Heaven has the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—and humans have the five organs—the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen. Similarly, Chinese tea, happens to be divided into five colors—white, yellow, black, red, and green—which give rise to the five flavors—spicy, sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. Between these five elements, five organs, five colors, and five flavors, a tightly interwoven “health circle” is formed.
The mystery of how “a single leaf can cure a hundred ailments”
Tea promotes health—a fact recorded in many ancient tea books and medical texts. The book Tea for Health praises the extraordinary qualities of tea, stating, “How precious is tea! It reaches the divine realms above and helps those suffering from overeating below. Medicines each target one ailment, each exerting its own effect, but tea is the medicine for all diseases.”
Tea is a pure and noble substance that can reach the divine realms and help those who suffer from overeating; it is a medicinal herb that can treat a hundred ailments. The mystery behind this ability of tea to heal a hundred ailments is systematically explained, based on the theory of the ancient Chinese Five Elements.
Heaven has the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—and humans have the five organs—the lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen. Similarly, Chinese tea, happens to be divided into five colors—white, yellow, black, red, and green—which give rise to the five flavors—spicy, sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. Between these five elements, five organs, five colors, and five flavors, a tightly interwoven “health circle” is formed.
The Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) points out that green corresponds to wood and is the color of the liver; red corresponds to fire and is the color of the heart; yellow corresponds to earth and is the color of the spleen; white corresponds to metal and is the color of the lungs; and black corresponds to water and is the color of the kidneys.
In the book The Book of Nourishing Old Age by Chen Zhi of the Song Dynasty, it is recorded: “Among the various foods and drinks, whether there are hundreds or thousands of varieties, their five energies, five flavors, coldness and heat, tonifying and purgative properties, are also derived from the yin and yang and the Five Elements, just like medicines. If people understand the nature of their food and adjust accordingly, it is twice as effective as taking medicines. Those skilled in using medicines are not as good as those skilled in using food.” Regardless of any health method, theory, or food consumed, they can all be interpreted using the ancient theory of the Five Elements and can be elevated to a higher level based on this theory. This is also true for tea.
The teas produced in China are divided into six categories: dark tea, white tea, black tea, green tea, yellow tea, and oolong tea. Among them, oolong tea belongs to the category of green tea, referred to as “qing” because it is green with a hint of red, wood containing fire. Its high-quality varieties, such as Tie Guan Yin and Oolong, are well-known across the country. They are classified separately from green teas, which demonstrates the particular preference of the Chinese people for them.
Thus, Chinese tea is actually five-colored tea: green tea, black tea, yellow tea, white tea, and dark tea. The five colors of tea can nourish the five organs, achieving the ultimate goal of health restoration, and by using the principles of generation and overcoming within the Five Elements to achieve harmony between heaven and earth, this is the truth behind drinking tea for health.
One: Green Tea
Green tea is an unfermented tea. In China, green tea is the most produced, has the most varieties, and is the most widely consumed. Its characteristic is clear soup and green leaves. In the Five Element teas, we usually consider oolong tea as a special form of green tea. Dragon Well from Hangzhou, Huangshan Maofeng, Biluochun from Dongting Lake, and Tai Mountain Daughter Tea are representative types of green tea.
Green tea corresponds to wood in the Five Elements, tastes sour, and has a fresh aroma; it enters the liver meridian, and since the liver governs blood, green tea can not only improve vision but also cleanse the blood and reduce blood clots; it is suitable for drinking in spring, helping to dispel wind and heat, eliminate inflammation, and relieve fire.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, spring “corresponds to growth, in qi it is wind, in the Five Elements it is wood, in the five organs it is the liver, and in color it is green.” Spring is the season when all things grow. After a winter of accumulation and closure, the cold and evil qi stored in the body needs to “be released in spring.” Most people will experience illnesses due to excessive liver yang at this time, so they should drink green tea with a high and sharp aroma. Green tea can refresh the mind, uplift the mood, and make one more alert, as well as clear the mind and elevate one's spirit. Drinking green tea in spring, matching color with color, can dispel wind and heat, harmonize the liver and improve vision, eliminate inflammation, and relieve pain.
Two: Black Tea
Black tea belongs to the fully fermented tea category, characterized by red soup, red leaves, and a sweet and fragrant taste. Keemun Black Tea is a representative variety.
Black tea corresponds to fire in the Five Elements, tastes bitter, and has a roasted aroma; it enters the heart meridian and affects the small intestine meridian, so black tea warms the middle, reducing the risk of heart disease; it is suitable for drinking in summer, cooling the body, quenching thirst, invigorating the spirit, strengthening the heart, and nourishing the blood.
Summer “corresponds to growth, in qi it is heat, in the Five Elements it is fire, in the five organs it is the heart, and in color it is red.” Summer is the season when plants are lush and green, and the energy of heaven and earth intermingle, allowing all things to thrive. The sun shines brightly, days are long, and nights are short, and the human body consumes a great deal of fluid, often leading to insufficiency of qi and blood. Palpitations, shortness of breath, irritability, and chest tightness are common signs of the body adapting to the season. Drinking black tea at this time is beneficial because black tea is warming and does not conflict with the season, dispelling heat, refreshing the spirit, strengthening the heart, and nourishing the blood.
Three: Yellow Tea
Yellow tea belongs to the fermented tea category, characterized by yellow leaves and yellow soup, tender buds and leaves, visible downy hairs, and a fresh and fragrant taste. Its yellow color is the result of a process called “damp stacking” during production. Yellow tea is further divided into three categories: yellow bud tea, young yellow tea, and mature yellow tea. Representative teas include Junshan Silver Needle, Mengding Yellow Bud, and Huoshan Yellow Bud.
Yellow tea corresponds to earth in the Five Elements, tastes sweet, and has a fragrant and greasy aroma; it enters the spleen meridian and connects to the stomach meridian, so yellow tea can regulate the spleen and stomach and aid digestion. It is suitable for drinking during mid-summer (also known as “late