The famous Chinese tea party is a pleasant way to enjoy a tonic drink. However, if you follow the rules, the ceremony will allow you to achieve the inner harmony and clear mind that everyone needs.
Also, the tea ceremony is relaxation and calming nerves. It can be carried out at home, on your own.
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History of the tea ceremony. Japan, China
The tea ceremony originated in China in the 3rd century BC, but it was in Japan that a special philosophy and ritual related to tea arose.
Records of the Japanese tea ceremony date back to the 9th century and were started by monk Eisai, who brought tea tree seeds from China.
Monk Meuan in the XII century laid the fundamental principles, later expanded by his students. Over time, the ceremony acquired religious and philosophical significance, representing harmony, meditation and spiritual growth, symbolizing Japanese culture.
Personalities such as Sen No Rikyu and Hotto Soko shaped the ceremony through their unique schools and styles.
Today, the ceremony remains vital in Japanese culture, celebrated both privately and at public gatherings, and tea houses often serve as tourist attractions.
As for the Chinese tea tradition, Gongfu-cha is the name of a centuries-old Chinese tea ceremony.
Dishes for the Chinese tea ceremony, and what types of tea to use
The ceremony requires a set of dishes, time and tea itself. Usually two varieties are used: pu’er or oolong, the most popular among Chinese.
However, if you prefer a different kind of tea, choose one that pleases and inspires you. The ceremony with any type of drink will give relaxation and relaxation.
Tea ceremony kits can vary greatly in equipment due to differences in tradition and tableware between mainland China and Taiwan.
A list of devices is presented that will help organize a full-fledged ceremony. Get to know him and decide whether you need to purchase the entire kit or just the essentials.
Yixin is a clay kettle.
Chahai — sludge for plum brew. Chahe is a tea box.
Gaiwan is a tea brewing bowl.
Gaiwan, in which tea is brewed, is also known as the three-base bowl. Its lid and saucer symbolize heaven and earth, and the dishes themselves are human, which contributes to harmony, including tea time.
Shepherd — a tea board where all the dishes are located.
Chaju is a set of small tools (nippers, a spoon, a funnel and others).
Xiang-bei and pin-bei are high narrow and low wide cups used for the Taiwanese variety of ceremony.
Classic tea ceremony stages
- Warm up: Place the dishes on a bowl or table, then fill the kettle with boiling water for a third. After heating the kettle walls, drain.
- Adding tea leaves to yixin (kettle): Pour tea in a ratio of 15 g per 150 ml of water.
- Washing with a high stream of water: Pour hot water over the tea, fill the dishes with a thin stream from a height of 50-70 cm.
- Cleaning the surface: Remove the bubbles and tea leaves with a spoon, then drain the liquid.
- Brewing tea: Fill the container to the brim, letting the tea brew
- Re-cleaning the surface: Remove the bubbles, close the isin.
- An additional ritual of ou bei mu lin: Bathing in the aroma, using two cups to enjoy the aroma and taste of the drink.
Completion of the ceremony
During the ceremony, tea is brewed several times to reveal its full flavor, revealing new facets with each brewing.
The number of brews varies depending on the type: oolong can be brewed up to 8 times, and pu’er can be brewed up to 16 times, while it retains all its beneficial properties.
How to choose the right Puer for a tea ceremony?
In Yunnan province, there are thousands of copies of various Puer teas. To understand how to find the right Puer, you need to set criteria.
- High elevation
The height of tea trees is important not only for Puer, but also for any other tea.
The higher the tea plantations, the more temperature changes during the day of tea leaf testing. This allows it to accumulate many valuable substances and not consume them at night (when the temperature drops low enough).
The air temperature can rise to 30 ° C during the day and drop to 3 ° C at night. Such an ideal climate gives the finished drink a rich taste and creates a long aftertaste.
- Tea tree age
The older the tree, the stronger its root system, the more minerals the tree receives from the ground. Yunnan Province classifies trees based on age.
And the older the tree, the better the Pu’er. Old trees most often grow on the slopes of mountains and are up to 300 years old.
How to decorate the room for the tea ceremony?
The purpose of tea drinking in the format of a tea ceremony is to give you maximum pleasure, relaxation, a feeling of relaxation. Therefore, create the appropriate decor in the room.
As we mentioned above, Chaban is a tea ceremony table.
It is made of solid natural wood, such as alder, pine.
The shepherd can be placed on a low table covered with a woven bamboo mat.
Chairs should be comfortable.
On the walls it is good to arrange paintings depicting water.
It is believed that this is useful for feng shui, and besides, nature and the water element will help to additionally create a relaxing contemplative mood.
On our website you can buy original landscapes in oil on canvas, with lakes, waterfalls, rivers. Performed by artist Nadezhda Tsvetkova.