Welcome to the world of tea
Tea creates harmony and balance
The second removes your solitude
The third removes your sorrows and worries
The fourth cleanses your soul
The fifth lifts your spirit up to the Immortal gods. ”
-China 1735
Second to water, tea is the most widely used beverage in the world, and with the meditative and health-giving benefits of tea, it experiences a true renaissance in the 21st century. But why are we fascinated time after time by the tea? Perhaps, because it has an ability to reflect both old and modern values that we are seeking to adapt in today’s life time.
Unlike coffee, tea has a spiritual side, that invites to an inner calmness and contemplation. The 90’s were looking for quick stimulants such as double espresso, and during the turn of the century the Cafe Latte had the center of attention.
But tea is not a quick stimulant on a busy weekday. Enjoying a cup of tea is an experience that stimulates the soul and collects your thoughts, and perhaps it is precisely for this reason that it still awakens the excitement of the world. Tea is unique, and should be enjoyed with respect and dignity.
Like all other tropical goods, tea has experienced periods of great as well as less great demand. During some years, tea has been really popular, while other years it has stood in the shadows of other stimulant products. The history of tea is an exciting tale of dedicated monks, trading warriors and young British merchants who traveled with great ambitions.
Many of the young tea-pioneers died early from tropical diseases; But those who survived witnessed the establishment of one of the world’s largest plantation industries.
The original name for tea was “Cha”. The word comes from Mandarin, and tea is still referred to as “Cha” in many places in China. The word was transferred from the major trading stations, under Macao and Java, to Portuguese and Dutch by European merchants, as well as to Persian and Hindi. In the Middle East it became “Shai” in Arabic, and to “chai” in Russia and in Turkey. Over time, the word “te” (pronounced “tay”) from the Chinese Amoy dialect evolved into “tea” in English, “Tee” in German, “thé” in French and “te” in Spanish, Italian, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.
In the 1800’s in Denmark, tea was written with “H” so it became “the”, and today the spelling “te” is correct in Danish language. But there is something wrong with the spelling of “te”. It is as if the drink loses a dimension with the new spelling. To spell “the” with an “h” means that it still appears as an elegant cultural treasure, with all that that entails. Certain traditions are worth taking care of. But where does the fascination of this green elixsir start?
Read much more in the book “Tea-from Leaf to cup”, where you can immerse yourself in the origins of the Asian world, as well as how it was discovered by Europeans and later the rest of the world.
Which was India, Sri Lanka and Africa. The Japanese have hardly ever produced black tea, and the Chinese export up to 90 % of the black tea they produce, and this type tea tastes excellent with milk, which also helps neutralize the tannins.
The “original” Tea
Green tea is known for its pure taste, beautiful color and good qualities. The tea leaves from the green teas are cultivated in plantations in many places in Southeast Asia, where they are harvested and also undergo er special treatment after the harvest, before being transported to Denmark. Green tea is a pure natural product and is often referred to as the original tea.
The green tea is an unfermented, pure, natural product that is only dried and heated with steam, or with a short roasting, in order to close the leaf cells and thus prevent any fermentation process from happening. If the leaves begin to ferment during the fermentation, it will change the taste of the tea.
In China, a substantial part of the green tea production is still held by small producers and this applies in particular to small top productions.
The leaves are spread out on mats and lie a few hours in the sun before they are heated with steam or turned around quickly on large, wok-like plates. You use your hands to turn the leaves, and this process requires both speed and a lot of training. The leaf is still green, but not quite as strong in color. The Chinese teas are often more matte in colour than the Japanese green teas.
A. C Perch’s export and import many varieties of green teas, all of which provide a truly unique taste experience. You can read more about the green teas and buy them online here or on the website.
The leaf buds can only be picked a few times a year, and too much water during this period can destroy the harvest. The harvest often happens early in the morning, since the buds are still well protected from the sun at that time.
It is a unfermented, pure, natural product that has only been dried and heated with steam, or with a short roasting, to close the leaf cells and prevent a possible fermentation process from happening. If the leaf begins to ferment during a fermentation, it will change the taste of the tea.
In China, a substantial part of the green tea production is still owned by small producers and by the old traditional methods. This is especially true for small top productions.
The leaves are spread out on mats and lie a few hours in the sun before they are heated with steam or turned around quickly on large, wok-like plates. You use your hands to turn the leaves, and the process requires speed and a lot of training.
The leaf is still green, but not quite as powerful in color. The Chinese teas are often slightly more matte in colour than the Japanese green teas.
A.C. Perchs export and import many variants of the green tea, all of which bring unique tasting experiences. You can read more about the green teas and buy them online here on the website.