variety o shapes and sizes. It could be round, square, and even bamboo-like tubes.

Known as Baojianmei Jianfei Cha in Chinese, bojenmi Chinese tea is one of the most popular products of China that has been used mainly for weight loss. In fact, it has been used for such purpose for the past twenty years.

The term “bojenmi” actually means “slim and beautiful” in Chinese.  It is produced under the Egret River Brand of the Xiamen Export Corporation (XMEHECO) in Xiamen, an island of Fujian province.

The Herbs and Their Uses

The bojenmi Chinese tea formulation is basically provided in the form of a loose tea and easy to use tea bags. Several ingredients are used for this herb formulation, but the main ingredient is the tea leaf from Fujian Province.

Reports have revealed that 50 percent of this product contains tea leaf which has been shown to help lower blood lipids. An extract of other herbs, however, are sprayed onto the tea leaf to make the finished beverage product, which is then prepared by steeping in boiled water for 3 to 4 minutes.

The other well-known ingredients of bojenmi Chinese tea are the following:

• Crataegus (shanzha)
• Malt (maiya)
• Pharbitis (qianniuzi)
• Pogostemon (huoxiang)
• Hoelen (fuling)