It is believed that Chinese herbal tea was discovered by Emperor Shen Nung of China in 2737 BC. While camping near the forest, he was walking around while his servant began to boil water over the fire. Wind whipped up, causing a leaf from the tea plan, otherwise known as the Camilla sinensis plant to fall into the water. Since Nung was also an herbalist, he decided to leave it to brew.
From the Beginning
Ever since that day some 4,000 years ago, tea has been revered for its healing properties, as well as being a great beverage, hot or cold. It was during the 3rd century that word started spreading about all the benefits from herbal tea and even documents were written. However, it would not be until 618 AD during China’s Tang Dynasty that this beverage became known as Chinese herbal tea, the country’s official drink. At that time, tea was called ch’a.
From China, the popularity of exotic tea spread throughout the world, reaching Russia where it was popular in tea rooms, Japan, the beverage used in official tea ceremonies, and even to Britain where it was enjoyed and sold in quaint tea shops. For several hundred years, people were introduced to the rejuvenating and soothing flavor and effects associated with tea in general.
Refreshing and Delicious
One of the biggest benefits of drinking different types of tea, such as white tea or the best green tea is the refreshing flavor. When nothing is added, tea also offers no calories, great for a cold beverage without unwanted calories. To give you an idea of what these special teas offer, if you were to add a slight amount of milk, four cups would provide 17% of the daily recommended dose for calcium, 22% of vitamin B2, and 5% of zinc, folic acid, and vitamins B1 and B6.
You will also find that many types of herbal tea are rich in potassium, great to maintain fluid needed in the body, as well as magnesium, which is required for proper development. As you can see, Chinese herbal tea is truly an amazing beverage, one that everyone can enjoy thanks to the wide variety of choices.
