The Chinese Art of Tea
Tea has been a part of Chinese culture forcenturies, and its popularity has still grown in recent years. The art of teaappreciation, known as Cha Yi (茶艺) in Chinese, is anintricate process that involves special equipment and ritual. However, it isalso about much more than just drinking the beverage; it is about how peopleinteract with their surroundings to create ceremony-like experiences for oneanother, even when they are alone.
Tea drinking habits vary greatly acrossChina: generally southerners like green tea, oolong tea and black tea,northerners like flower tea, and Chinese in southwestern provinces revere blacktea. But as the largest and oldest ethnic group in China, Chinese Han peoplehas special and traditional preference to drink pure tea. Although the methoddiffers, most of Chinese Han People respect pure tea drinking, which canmaintain the tea " authentic " with the experience of the"original tea nature ":it is to directly brew or boil tea withboiling water, without adding milk, mint, lemon and other beverages and spicesor fruits in the tea soup. Pure tea drinking method is typical for traditionalChinese tea art.
To truly appreciate tea, one must have theproper utensils and know the proper procedure and rituals. But even moreimportant than that is understanding the role tea plays within Chinese culture.By understanding the history and tradition behind tea, we can better appreciatethe simple beauty of this delicious beverage.
Tea ceremonies have been an important partof Chinese culture for thousands of years. There are several key aspects to atraditional Chinese tea ceremony:
1.Water.
Chinese have always valued the quality ofwater. In Chinese, water is used to describe liquid forms of nature, essence,spirit or energy. Water is the carrier of tea, with good water, you can smellthe fragrance of tea, taste the sweetness of tea, and enjoy the beautifulcolour of tea soup. Ancient Chinese attached great importance to making teawith spring water,science proves that springs are home to numerousmicroorganisms and these are essential to healthy skin and hair. Owing to ahigh mineral content found in rocks nearby, springs contain plenty of mineralsthat can be absorbed by earth's surface waters.
These elements team up to provide clearfresh drinking water which is the very foundation for tea making where thewater can be seen playing a crucial role in not only extracting the rich aromaand flavors from tea leaves but also in bringing out its magical colors; thismatch between tea and water has existed long before there was ever any suchthing as bottled water on Earth.
The water for tea should be clear andlight, not stagnant or heavy. It must also have good taste so that you canexperience the true flavor of your beverage without any interference from otherfactors.
2.Tea tools to make tea.
There are many tools that you can use whenpreparing Chinese tea, but some of them serve an essential purpose while othersjust make life easier. Below is a list to help get started!
Teapot
Chinese teapots are tasked with brewingsome of the most aesthetically pleasing and delicate tea in the world. Whilethere are many kinds, each type has its own traditional aesthetic. Fromhand-sized cups to antique dragon-shaped pots, each teapot holds its own appealfor the history within it.
Some teapots were originally made out ofclay without any glazing which makes them cool to touch even when hot (whichmeans you won't burn yourself). There are also some Chinese teapots made ofceramic, such as white porcelain and blue-and-white porcelain. Most of theGaiwan that we often see are ceramic.
The Gaiwan is a form of Chinese teapot usedin Asia since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). They have "lidded" sidesand can be made from both porcelain or clay pottery. As one of the earliestforms of teapot design, the purpose of this lidded form is to minimize contactbetween leaf and air, so as to prevent oxidization and ensure that the brewedtea maintains its flavor.
Chinese tea lovers often "raise"several clay teapots, each for a different kind of tea. The verb “raise” thatmeans to breed in Chinese also applies in this instance! As the clay poresabsorb some tea, they'll gradually fill up with oils from tea leaves which thenshine through as you use your teapot again and again! New teapots should bebathed in hot tea before their first use to eliminate any smells that may havebeen on them during production. There is no need to wash your teapot withdetergent. Just pour hot water in it and let the brew do its job!
Tea Cups
The teacups are a symbol of pure beauty.They come in many shapes and sizes, tall like miniature fruit juice glasses orshort with stout bodies! One cup can typically fill four to six cups dependingupon the size of your teapot.
