The practice of drinking tea has had a long history in China,having originated from there.The Chinese drink tea during many parts of the day such as at meals for good health or simply for pleasure.Although tea originates from China,Chinese tea generally represent tea leaves which have been processed using methods inherited from ancient China.According to popular legend,tea was discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE when a leaf from a Camellia sinensis tree fell into water the emperor was boiling.Tea is deeply woven into the history and culture of China.The beverage is considered one of the seven necessities of Chinese life,along with firewood,rice,oil,salt,sauce[clarification needed] and vinegar.
Some writers classify tea into four categories,white,green,oolong and black.Others add categories for red,scented and compressed teas.All of these come from varieties of the Camellia sinensis plant.Chinese flower tea (花茶),while popular,is not a true tea.Most Chinese tea is consumed in China and is not exported.Green tea is the most popular type of tea used in China.
Within these main categories of tea are vast varieties of individual beverages.Some researchers have counted more than 700.Others put the number at more than 1,000.Some of the variations are due to different strains of the Camilla plant.The popular Tie Guan Yin 鐵觀音,for example,is traced back to a single plant discovered in Anxi 安溪 in the Fujian province.Other teas draw some of their characteristics from local growing conditions.However,the largest factor in the wide variations comes from differences in tea processing after the tea leaves are harvested.White and green teas are heat treated (shāqīng (殺青)) soon after picking to prevent oxidization,often called fermentation,caused by natural enzymes in the leaves.Oolong teas are partially oxidized.Black and red teas are fully oxidized.Other differences come from variations in the processing steps.