User:Keroobean/Green Tea

History

Green tea as a long history in Japan. It is a same as tea ceremony history. It was a Chinese man named Rikyu that brought knowledge of tea into Japan for the first time. How to grow tea plants, to crop, to use tools and to drink are written in a detailed book.

In the Kamakura era, Eisai and Dogen brought tea (maccha) Japan but the people drank it as medicine rather than tea. They gradually spread with Zen Buddhism. Tea ceremony was embeaced mental discipline. Furthermore, the custom drinking tea gradually spread.

In the Muromachi era, tea tasting competition were popular. People also gambled on these competitions. However it was also a poplar gamble. Juko Murata, the originator of rustic tea ceremony, prohibited these competitions. The rustic tea ceremony was perfection afterwards of the Azuchimomoyama era by [Jou Takeno and Rikyu Senno.

In the Edo era, the rustic tea ceremony spread out to the public and it became an artistic accomplishment. Therefore "to draw out the beuty of inside of the person's heart" that was its original purpose came to be emphasized. The motto 和敬清寂 (Wa Kei Sei Jaku) which was famous for tea ceremony was brought about by this process. Modern tea ceremonies were completed in this way.

In the Meiji era', tea ceremony died out for while. But it was revived by what was incorporated in a kind of education for girls. The types also changed to beautiful and gorgeous. The tea ceremony was outworn at one time but it revived and it is popularized in the world today.

How to drink

There are various kind of green tea, and there is a special rule to drink powdered green tea used at tea ceremony. It is not just to drink tea. One movement has a lot of means and rules. What is more the movements are decided order.

First, bow if a bowl is carried out in a tea-ceremony room, and it is put the front of you. Second, take the bowl in right hand between visitor and you and say hello to the visitor. Third, take the bowl in right hand between next visitor and you and say hello to the visitor. Fourth, take the bowl in right hand and put it front of your knee on tatami mat it is you are sitting on. Fifth, take the bowl in right hand and out on left had and turn it to right twice. Sixth, drink green tea. Seventh, if you consumed green tea, wipe a birm lightly at the finger-tip of the right hand. Eighth, wipe finger-tip by kaishi which is a special paper at tea ceremony. Ninth, turn the bowl to left twice. The tenth, put the bowl front of your knee on the tatami mat.

Today there are three schools into tea ceremony. Omote-Senke, Ura-Senke and Mushakoji-Senke. They were created by third generation head of a school Soutan Genpaku's three sons. Sousa Koushin created ground of Omote-Senke who is third son. Soushitsu Sensou created ground of Ura-Senke who is forth son. Soushu Ichiou created ground of Mushakoji-Senke who is oldest son. They have original manners each other.

How to make

Tea is cultivated and harvested. First heat-treat it by steaming a tea leaf (a green leaf) which included a stem, a bud and the kouyou(硬葉) it is hard leaves. This heating processing is called sassei(殺青). Sassei is performed by steaming is called zyousei (蒸青）. The work of messaging and crushing is distributed into four stages sozyuu (粗揉), zyuunen (揉捻), chuuzyuu (中揉) and zyounen (精捻). Next, the rubbed tea leaf is dried to fix the form of the tea leaf. Finally, the rubbed tea leaf is cut off with a sieve and divided from the tree stems.

Green tea is used mainly in China and Japan. However, it is mainstream in China to roast tea leaves in a kettle. Unlike China, the tea leaf is steamed in Japan to suppress oxidation and fermentation and preserve enzymes in the tea leaf. Such tea is called non-fermented tea.

Effect

It is said that "green tea is very good for being on a diet" in Japan. The reason is because the Japanese think that katekin included in green tea holds the accumulation of the body fat in check. However, the mechanism how katekin holds the accumulation of the body fat in check is still unknown. According to the other view, drinking katekin seems to promote the discharge of bile. It reinforces fat consumption in the liver and muscles, and the bile makes it easy to use fat as energy. Thus it seems to be said that the green tea including a lot of katekin is good for the diet.

The tea includes Tannin controlling saponin, which removes refuse between teeth and some germs in the mouth. In addition, fluorine, which makes a tooth strong, is included in tea. Drinking tea helps prevent cavities. Vitamin C in the tea has been noticed, but it emerged that green tea has a lot of vitamin E from a recent study. Vitamin E is said to has the effect of preventing the aging. Katekin is the chief ingredient in tannin that prevents cancer.

Statistics

First, the green tea population of the whole country of 2004 is 100,700 tons. 6,870 tons are produces in the Kinki region. Shizuoka Prefecture is the most produce place of tea. It was produced 44,200 tons.

Second, Kagoshima Prefecture is 7,640 tons, and Mie Prefecture was Prefecture was made 25,200 tons. In Kinki region, it was produced 2,950 tons in KYoto. Kyoto is famouse the tea which name Ujicha(宇治茶) . Moreover 2,920 tons was produced in Nara. This is famous place the most produce Yamatocha.

Finally, Tea was a typical exported item of Japan from the Meiji era to Taisho era. Mainly, the production increase was done by tea aiming at export. And records the export of 31,000 tons or more around the North America market in 1917 of the peak. However, it decreases every year afterwards. And it has fallen up to 200 ton in 1991. Recently the effect of green tea was wide and it came to be known. The volume of exports increases mainly a senior green tea for Germany and the United States up to about 800 tons (1999).On the other hand, the import of green tea is found to 12% in China. Besides this, tea is 13,800 tons. Oolong tea is imported by 23,400 tons. And the amount of the total import from various places in the world of year has gone up to about 50,000 tons. Th amount of the tea importing and exporting in the world goes up to 129,200 tons. Green tea among these it does not pass accounting for 126,000 tons.

Famous people

There were many people who concerned to developed of green tea. It can not too say that if they were not , can not drink green tea now. And they are called Chajin(茶人).

First, the pioneer of name who name Eisaizensi(栄西禅師).He is the first person who made tea known to Japan. Moreover he informed the Japanese that about the good efforts of tea at first time. He had gone to China 4 years. In this time, he learned about tea. And he brought tea to Japan. He wrote Kissayouseiki(喫茶養生記) to inform the good effects for Japanese. Also it was written to make the tea production.

Second, the person developed tea ceremony name Sennorikyu(千利休). It is said that he invented the tea ceremony. Rikyu started an original tea ceremony at 61 years old. His tea ceremony omitted the useless tool. And he did not use tea ceremony tools that made of China. He used tools made in Japan. Moreover he designed it himself and made the tools that cut the bamboo. So, such his tools were not expensive because as mush as possible did not use quality goods of China.

Finally, Takabayasi Kenzo(高林謙三) developed a machine to mass-produce green tea. He was hoped to mechanize of production of a large amount of tea at 19th end of the century. He was a pioneer of tea manufacture.

References

Wikipedia. The Wikipedia foundation. Retrieved on 1 July 2009.

Sadonyumon. All about tea ceremony Web. Retrieved on 20 July 2009.

Okakura Kakuzo. (1989). The Book of Tea. Kodansha International Ltd, Japan. ISBN 4-7700-1542-9, p.29.

Isemura Mamoru. (2006). Health Beneficial Functions and Development of Tea Goods. CMC Publishing Co. , Ltd, Japan. p.326.

Ochakaido. Famous peple Web. Retrieved on 28 June 2009.

Sennorikyu. Sennorikyu Web. Retrieved on 28 June 2009.

O-cha net. All about tea Web. Retrieved on 28 June 2009.

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