Tea Pitcher
It is important to have a second teapot,called "tea pitcher" for pouring the tea when it's ready. Because thetea must not be left on the leaves more than a few minutes, and guests mightnot drink quickly enough. Sometimes they pour their drinks through small teafilters so small leaf particles don't get through into servings.
The Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony
The Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony is aset of essential tools for making Gongfu tea. These pieces can be found on anytraditional tea table and they each have their own unique function in thisprocess: The Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony consists of six tea utensils:tea utensils bottle, tea funnel, tea needle, tea tong, tea piker and teaspoon.
The tea funnel is the perfect tool to enjoyhigh-quality teas right at home. The funnel lets loose leaves rest in a clean,dry spot in the pot while their flavour makes its way into your hot water. Thetea spoon is used to take tea. Its handle can probe into the depth of yourteapot, making it easy for you when handling tea leaves by hand! With its long handle, you can use the tongsto remove them with ease.
The pointed end of the tea needle can cleartwists and clogs from the spout of your teapot.Tea tong‘s main role is to clipthe tea cup, when the tea maker needs to wash the cup or take the cup from thesterilization bowl, is to use the tea tong to replace the hand, so that it canprevent scalding while also more hygienic. Finally, the tea poker is a smallbut significant part of preparing high-quality teas. With it, you can scoop outany stubborn dregs that remain after drinking and make sure they're gone forgood.
How did the set of tea utensils in theChinese tea ceremony come to be named Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony? Atfirst, these six people were known as 'the six gentlemen'. Residing in the Songdynasty, they contributed a lot to the promotion of Chinese tea culture.Theterm "six gentlemen" refers to six people in Song Dynasty inChina,they are Shi Dao,Zheng Ru,Zhang Yonghui,Wu Chunweng, lv Yuanjun and SongWenfu.When Chinese Emperor Shen Zong（宋神宗,1048-1085AD）of Song Dynasty had his monopoly on the tea trade, he imposed heavytaxes and regulations that caused many average people in southwest region ofChina to suffer. At this time six brave men decided they would rather risktheir career future and lives; so these onward-thinking gentlemen submitted aproposal to the Emperor for how tea trade could help out southwest people. Andthe tea trade was finally approved by the Chinese Emperor. And then the teafarmers and tea merchants are grateful for the contributions made by these sixpeople to tea and the average people, and people gradually called tea utensilsset commonly used in the Chinese tea ceremony.
There are also other important Chinese teatools in traditional Gongfu tea ceremony too.
Tea Canister
The tea canister needs to stay sealed uptight, so that moisture and oxygen won't get in.Tea canisters come in manydifferent shapes and sizes; they're often made of ceramic, tinplate or paper.
Tea Tray
The tea tray not only keeps your tableclean and hygienic, but also provides a beautiful environment for tasting. Thediscarded leaves can be temporarily stored in this handy device which will helpto protect the surface of the tea table!
Tea Cloth
The tea cloth is a small yet cleverinvention that makes sure your cup never gets dirty or holds any kind ofresidue. It can be used to dry off anything when you are drinking tea.
3.Temperature
Since we know so much on traditionalChinese tea ceremony tools, let us talk on another important factor of Chinesetea art:Temperature.
Depending on the tea type, watertemperature may vary. Because green teas usually contain a large amount oftender buds and leaves that are easily destroyed by high heat, they need to bebrewed with 80 to 85 degree Celsius water. While black, oolong and puerh teascome from matured tea leaves and can be brewed with around 100 degree Celsiuswater at most.White and flower teas can be brewed at higher temperaturesranging around 90 to 95 degrees Celsius.
We get a conclusion here: the darker theleaves are, the hotter the water should be.The leaves rolled in tiny beadsafter the first infusion shows that they were not hot enough so that the tealeaves do not open. If the water temperature is too high, the bitterness of teasoup will intensify. In order to avoid bitterness and astringency, thetemperature of the water and steep timing used for tea can be adjusted.
