China is the home of tea. According to historical sources, the culture of tea has over 3000 years worth of history in China.  uring this long period, tea has taken a central role in the life of the Chinese. There is a common Chinese saying telling you that a house needs to have seven things: wood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea.

The habit of drinking tea is deeply rooted in Chinese's life. An intellectual, Lu Yu, wrote the Chajing (Book of Tea) in the 7^th Century. Soon after this time, tea was drunk all over the country. It was popular among all social classes, from the emperor, right down to soldiers and merchants. The tea drinking habit also spread abroad, to Vietnam, Korea and Japan. At the beginning of the 17^th Century, Holland started importing tea for the first time. Some fifty years later, the English started doing the same and tea became, from that time, a well known beverage, the world over.

Tea is made from tea leaves, gathered before they reach full growth. Various tea varieties are obtained by processing the leaves differently. The key is in the fermentation. The colour of the tea changes during the fermentation process, gradually changing from green to red. The longer the leaves are fermented, the deeper red they become. Moreover, depending on the fermentation level, leaves can take on the flavor of flowers, fruits or caramel. In total, there are six varieties of tea grown in China.

Unfermented tea is called green tea. Once brewed, it takes a pale green or light yellow colour, and has a fresh smell. Fully fermented tea is called red tea, (or black tea in the West) because of the dark colour after having been brew. Oolong tea, also called blue-green tea, and is partially fermented tea.

There is also a variety known as white tea, which has been slightly fermented.  It is so called because of the white, or sometimes greenish, fuzz on it. Even more uncommon is yellow tea, which is also slightly fermented. The fermentation process is almost the same as for the green tea, except for the adding of an herb called Menhuang to the tea leaves. The yellow colour comes from the same herbs that are used in Junshan and Yinzhen teas.

Black tea is described as a "post fermented" tea, which means that leaves are squeezed after fermentation in order to complete the tea production. Pu'er tea is a good example of black tea, with is a dark brown, almost black colour. With is mild but peculiar taste, it is well-known for its medicinal value.

Tea is China's national drink. It contains a lot of vitamins, and is supposed to be beneficial for eyesight, and for helping you to relax. Consequently, the Chinese think that drinking tea helps to prolong life. Scientific research has proven the medical value of tea. As a result of its very long history in the country, China offers the world's largest variety of tea, currently standing at over a thousand varieties.