Chinese tea is world wide popular. As its name suggests, Chinese tea originated in China. It is consumed during number of times during the day along with meals or just as beverage also. The specific Chinese tea refers to that particular kind of leaves of tea that are processed with the means of ancient tradition of China.

The origination of Chinese tea has an interesting legend behind it. It is said that Shennong, the Chinese emperor discovered it when a Camellia sinensis tree leaf fell in the underneath boiling water. So important the Chinese tea is, for the natives of China, that it ranks prominently amongst its seven mandatory necessities. Chinese tea is as important to Chinese’ as is the rice, firewood, salt, oil, vinegar and sauce.

The Chinese tea comes in large varieties mainly due to the reason that different processes are implemented over it at the time of the harvesting of leaves. To specify few of them, the green and white tea leaves are boiled and cooked thus to prevent their oxidization. This oxidization is also known as fermentation which is caused due to the presence of natural enzymes. Another variety of Oolong teas are not oxidized completely. The complete oxidization is done of red and black teas through various steps of processing.

The superlative Chinese tea also comes in variety of green tea, yellow tea and white tea. They are extracted out of new, soft shoots that are picked during early Spring season. Those tea varieties that are given more oxidization are Oolong and red tea. They are derived from mature leaves and thus have distinct features.

Chinese tea also plays an important role in the marriage tradition of China. There is a custom where the groom and the bride kneel down in front of their respective parents and serve them tea. This gesture conveys their thanksgiving to their parents for bringing them up. When they are getting married, they are thanking their parents for enabling them to see this day.

Chinese also show their respect towards others by offering them a cup of tea. In olden days, the people belonging to lower strata served tea to the people belonging to higher strata. Even if an apology is to be made seriously, the tea is served to the person to whom forgiveness is being asked. It is believed that if the receiver drinks the tea then it implies that the apology has been accepted.