II Wachichao Herbal Tea: 2.1 Introduction

II Wachichao Herbal Tea

 Introduction

Chinese herb(al) tea or medicinal herbal tea is a kind of infusion made from purely Chinese medicinal herbs in Guangdong (Kwangtung), China. It usually tastes bitter or lightly sweet and its colour is typically black or dark brown, depending on what kinds of herbs are used. Although it is referred to as "tea", it seldom contains any part of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and is thus an herbal tea.

Cantonese people boil what are referred to as cooling herbs in Traditional Chinese medicine to make herbal tea, which is consumed in order to relieve the heat andhumidity in the body. Therefore, Chinese herb tea is referred to as cold tea orcooling tea in the Chinese language.

There are many kinds of cooling tea. Different kinds of tea are purported to cure or relieve a variety of diseases. Some teas are consumed to alleviate sore throats, some for flu, and others for a number of ailments.

Cooling tea is quite popular in Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong,. Many families make their tea at home. Some families are herb tea specialists who open their own shops, selling different kinds of herbal tea. Some shops have been open for 150 years in Guangzhou and 50–60 years in Hong Kong.

In 1990s and 2000s, cold tea has been bottled, canned or boxed by some herbal tea specialists and is being sold in supermarkets in Asia and Asian markets overseas as fewer and fewer families have time to make them at home. These products are usually sweetened.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herb_tea