One summer day on his way to visit a distant region of his domain, a servant begins gathering dried leaves to brew for the court to drink. The emperor as a scientist, interested by the flavor of the beverage, found it soothing and rejuvenating, and tea was discovered and the first Chinese tea ceremony was thus performed.
Aside from this tale, there are several other stories which depict the discovery of tea and the evolution of the Chinese tea ceremony through the centuries. Nonetheless, modern tea aficionados are blending tradition and modern secrets to drinking tea to make it more enjoyable.
In a Chinese tea ceremony, the limelight is on the tea itself rather than the ceremony. Each step in the process is seen to be a sensory adventure – the smell, sight, and taste of the tea. It is also a major vein in Chinese culture, inspiring artists, intellectuals, aristocrats as well as the common people who love tea.
Tea was first cultivated and harvested exclusively for its medicinal purposes in temples and shrines. The monks first used tea as a means to teach respect for nature, a sense of humility, and an overall feeling of peace and calm. As a matter of fact, the spirit of the Chinese can be described as he, jing, yi, and zhen which is translated into peace, quiet, enjoyment, and truth.
Chinese tea ceremony is an integral part of Chinese culture and is performed as:
- A sign of showing respect when younger generations propose a cup of tea to the elders. And in terms of stature, the subordinates served tea to their superiors.
- In family get-togethers wherein children invite their elders for a treat of a cup of tea from being away, before getting married, or as part as celebrating the Chinese holidays.
- A sign of apologetic action; when a child pours tea on his parents’ cup connotes servility.
- A sign of expressing gratitude to the elders on the wedding day with the bride and groom on their knees and serve tea to their parents.
- A mark for family acquaintances; the tea ceremony on weddings favored the acceptance of the new couple, refusal to drink tea may indicate disagreement.
There are six aspects which should be considered when performing a Chinese tea ceremony. You need not only some technical knowledge but also delicate skills to whip off a successful Chinese tea ceremony that will relax your guests.
Attitude – The attitude of the person performing the ceremony is a huge factor. You should be happy and confident. Your attitude reflects the mood of the ceremony so that you have to be relaxed and radiate a calm energy to create a peaceful and enjoyable Chinese tea ceremony.
- Tea Selection – You can be overwhelmed by the subtle differences in the varieties of tea and there are many aspects to consider when choosing the right tea. The tea of your choice should have a beautiful story and name as well as the ideal fragrance, shape and taste
- Water Selection – It’s not just about the tea leaves, the quality of water you will use in brewing tea is also vital. Even the best quality tea leaves will have poor taste if you use water of bad quality. So to ensure a wonderful tasting tea, use only pure, light and clean water.
- Tea Set Selection – It is essential to pick the ideal tea set for brewing your tea leaves. These tea sets are works of art themselves so that your guests can fully appreciate the experience.
- Ambiance – A clean, comfortable and quiet room is the ideal venue for tea ceremony, though you can also do it outdoors provided you have serene and relaxing spot to perform a Chinese tea ceremony.
- Technique – Aside from a graceful manner seen through hand movements, facial expressions and clothing, some basic skills for brewing tea are also needed for a perfectly executed Chinese tea ceremony.
Today, there are about 3,000 varieties of but can be roughly categorized into six basic varieties: white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh, and flavored. White tea is the rarest of the varieties. Green tea has been proven by scientific studies to have good antioxidant properties. Meanwhile, oolong tea is regarded as the finest, and thus, most expensive variety. Black tea is the most common type of tea in the world and is made by fermenting the leaves for several hours before drying or heating them. Pu-erh, on the other hand, is a unique type of tea which undergoes fermentation twice. Since teas can easily soak up other flavors and aromas so that enhancing tea have been a widespread practice and flavored teas have also become favorites all throughout and has become part of the Chinese tea ceremony.
After reading this, you can now appreciate your cup of tea better…so enjoy and relax.
Here are a few videos on a Chinese Tea Ceremony
Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony
An ancient Chinese Tradition.
