The historical source of Chongqing camellia

Chongqing is one of the main tea producing areas in China, Chongqing tea plantation has a long history, in our country's reliable written records about tea began in the early Western Han Dynasty BC, Yang Xiong wrote "dialect" Yun: "Southwest Shu people call tea Yue," Sima Xiangru "Fan Jiang" article contains "Tsuen tea," Wang Bao wrote the "Covenant" there are "Wuyang buy vegetables", "cook tea to the fullest" sentences, all three of them are famous scholars in Shu land during the Western Han Dynasty, so southwest Hubei, southeast Sichuan (now Chongqing) is the origin of Chinese tea is very credible; "Chongqing Tuo Tea", "Cuiping Silver Needle Tea", "Xinong Maojian", etc., are all the best in tea, and Chongqing Tuo Tea has won the International Gold Award.

Chongqing people in daily life is inseparable from tea, talk about business to drink tea, friends to get together to drink tea, unit friendship also to drink tea, men after work into the door of the wife handed over is also a cup of steaming tea, is the Chongqing people's favorite hot pot must also have tea to accompany the meal, men's favorite drink, is "Chongqing Tuo tea", women generally drink "jasmine tea" produced in Chongqing; Tuo tea a general two two, like an inverted small bowl, the tea is beaten very tightly, the outside with a white paper printed with the manufacturer wrapped, buy home, generally have to use things to break, only to be able to make tea to drink, drink bitter back to sweet, put more put less, I drank it, to the night is not sleepy, excited no drowsiness, it is afraid of fear, men say that Tuo tea is very comfortable, refreshing and tired, just because Tuo tea is brewed out of particularly sour, its taste is particularly strong, the irritation is particularly strong, so that the strong taste stimulates the mouth, tongue, nose, throat, Will feel particularly comfortable, which is in line with Chongqing's human nature is urgent, and like to stimulate the character characteristics, men generally put more tuo tea, a stone two two tuo tea can not be brewed for a few days.

Women generally have a special love for jasmine tea, when brewing this tea, jasmine dried flowers in the water slowly stretched into a white flower, heavy and floating, in the dark tea leaves under the foil is good-looking, open the lid with water vapor overflowing, full of house fragrance and jasmine unique fragrance, smell its spirit are one of the vibration, jasmine tea taste is also better, light sweet, fragrant and not bitter, Chongqing women drink jasmine tea is not much, more is also greasy, astringent, no more, no less, a handful, just right, When the man saw it, he would say, "A few flowers, a few tea leaves swirling in the water, this is called drinking tea?" At best, you tasted some tea!" The women smiled at best, still drinking just the right jasmine tea, and the mood at the end of the day was happy.

From a small memory, I made tea for my grandfather who loved to drink tea as a helper, just a helper, watched him brew, handed him a glass jar filled with tuo tea, watched him grab a handful of black tuo tea and put it into an empty cup, then poured in some piping hot boiling water, covered the tea cup, poured the water in the tea cup after a while, back and forth three times before he would take a sip of tea to his mouth, and when he took a sip, he would squint his eyes and take a long breath, which was very comfortable, and then he took a big sip, and drank the tea in the cup in a few clicks.

I couldn't understand what was good about this tea, it was hot and bitter, it wasn't good at all, and I thought he was wasting it, and the water in the cup of tea the first two times had to be poured out, and Grandpa said: "One open is water, two open is too light, three open is tea." Until I grew up, I understood what this "open" meant, referring to the brewing of tea, we in Chongqing called boiling water with a water temperature of one hundred degrees Celsius, and also pointed out that this tuo tea should be hot to drink, only comfortable.

