Participating In The Chinese Tea Ceremony

The Chinese tea ceremony is a very important part of traditional Chinese culture. The tea ceremony has inspired songs, poems, artwork and even lifelong friendships. The ritual involved in drinking tea in China, one that has held a special place in the hearts of Chinese intellectuals, aristocracy and poets.

The Chinese tea ceremony places more emphasis on the tea that is being served than the ceremony itself. During the ritual of the tea ceremony, careful attention is paid to what the tea tastes like, what it smells like and how it compares to other tea. Since more emphasis is placed on the tea rather than the ceremony, different people have performed the ceremony in different ways; two ceremonies are rarely alike. However, there are some elements that are common throughout China that have remained unchanged for centuries.

Most of the tea used in Chinese tea ceremonies comes from Taiwan and is grown at about 4,000 feet. These teas are known to be particularly refined and include lightly fermented oolong teas and more strongly fermented red teas. The tea is typically served in small cups that match the unglazed teapot. A traditional Chinese tea cup is just large enough for about two swallows of tea, although larger cups are more popular in southern coastal China.

Brewing Chinese Tea

Once the water is heated to boiling, the teapot is thoroughly rinsed out and filled about 1/3 full of tea leaves. The tea leaves are usually scooped into the pot with chopsticks or a bamboo tea scoop. The boiling water is then poured into the pot over the tea leaves over a bowl that catches overflowing water. The water is then drained to rinse the tea leaves. The pot is then filled with hot water again and placed in the bowl. More hot water is poured on top of the closed pot to ensure a uniform temperature inside and outside of the teapot. After the tea steeps for 30 seconds, the tea is ready to drink. The tea is poured into each cup by moving the pot in a continual motion in a circle. Each cup should get the same amount of tea, and each cup should taste exactly the same. After it is brewed, the tea can be transferred to a different pot or a pitcher so that guests can enjoy it at their leisure.

It should be noted that the water used in the ceremony is also very important. The chlorine and fluoride frequently found in tap water can affect the taste of the tea and should be filtered out, while distilled water only makes flat tea. Most Chinese tea should also not be made with boiling water as it can harm the taste of the tea.


----------------------------------------------------
Karen Davis is a yixing teapot enthusiast. She is the founder of brownstoneshopper, an online webstore that has been helping people find information on the teas that China produces. Sign up for tips at http://www.brownstoneshopper.com/contact


EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=336437