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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'' and ''humidity'' in the body. Therefore, Chinese herb tea is referred to as ''cold tea'' or ''cooling 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. Chinese herb tea plays a crucial role in the title and the plot of the 1961 novel ''Eat a Bowl of Tea'' by Louis Chu. == History == The history of herbal teas is said to have started in approximately 350 A.D. due to the efforts of an individual named Lu Yu (陸羽) writing in Chinese upon a parchment scroll entitled ‘The Classic of Tea’ (茶經)〔The Classic of Tea (ISBN 0-316-53450-1); Lu, Yu; Intro & Translation By Francis Ross Carpenter, Illustrated by Hitz, Demi;Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. 1974〕 that included information regarding the cultivation, processing, and uses of tea.〔Lady RoseWillow.(2009). (History of Herbal Tea ). 24 September 2009〕 But the first cup of tea is said to have been born in an accident thousands of years earlier: It is said that, in 2737 B.C, there was a Chinese Emperor named Shen-Nung (神農) who was boiling some water〔Jane Reynolds, Phil Gates, Gaden Robinson (1994). 365 Days of Nature and Discovery. New York: Harry N. Adams. p. 44. ISBN 0-8109-3876-6〕 — a commonly practiced method used to purify water — whereupon some leaves from a nearby bush unexpectedly blew into the pot. He, however, did not see that occur and covered the pot while the leaves still floated in the water. Subsequently, smelling the scent of the brew, he became curious and tasted it. This became the first born of teas, evolving over the centuries into the herbal and medicinal teas of today. Shen-Nung also wrote a book entitled ‘Shénnóng Běn Cǎo Jīng’ (神農本草經).〔Yang, Shou-zhong. The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica: A Translation of the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. USA, Blue Poppy Press, 2007〕 The book stated that "Shennong tasted hundreds of herb, he encountered seventy two poisons daily and used tea as an antidote". The book also includes various uses and function of herbs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chinese herb tea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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