Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China.
Tea culture in China differs from that of Europe, Britain or Japan in such things as preparation methods, tasting methods and the occasions for which it is consumed. Even now, in both casual and formal Chinese occasions, tea is consumed regularly. In addition to being a drink, Chinese tea is used in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese cuisine.
Etymology
For contemporary Chinese, the word "茶" (pinyin: chá) has come to commonly denote the drink that is derived from Camellia sinensis , the tea plant (茶樹/茶树, pinyin: cháshù). It is interesting to note that the Hindi word 'chai' is very similar and perhaps derived from cha. Prior to the 8th century BC, the tea was known collectively under the term "荼" (pinyin: tú) along with a great number of other bitter plants. The great similarity of the two characters are notable with the exception of an additional horizontal stroke in 荼. The character is made up of the "艸" (pinyin: cǎo) radical in its reduced form of "艹" and the word "余" which gives the phonetic cue. The plant was later more distinctly identified and was called "檟苦荼" (pinyin: jiǎkǔtú, literally "'evergreen shrub' of bitter 'bitter plant'"), or in simplified forms "苦荼" (pinyin: kǔtú) or "荈" (pinyin: chuǎn).
The word "茗" (pinyin: míng), which was possibly derived from the Burmese word, was later used to indicate tea where its popularity spread and became more common in Ancient China. This word is still used in modern tea communities in Taiwan and the People's Republic of China to denote tea. By the end of the 8th century BC, the character "荼" was finally simplified to "茶". Lù Yǔ (陸羽/陆羽, 733-804) of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his crowning work, The Tea Classic or Chájīng (茶經/茶经), on the origins of the character for tea as well as the numerous words used to denote tea. In the first chapter of Chájīng, "The origins" (卷上, 一之源) he wrote:
其字：或從草，或從木，或草木並。qí zì : huò cóng cǎo, huò cóng mù, huò cǎo mù bìng.
which means: " Its character: may come from herb/grass (茶 chá from 文字音義 Wénzì yīnyì in 736 AD), or from tree/wood (梌 tú from 本草經 Běncǎojīng , an ancient medical text), or the combination of the two (荼 tú from the 爾雅 Ěryǎ, atreatise on lexicography from the Han dynasty) "
其名：一曰茶，二曰檟，三曰蔎，四曰茗，五曰荈。qí míng: yī yuē chá, èr yuē jiǎ, sān yuē shè, sì yuē míng, wǔ yuē chuǎn.
which means: Its names: first it is called 茶 chá, then 檟 jiǎ, thirdly 蔎 shè, fourthly 茗 míng, fifthly 荈 chuǎn.
Where:
- 檟 jiǎ: according to the author Yang Xiong of Han dynasty, the term was used by Zhoūgōng (周公), the duke of Zhou dynasty to indicate the 苦荼 (kǔtú)
- 蔎 shè: the term by which natives of present day Sìchuān used to indicated 荼 (tú)
- 茶,蔎,茗,荈 chá, shè, míng, chuǎn: in legends, Guōhóngnóng (郭弘農), specified that first tea harvest is known as chá, followed by míng, then shè, and finally chuǎn
Tea drinking customs
There are several special circumstances in which tea is prepared and consumed.
- As a sign of respect
- For a family gathering
- To apologize
- To express thanks to your elders on one's wedding day
- To connect large families on wedding days
- To pass on the tradition
- Folding the napkin in tea ceremonies is a traditional action and is done to keep away bad Qi energy in China as tea (茶) was regarded as one of the seven daily necessities, the others being firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar（柴,米,油,鹽,醬,醋）.
Expressing gratitude for tea
After a person's cup is filled, that person may knock their bent index and middle fingers (or some similar variety of finger tapping) on the table to express gratitude to the person who served the tea. Although this custom is common in southern Chinese culture such as the Cantonese, in other parts of China it is only acceptable if for some reason you cannot actually say thankyou at that moment, for example if you are in the middle of talking with someone else at the table.
This custom is said to have originated in the Qing Dynasty when Emperor Qian Long would travel in disguise through the empire. Servants were told not to reveal their master's identity. One day in a restaurant, the emperor, after pouring himself a cup of tea, filled a servant's cup as well. To that servant it was a huge honour to have the emperor pour him a cup of tea. Out of reflex he wanted to kneel and express his thanks. He could not kneel and kowtow to the emperor since that would reveal the emperor's identity so he bent his fingers on the table to express his gratitude and respect to the emperor.
Brewing Chinese tea
Main articles: Tea#Preparation and Tea cultureThere are many different ways of brewing Chinese tea depending on variables like the formality of the occasion, the means of the people preparing it and the kind of tea being brewed. For example, green teas are more delicate than oolong teas or black teas and should be brewed with cooler water as a result. The most informal method of brewing tea is the simple adding of leaves to a pot, and hot water. This method is commonly found in households and restaurants, as at Dim sum (點心) or Yum cha (飲茶) in Cantonese restaurants. Two other primary methods of brewing tea are the Chaou method and the Gongfucha method. Chaou brewing tends towards a more formal occasion and is generally used for more delicate teas, medicinal teas and tea tastings. Gongfucha brewing is a far more formal method of tea brewing (mainly for oolong or double fermented teas like Pu'erh) although even this method can be made more or less formal depending on the occasion.
Chaou brewing
Main article: GaiwanGàiwǎn (蓋碗/盖碗; lit. , "lidded bowl"), also known as 蓋杯 (Pinyin: gàibēi; lit. , "lidded cup") or 焗盅 (Pinyin: júzhōng; lit. , "heat suffocation vessel") depending on the region of the China. "Gaiwan" is a relatively new word. This method of 'brewing' tea was originally developed by the Chaoshan people and its original name is Chá-ōu, 茶甌 ( simplified 茶瓯). There are two words for brewing. One is chōng (沖) and the other is pào (泡). For chaou brewing, the word zhōng is used rather than pào .
The chaou is a three piece teaware consisting of a lid, cup/bowl, and a saucer. Chaous are generally made of porcelain or are glazed on the inside in order to prevent a buildup of tannins. The chaou may be used on its own or with tasting cups on the side. Chaou brewing is usually employed in tea tastings situations, such as when buying tea, where neutrality in taste and ease of access to brewing leaves for viewing and sniffing is important. This method of serving is often used in informal situations, though it can also be used on more formal occasions. Chaou brewing can be used for all forms of teas though lightly oxidized teas benefit most from this brewing method.
Brewing tea using a Gaiwan
- Boil water, or heat to specified temperature for tea
- Heat the teaware with boiling water
- Add leaves to line bottom of the cup
- Rinse tea leaves and drain
- Slip water along the side while pouring into the Chaou
- Fill to ~2/3 full
- Wait for 30 seconds, Serve
Gongfu chadao brewing
Main article: Gongfu tea ceremonyThe Gōngfu Chá Dào (功夫茶道) also known as "Gongfucha" or the "Kung Fu Tea Ceremony" is a relatively famous tradition of Minnan (閩南) and Chaozhou (潮州) or Chaoshan (潮汕). It makes use of small Yixing teawares teapot of about 100 – 150 ml (4 or 5 fl.oz.) to enhance the aesthetics, and more importantly "round out" the taste of the tea being brewed. Yixing teapot brewing sides towards the formal, and is used for private enjoyment of the tea as well as for welcoming guests. The following steps are one popular way to brew tea in a
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