Tea Culture

Tea Culture

Because of the rich history and the love for tea in the East, tea is much more than a drink. When you’re offered a cup of tea, you can feel the history and culture. This begins with the way of drinking the tea, the tea ceremony. In northern China people use a glass or a bowl. In the South people have the kongfu tea ceremony, where the small cups are a symbol for the preciousness of tea. Depending on the type of tea and place where the tea is consumed, there is a vast variety of glass, porcelain, stone, wood, iron or clay tea set available. Each type of tea set has its own impact on the taste, like Pu'erh tea, which taste the best in the Yixing teapot (clay) and iron goddess is best served in porcelain. Anyone who tries this themselves will notice that the tea actually tastes better by using the right tea ware. Besides the right teaware, you’ll notice as well the host or hostess will follow a sequence of handing out cups to the guests by order of importance. Cups should poured seven-tenths full, because the last three-tenths is filled with friendship and affection (if the cups are completely full, then this is for the guest to sign to leave). When drinking the tea cups with three fingers you’ll show strength or the beauty of a flower. Also, you should to drink the tea in three sips, preceded by an important first step: enjoying the tea by smelling the fragrance.

The various rituals and ceremonies vary by region and type of tea, which make tasting Chinese tea a real adventure.