Next summer I will have the opportunity to plan my first Chinese tea ceremony. After the ceremony we will have the traditional American traditions. So of course I had to google to see what this tradition entails. Here is what I found:
The Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea, rather than the ceremony — what the tea tastes like, smells like, and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea, or in successive rounds of drinking. Ceremony doesn’t mean that each server will perform the ritual the same way; it is not related to religion. Each step is meant to be a sensory exploration and appreciation.
Most teas used in the Chinese tea ceremony are grown in the mountains of Taiwan at around 4,000 feet. These teas are particularly refined, such as oolong teas which are lightly fermented and red teas that can be moderately to heavily fermented.
This style of tea-drinking uses small cups to match the small, unglazed clay teapots; each cup is just large enough to hold about two small swallows of tea. These tiny cups are particularly popular in Fujian and Chiujao, in southern coastal China above Canton. In Shanghai and Beijing they use large cups.
Source: holymtn.com
I am so excited. Wait to see what we will be giving away as favors…
Comments 1
It sounds like so much fun for you. Keep us posted!!