Chinese Tea Ceremony: Red Blossom

Red tea and red blossom tea, are two separate tea types.

The tea ceremony has deep roots within Chinese culture and makes use of many types of teas. Types used for these ceremonies include red tea and red blossom tea.

Tea Ceremony Basics

The Chinese tea ceremony dates back to the Tang Dynasty, 618 to 907 A.D. The general philosophy of "cha dao," meaning "the way of tea," connects to Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The philosophical spirit of the ceremony, "he, jing, yi, zhen" roughly translates to "peace, quiet, enjoyment and truth."

Numerous occasions can be marked with a tea ceremony, most markedly weddings. During a Chinese wedding tea ceremony, the bride formally introduces herself to the groom's family.

Red Blossom Teas

A broad variety of Chinese teas exist, one of the most distinct being herbal teas. Herbs or flowers steep in hot water, flavoring the water in a healthy, caffeine free way. Red blossom tea refers to any Chinese tea that steeps red flower blossoms. A common red tea is carnation flower tea, thought to improve circulation and metabolism.

Red Teas

Red tea, as opposed to red blossom tea, refers to the Chinese name for western black tea. The tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis plant and oxidize to a reddish black color before steeping in hot water.

References

• Seven Cups: Chinese Tea Ceremony History
• Chinese Wedding Guide: Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony
• Tea Cuppa: Carnation Flower Tea
• Dr. Weil: Tea - Red, Green or Black?

Resources

• Red Blossom Tea Company: Who We Are
• Specialty Food: Red Blossom Tea