Dear Mr. Eton: Could you please purchase the finest tea for me in Macau… I will cover all the expenses. Yours, Richard Wickham. On June 27, 1615, Wickham wrote to Eton, an agent of the East India Company in Macau, with such a request. In 1610, the Dutch East India Company shipped tea out of China. Since then, Chinese tea, with the Netherlands as its trading center, has successfully been sold across the European continent after crossing the seas.
In the 1630s, tea drinking became widespread among the British. Subsequently, tea was included in British military supplies, with black tea, in particular, becoming the ‘vodka’ of British soldiers, not only fragrant but also invigorating. At that time, Qing official Zhao Ji recorded, ‘The Atlantic Ocean is ten thousand miles away from China, and the foreign ships that come, the Chinese goods they need are also only tea is urgent, and when the ship is full, its use is also extreme beyond the Western Sea,’ which is evidence of the urgency of tea. After that, the trend of tea drinking spread from the UK to Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and other places, sweeping across the entire European continent. In the 1660s, Europe saw quite exaggerated tea advertisements, ‘A high-quality drink recognized by doctors from China.’ ‘Every civilization needs luxury foods and a series of stimulating stimulants, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, people were fascinated by spices and pepper; in the 16th century, there was liquor; then tea, coffee. ..’ ‘The Civilization of Material, Economy, and Capitalism from the 15th to the 18th Century’ summarizes the Chinese tea that went to the world. Of course, as the country of origin and the largest producer of black tea, the pursuit of black tea is not limited to blending. An old tea connoisseur once jokingly told me, ‘Only pure drinking can highlight the true charm of black tea.’ Imagine a quiet autumn day, taking a white porcelain pot or a purple sand pot, casually throwing tea, and a hot water rush is a cup of fragrant and bright red, no need for brewing skills, no need to pay attention to so many details, all the good expectations for tea are inside: soup color, aroma, taste. What makes a good Chinese black tea?Keemun Black Tea: The ‘Queen of Black Tea’ Conquering the World’s Taste Buds. Speaking of aroma, one cannot avoid mentioning Keemun black tea, known as the ‘Queen of Black Tea’. Keemun black tea, along with Darjeeling from India and Uva from Ceylon, is known as the ‘World’s Top Three Fragrant Black Teas’. As early as 1915, it won the gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition with its unique ‘Keemun fragrance’. Keemun black tea, which has won the taste buds of the world, was described by Turkish poet Hikmet as ‘In the fragrance of Chinese tea, I found the fragrance of spring’, and many more people compare it to spring, smooth and smooth as if cocoa melts in the mouth, natural floral fragrance, and honey are as if they are the existence of spring.
Both harvested in spring, one boasts a high aroma, the other a sweet richness. Sipping the tea is like holding a piece of springtime in your mouth. We hope this serves as a prelude to Chinese tea and an introduction to beautiful moments. Whether you are the giver or the receiver, this gesture will convey the heartfelt wish: with tea by your side, love is always present.
