Chinese Tea CultureChinese 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 drinking was popular in ancient China as tea was regarded as one of the seven daily necessities, the others being firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. 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 herbal medicine and in cooking.
Tea Drinking Customs
There are several special circumstances in which tea is prepared and consumed.
As a sign of respect in Chinese society, the younger generation shows respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Inviting and paying for their elders to go to restaurants for tea is a traditional activity on holidays.
In the past, people of lower rank served tea to higher ranking people. Today, as Chinese society becomes more liberal, parents may pour a cup of tea for their children, or a boss may even pour tea for subordinates at restaurants. The lower ranking person should not expect the higher ranking person to serve him or her tea in formal occasions, though.
The Chinese make serious apologies to others by pouring them tea. This act is taken as a sign of regret and submission.
In the traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom kneel in front of their parents and serve them tea as an expression of gratitude. The customary phrase spoken to the parents during this ritual can be translated as "Thank you for bringing us up. Now we are getting married. We owe it all to you." The parents will usually drink a small portion of the tea and then give the couple a red envelope, which symbolizes good luck.
The tea ceremony during weddings also serves as a means for both parties in the wedding to meet with members of the other family. As Chinese families can be rather extended, it is entirely possible during courtship to not have been introduced to someone. This was particularly true in older generations where the patriarch may have had more than one wife and not all family members were always on good terms. As such, during the tea ceremony, the couple would serve tea to all family members and call them by their official title. Drinking tea symbolized acceptance into the family. Refusal to drink would symbolize opposition to the wedding and is quite unheard of since it would result in a loss of "face". Older relations so introduced would give a red envelope to the matrimonial couple while the couple would be expected to give a red envelope to younger relations.
How To Say 'Thank You'
After a person's cup is filled, that person may knock his 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.
This custom originated in the Qing Dynasty, about 300- 400 years ago. At that time, Emperor Qianlong would sometimes travel incognito 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 honor to have the emperor pour him a cup of tea. Out of respect, he wanted to kneel and express his thanks. He could not kneel 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.
This "thanks" knock is still in used today in China and Chinese-influenced areas.
Hong Kong Tea Culture
The tea-drinking habits of Hong Kong residents are derived from Chinese tea culture. After more than 150 years of British rule, however, they have changed somewhat to become unique in the world. This uniqueness is not only in terms of the tea itself, but also in terms of the underlying social and cultural values.
"Morning Tea and Newspaper"
Hong Kong is a place with plenty of night life. In contrast, streets are almost empty from seven to eight in the morning. Most shops open at or after nine o'clock in the morning, where Cantonese restaurants open at about six or even earlier (restaurants in the Western District open at about 4:00am). The working class of Hong Kong usually have breakfast in these Cantonese restaurants in the early morning. They enjoy 盅兩件 (Lit. One bowl with two pieces, meaning a cup of tea with two Dim Sums) and they read newspapers in the morning before they go to work. Many elderly people bring their caged birds to the restaurants and chat with others. They can spend the whole morning doing this.
Tea drinking in Taiwan is akin to the high art of wine tasting in the west. Tea drinkers will gladly pay a few thousand dollars for a half kilogram of good tea leaves. Mountainside tea-art shops and restaurants offering open-air tea drinking, dining, and picturesque views have become favorite destinations for city-dwellers.
The typical Chinese family in Taiwan owns a least one set of tea ware. Many people collect tea pots as a hobby. Most of the people in Taiwan have purple porous pottery tea pots. Traditionally, "raise the tea pots" at home are way of life in Taiwan. The tea pots are used to brew teas intensively so that the surface of porous pottery tea pots becomes "bright". The process is called "raise the tea pots" which is a process to increase the value of the purple porous tea pots. Tea stores are on almost every block in Taipei.
Source: Ibiblio Chinese Culture
UK Tea Customs
Afternoon Tea
Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, is reputed to have originated the idea of afternoon tea in the early 1800s. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. Some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread. These habits soon became a good reason for social gatherings, and started a trend that is still very much a part of British life.
Gardens and Tea Dances
As the popularity of tea spread, it also became an essential part of people's entertainment outside the home. By 1732, an evening spent dancing or watching fireworks in Vauxhall or Ranelagh Gardens would be rounded off by serving tea. Tea gardens then opened all over the country on Saturdays and Sundays, with tea being served as the high point of the afternoon.
Dancing was included as part of the day's festivities, so from the tea gardens came the idea of the tea dance, which remained fashionable in Britain until World War II when they lost popularity. Tea dances are still held in Britain today.
Teetotal
The charge for entrance to such fashionable gardens as Vauxhall or Ranalagh Gardens included tea with bread and butter - welcome refreshment after the entertainment. But rapid urban growth in the early 1800s led to the closure of the gardens and the only places left serving tea were the inns, taverns and hostelries.
Tea now began to play an important role in the temperance movement's battle against the very high levels of alcohol (in particular gin) consumption and tea meetings were held all over Britain in an attempt to convert drinkers and to raise money for the cause. It is believed that the phrase 'teetotal' may have been derived from the beverage.
High Tea
For the working and farming communities, afternoon tea became high tea. As the main meal of the day, high tea was a cross between the delicate afternoon meal enjoyed in the ladies' drawing rooms and the dinner enjoyed in houses of the gentry at seven or eight in the evening. With the meats, bread and cakes served at high tea, hot tea was taken.
Tea Shops
In 1864 the manageress of an Aerated Bread Company shop persuaded her directors to allow her to serve food and liquid refreshments in the shop. She dispensed tea to her more favored customers and soon attracted many clients clamoring for the same service.
Not only did she start the fashion for tea shops but also unwittingly laid one of the foundations for women's emancipation, since an unchaperoned lady could meet friends in a tea shop without sullying her reputation. Tea shops spread throughout Britain, becoming as much a tradition as tea itself: and even today, despite the plethora of fast food and drink outlets, this tradition remains, attracting huge numbers of UK and foreign tourists.
Tea Breaks
Tea breaks are a tradition, which have been with us for approximately 200 years. Initially when workers commenced their day at around 5 or 6am, employers allowed a break in the morning when food and tea were served. Some employers repeated the break in the afternoon as well.
Between 1741 and 1820, industrialists, landowners and clerics tried to put a stop to the tea break maintaining that tea drinking and rest made working people slothful. Modern thinking couldn't be further away from this - regular tea breaks can play a vital part in the day to help maintain a positive attitude towards work and fluid intake.
Sources: UK Tea Council
No comments:
Post a Comment