The Chinese classify tea into six main types: green (unfermented); white; yellow; oolong (green semi-fermented); red (fully fermented and what is known as black tea in the west); and dark tea (Pur-erh, sometimes called black tea). The latter is a very dark 100 percent fermented tea, the best coming from Yunnan. It is treated much like wine with different vintages and grades, and its own terminology. It is bought by the young, financially savvy in China as an investment to be stored and resold in 10 to 20 years, but by the older tea lover to be stored and savoured once it has reached its full maturity. A tea brick (compressed tea) from the early 1920s currently sells for much money. Pu-ehr is the tea, that I like the best and I have some of it always at home.

Preparation Pu-erh
1.You give one litre of water that itself warm.You give in teakettle five teaspoons pu-erh and water it.
2.You can leach out tea since two till five minutes.
3.You have to pour tea in other teakette through sieve. If you want, you can relish tea with honey or syrup.

Preparation other tea sorts is similar. They differ just in time of leach. Green tea soak max 3 minutes and this tea water with water, that have 70 °C. White , yellow and oolong soak about 5 minutes and rooibos soak 6 minutes, but it depend on quality.

Tea quickly became a vital part of Japanese culture, and Chado, or the Japanese tea ceremony as it is commonly known in western cultures, is at the centre of this. Chado is guided by the four principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, and is an expression of the participants’ true inner nature. The serving and taking of tea becomes a spiritual experience.
I describe myself as „a hardened tea-drinker“, who has for several years diluted his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating plant; whose kettle has scarcely time to cool; who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with tea welcomes the morning.“
Even I´m drinking for me the best tea in the world, pu-erh, now. And it is soon midnight... I know, that tea is my little dependence. :) But who haven´t any?