The Chinese discovered tea nearly 5,000 years ago...

The Chinese discovered the healing properties of tea nearly 5,000 years ago.

From Wikipedia: The history of tea in China is long and complex. The Chinese have enjoyed tea for millennia. Scholars hailed the brew as a cure for a variety of ailments; the nobility considered the consumption of good tea as a mark of their status, and the common people simply enjoyed its flavor.

Tea was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) was born.[citation needed]

While historically the origin of tea as a medicinal herb useful for staying awake is unclear, China is considered to have the earliest records of tea drinking, with recorded tea use in its history dating back to the first millennium BC. The Han Dynasty used tea as medicine. The use of tea as a beverage drunk for pleasure on social occasions dates from the Tang Dynasty or earlier.

Marco Polo discussed Chinese teas in his journals; two Russian explores brought tea to Russia in 1579.

For more on tea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tea_in_China

To purchase wonderful tea in our area visit Arogya: http://www.arogya.net/

We all know tea has healing properties, gives you energy, tastes great (if prepared the right way) and is good for you.

Following are some Tea Tips:

White Tea: May dispel effects of alcohol and nicotine; acts on colds and sore throats, strong antioxidants; steep for 30 seconds at 185 degrees F, 85 degrees C; may reuse up to 4 times


Green Tea: Acts on colds, sore throats, strong antioxidants; helps dispel fat; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may resue up to 4 times

Pu’er Tea: May regulate blood pressure, lower cholesterol, helps dispel fat, purifier, may eliminate toxins, mixing with gingeng is said to provide relief from rheumatism and arthritis; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may resue up to 4 times

Oriental Beauty / King of Oolong Tea: Good for blood circulation and skin; good for anemia, helps enrich blood; may nourish stomach if mixed with brown sugar; may soften blood vessels; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may reuse up to 4 times

Jasmine Tea: Dispels heat, improves eyesight; gives energy and may help relieve headache; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may be reused up to 6 times

Litchi Tea / Black Tea: May be good for digestion and promotes energy; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may be reused up to 3 times

Ginseng Oolong: Restores energy, protects liver and kidney; steep for 30 seconds at 203 degrees F, 95 degrees C; may be reused up to 5 times

Thanks to a couple of people for sharing info with us! If you have info to share, please email me at SusanServen@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Please also feel free to click on the Comments link below to add your thoughts...thanks! Questions? Please let me know.

Arogya's Wei Huang Bertram has a great new Arogya Facebook group. Arogya is an authentic organic Chinese tea shop in Westport, right on the post road. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=46708662842&ref=mf

Some of you may have gone to our tea tasting there a while back; others may have met Wei at one of our tea tastings. Arogya offers organic teas from China, rare and special gifts, all natural skin care products, yoga classes and traditional Chinese herbs and medical services. Visit them at http://www.arogya.net/

From Patricia:

Check out this you tube video which features Chinese Bluegrass music. It melds Chinese and Western string instruments and it is fabulous. This is my first time posting on this site, so I hope it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LALgWz0xc0The article about this group can be found at http://www.penguineggs.ab.ca/peggs.php?page=samplestory.Patricia

From Amy:

The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University http://liver.stanford.edu/ invites your students to apply for the 7th Annual Youth Leadership Conference on Asian and Pacific Islander Health in August 2009 and submit entries for the "B Inspired!" Multimedia Contest in May 2009. We aim to educate and raise awareness about the disproportionately high rates of hepatitis B infection and liver cancer in the API community, as well as to inspire and prepare students to take leadership roles. We firmly believe that youth can effect real change in their communities, and we are committed to investing in their incredible potential. Please see the attached document for more information on the opportunities for your students. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or visit our website at http://liver.stanford.edu.The Asian Liver Center
April 2, 2009 3:54 PM