When I was a child, Chongqing was full of tea houses, many such as cattle hair, are relatively simple, generally a few tables, square tables, long wooden benches, tea are covered bowls, with tea are some cigarettes, hemp sugar, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hawthorn slices, dried red amaranth and so on snacks, there are two things in the tea house are essential, one is tea, the second is storytelling, we in Chongqing will be in the tea house to put bowls and flush water, honored as "Dr. Tea", "Dr. Tea" on the tea kung fu is a must, when I was a child, I often went to the tea house to find Grandpa, often watch "Dr. Tea" on tea, Often watch the stay, to be called several times by grandpa to go home with him, "Tea Doctor" are men, generally standing about a meter away from the table, with the middle finger of the index finger sandwich tea dish a rub, even throwing and rubbing, the dish will be straight and spinning, spinning to the tea guests to stop, and then The tea Doctor walked around, put a tea bowl on each plate, and returned to the original place, with his fingers to screw out the tea bowl lid, the lid is attached to the saucer in place, and then, he lifted the belly mouth long, polished the pot shiny; Look at him, left hand on the crotch, right hand on the pot. Raise to qi ear, eyes staring at a tea bowl, the large pot tilted a little, a little bit of collection, only to see the tea like a transparent sleeve arrow, from the spout to the bowl mouth rushed to go, but did not, the arrow into the bowl, the table without dripping spills, finished, he put the bowl lid in the palm of his hand, with his fingers around the dish, suddenly with the middle finger to pick a hook, the lid is good to buckle in the tea bowl, the tea water spread to the bowl together, like a slightly smaller circle of white lid with a ring amber edge.

Absolutely, now "Tea Doctor" changed to the tea master, in the high-end hotel private room there is this kind of service, generally young waiters, or cover the bowl, the tea master does not throw the dish, covered, the waiter has long been on the table, the belly of the big pot is still there, the tea master standing at the table to brew tea The action of brewing tea has been retained, the diners like to call the tea master to pour tea, the tea has evolved into a performance, into a hotel scenery.

Teahouse storytelling, when I was a child, the impression was more to listen to the old people, basically did not hear, now very famous storytellers Li Boqing, Wu Wen's Chongqing "words" sounded in the streets and alleys of Chongqing.

Nowadays, in the remote back streets, suburbs, far counties can also see tea houses, in the city tea houses mostly evolved into "tea houses", "tea house" environment is generally more elegant, there is background music, air conditioning, etc., tea is generally a small pot of three cups, multiple people ten yuan plus a cup, a pot of tea from a few yuan to hundreds of yuan range, in the "tea house" in addition to stir-fry dishes do not sell, everything, Chongqing people now go to the "tea house" is to invite a few friends to go to leisure, entertainment and contact feelings, in the "tea house" rarely see the tea work.

Among the four major Lai series in China, the taste is the most domineering, when the number of Sichuan cuisine, especially Chongqing hot pot, Chongqing people eat hot pot must not be less than one thing - tea, no matter the winter, summer and spring and autumn as long as you eat hot pot, must be accompanied by clear heat detoxification, relieve the hot pot dry heat tea, generally is lao yin tea and kuding tea, the store generally uses a large pot to boil a large pot of tea, warm in winter, cool in the summer early, diners come to sit down first to serve tea, let the guests drink, that day less tea, this shop business do not want to do a good job.

Lao Yin tea and Kuding tea are particularly effective in quenching summer and thirst, so every household in Chongqing has to brew a large pot of Kuding tea, Lao Yin tea, adults and children drink, lao yin tea taste better, light back sweet, not astringent, kuding tea to be bitter.

Chongqing people drink tea foreigners are not accustomed to, Jiangsu and Zhejiang people drink tea, like to use Yixing teapot, small teapot can not hold much water, Fujian Gongfu teapot can not hold much water, up is not enough Chongqing people to drink two sips, Chongqing people drink tea without any "culture", do not talk about what is excessive, all cattle drinking, showing the Chongqing people rough, practical style.

This is of course related to the climate of Chongqing, Chongqing summer is hot, moving a full body sweat, need to replenish water, drinking tea is not just for the sake of refreshment, if not cow drink, little by little sipping, let people feel more thirsty unbearable, to winter the weather is cold, Chongqing and do not provide heating, the general home is not roasted, often need to drink hot tea to keep cold, boiling water mixed in the cup, slowly taste, the water will soon be cold, cold tea to drink not only lack the taste of the tea, but also make people more cold, so only cow drink, so, Chongqing people do not understand the "pin" word for drinking tea, Chongqing people mostly use large cups to make tea, and men especially like to use large cups.