How to Make Gongfu Tea?
Gung Fu tea is a traditional Chinese teabrewing method that originated in the Song Dynasty and is mainly popular in thesouthern China regions of Wuyi Mountain, Fujian and Chaozhou-Shantou region,Guangdong. Yixing Zisha teapot is the best tool for brewing Gungfu tea.
The first step is to make sure you haveeverything set up before you start. Either choose the Chinese-style purple clayteapot or other Chinese teaware.The volume of the teapot should be appropriatefor the amount of tea leaves, but make sure you have enough tea and water forwhat you're making. The cups and teapot are washed in boiling water. Clean theutensils and put the amount of leaves that you want into the teapot.
The process of making a perfect cup beginswith pouring water into the pot, up to its lid. Sometimes some on top is usedfor heating purposes too! The infusion time can be flexible depending solelyupon your taste.
Third, wash the tea. The water temperatureshould not be too high to avoid the loss of nutrients, and the water used towash the tea can also be used to wash the cup. This process ensures that theleaves are clean enough for a great tasting infusion! Afterward, hot boilingwater is poured into your bowl. At this point in time, your tea leaves havebeen soaked with hot water and begun to bloom; their true nature has beenrevealed!
Fourth, the tea steeping time. The thingabout steeping is that it really varies by tea type and even leaf quality —darker teas prefer longer steeping times, and low-quality leaves might needshorter ones to produce a flavourful brew. Generally, we recommend 2-4 minutesfor brewing most teas — but again, you can adjust according to yourpreferences!
The tea is then poured into the cups andany leftover liquid has to be drained from leaves before drinking. Tea tastingis more than just a social activity, it's also a way to learn more aboutyourself and your environment. Gongfu Tea tasting happens in three stages: sip,taste and aftertaste. The flavor of tea reflects its origin: the minutedifferences between teas harvested in different times and places, the qualityof growing conditions, and the brewing methods used. With practice comes anunderstanding; with understanding comes appreciation. In these fleeting momentsof reflection, we soak in everything that makes us happy.
After enjoying the Gongfu tea,the lastimportant element in the Chinese tea art is the best timing of tea drinking.
The Best Drinking Tea Time and Shenshi Tea(申时茶）
In ancient China, the day was divided into12 Shichen(时辰,1 Shichen is equal to 2 hours), andShenshi（申时）refers to the two hours from 3 to 5 pm.Thetraditional Chinese medicine believes that drinking tea at the Shenshi (3-5 pm)is beneficial to health.The ancient people of China have the habit of drinkingtea at Shen Shi. Because 3-5 pm is the time when the bladder is most active,the body needs sufficient water to replenish, so there is a certain scientificbasis for drinking Shenshi tea. Shenshi tea has a very good detoxificationeffect. At this time to drink more tea, help the bladder to eliminate bodywaste, promote metabolism, speed up the benefits of toxic substances and wastedischarge in the body.
Tea has been drinking since ancient times,but it was originally cold in nature. The famous Chinese medical scientist LiShizhen（李时珍，1518-1593 AD） wrote Compendium Of Materia Medica（《本草纲目》）,which notes that tea tastes bitterand is considered to be a healthy drink because its ability minimize internalheat in human body.The different production processes in nature have led to avariety of warm and cool teas.Fermentation makes the difference between hot andcold teas in nature. The lower degree of fermentation, the greater its chillis; higher levels of fermentation bring more warmth to a drink.Thenon-fermented green tea is cold in nature,while the completely fermented blacktea and puerh tea are warm, and the heavy fermented oolong tea and aged whitetea are in between green tea and black tea in nature.
During Shenshi period(3 to 5 pm), it is notadvisable to drink cool tea, such as green tea, yellow tea, raw puerh teastored within 3 years or white tea stored for 3 years, etc. The bladder is themost active time, and the bladder is where the yang energy is. Warm tea shouldbe served during Shenshi period, such as Pu-erh ripe tea, aged white tea, blacktea, etc. are most suitable for drinking at the Shenshi.