TEA TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Originated in China during the Song Dynasty, where its practice eventually died out, and combined with elements of Zen, the Japanese tea ceremony remains a fascinating part of Japanese culture and the “Chado” – the Way of Tea.

Cha-no-yu, or “hot water for tea” is a ceremony of great antiquity combining ritual, discipline and philosophy. Its fundamental principles include harmony, respect, purity, and serenity. Like many of the ancient Japanese arts, Chanoyu is seen as a potential mean of Enlightenment.

The peaceful tea ceremony originated during wartime, when military leaders would leave their weapons outside the tearoom and try to resolve their problems over a hot bowl of tea. The rules and courtesy of the ceremony demanded a civil atmosphere.

Every aspect of the tea ceremony is important, from the design of tearoom to the tea itself—bright green powdered maccha (wisked with hot water into a froth).

The ceremony always involves a host and some guests, and can be held in a main room’s screened-off alcove, or in a teahouse built in the outside garden for those who can afford it.

The guests wait in a special waiting room until the host calls them. They walk through the garden to the teahouse, which traditionally is elevated and has a three-foot-tall door (so that guests have to bend over to enter the building).

The host ceremonially decorates the teahouse with screens and simple, but special flower arrangements.
Guests are served a small meal including a sweet.

The host brings in the tea utensils and begins preparing the tea. The water is boiled and the tea bowl and whisk are heated. The powdered tea is placed in a bowl and whisked until frothy. After the guests drink the bitter tea, the host cleans the utensils and the guests examine and discuss the utensils.

The ceremony can last as long as four hours.

Whisked powdered tea indicates the antiquity of the ritual, as this method of preparation dates from China's Sung dynasty, which lasted from the 900s to the 1200s.

Participants say that if you approach the ceremony in the right frame of mind, it can be a very impressive, even enlightening experience.

In the early 1900s, Kakuzo Okakura, a philosopher and author of “The Book of Tea” brought the Japanese Tea Ceremony to the United States.

The Chinese have a special method for brewing tea, called the Gongfu method. Gongfu means “skill and care,” and is often used for oolong and green teas. The method requires a very small teapot, preferably in the Yixing-style, and small cups.

Yixing is a town in the Jiangsu province in China where sandy clay is extracted to make genuine Yixing teapots. Not all teapots sold in the West with the label “Yixing” are made from Yixing clay, although they serve their purposes well. Yixing teapots are found in a variety of shapes, and its porous interior is seasoned by the repetition of infusions and does not need to be washed with soap. In fact, if you have a very old Yixing teapot (100 years old) you can just pour boiling water.

The Gongfu method uses a series of brief infusions. The teapot is filled halfway with the tealeaves, and the host fills it with boiling water and immediately drains it to rinse the leaves.

The first infusion: the teapot is filled with boiling water and the leaves infuse for less than one minute. The infused tea is poured into the first cup and from that cup into the second. The guest smells the aroma from the first cup and drinks from the second cup.

The second infusion: the host repeat the same procedure that was done on the first infusion, but the infusion lasts slightly longer than the first. The tea has a weaker aroma but more flavor.
Subsequent infusions take progressively longer. Some teas can take four to five infusions, or more.

Since the Gongfu method requires several small cups (typically four), it is best done for a group of oolong lovers!

You may find a similar taste by brewing your favorite black tea, adding ice and sweetened condensed milk.Another Taiwanese trend gaining popularity around the world is “ Bubble tea,” made with tapioca pearls meant to be sipped through a wide straw.

Chai’s popularity today is not only in India, where it is sold everywhere, usually in unglazed clay cups called “kallurhs” that impart a rich, earthy flavor, but also all around the world. In America, you’ll find steamed, frothed or iced chai, and even chai blended with yogurt or ice cream for smoothies and milkshakes.

Tea has been associated with the British culture for hundreds of years. Traditionally, the upper classes serve a “low” tea usually around 4 o’clock, along with biscuits, small sandwiches, and cakes. It’s called “low” tea because it is served on a low table or “coffee table.”

Middle and lower classes serve a “high” tea around 5 or 6 o’clock with bread, meats, scones, and cake. It’s more like dinner, and is called “high” tea because it’s served on a higher (dinner) table.