Chuan Organic Tea

Before Marco Polo, the western world knew very little about distant China. The information came from Arab traders and was sometimes so unreliable that it could not be passed on in good faith. A country where you could pay with paper? Whose craftsmen were able to produce incredibly delicate ceramic goods? And whose soldiers simply blew up their enemies with a black powder? Incredible! Only the story about the dried leaves, on which only hot water had to be poured for a wonderful drink, was probably true. But it was again unlikely that the shrubs from which the extremely expensive leaves originated seemed to grow in seemingly unlimited numbers all over China.

According to legend, the tea bush was personally discovered in 2737 BC by the legendary emperor Shen Nung. When he heated a pot of water, the wind blew wild tea leaves into it. The water changed its colour and gave off an aromatic fragrance. The emperor is said to have been so enthusiastic about the taste and invigorating effect that he officially started to grow the tea shrub. It is no longer possible to determine exactly when the first tea cultures were created in China. However, the fact that a tea tax was introduced at the time of the Qin Dynasty suggests that a lot of tea was drunk 2,200 years ago.

Drinking tea plays an important role in many cultures in the Far East. It is particularly ritualized in China and Japan. Both countries have had their own tea ceremonies for centuries. Japan has a different story about the origin of the popular hot beverage. According to legend, the mysterious monk Daruma, presumably from Persia, crossed the Himalayas on foot in 480 AD. The monk described in ancient chronicles as a hairy, blue-eyed barbarian wandered through China for almost 40 years. When he reached the Shaolin Monastery on the Songshan Mountain one day, Daruma was shocked at how tired and weak the monks were. In order to discipline them, he trained them daily in martial arts and taught them meditation techniques.

Daruma's perseverance in meditating was legendary. But when his eyes shut after sitting in meditation for seven years, he got so angry that he tore his eyelids out and threw them on the floor. At the moment when they touched the earth, the first two tea bushes are said to have grown from the eyelids. Daruma picked some of the fragrant leaves and started chewing on them. A short time later he felt strengthened and was able to continue meditating. Daruma is nowadays considered to be the founder of Zen Buddhism. And even today, Zen monks drink a bowl of green tea to fortify themselves for long meditations.

In Europe, it was long thought that tea plants would only grow in China and Japan. After Japan completely isolated itself from the outside world in the 16th century, China was for a long time the only tea supplier in Europe. It wasn't until the early 19th century that the British founded their own tea plantations in their Indian and African colonies. While black tea was preferred in Europe, green tea has always dominated Asia. Botanically there are no differences. Both types of tea come from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. The difference lies in the reaction with oxygen. Tea leaves contain an enzyme called oxidase. As soon as it comes into contact with oxygen, an oxidation process begins. In case of green tea, oxidation is deliberately prevented by air drying, roasting or steaming. In case of black tea, on the other hand, the leaves are broken in order to properly start the oxidation. There are also differences when preparing the tea. Green tea becomes bitter when boiling water is poured over it; black tea unfolds its full aroma with boiling water.

In the meantime, more and more people in Germany are discovering how multifaceted green tea is. With the selected range of Chuan you can get to know the aromatic tea classics of the Far East in organic quality. Chuan Organic Green Tea Sencha is a gently steamed green tea according to Japanese tradition, which develops a delicate yellow-green colour in the cup. Chuan Organic Pai-Mu-Tan is a mild, slightly fermented tea specialty with a touch of freshness. Thanks to a special oxidation process, the unique aroma of Chuan Organic Green Tea Oolong lies exactly between that of green and black tea. The name Chun-Mee means something like ”valuable eyebrow“ and is an allusion to the gently curved shape of the rolled tea leaves. Chuan Organic Green Tea Chun Mee spoils tea lovers with a strong, slightly bitter taste. For Gunpowder tea, the leaves are rolled into small spheres that are visually reminiscent of gunpowder. Chuan Organic Green Tea Gunpowder convinces with a fine tart, particularly invigorating aroma. Although the many types of tea all come from the Camellia sinensis tea bush, they differ significantly in terms of breeding, climate, region, cultivation and processing. Chuan takes you into an aromatic world of Asian green teas with different characters.