Chinese Food Culture — The Art of Tea (4)
Continue: http://www.nicechinesefood.com/chinese-culture/chinese-food-culture-%e2%80%94-the-art-of-tea-3.html
What is worth mentioning is that in the Minnan and Chaozhou areas in southern China where people make gongfu tea, zisha pots from Yixing have been very popular ever since the Ming and Qing dynasties. There, finely crafted upscale zisha pots were once the symbol of education, status and social role for local men. Regardless of high officials, the wealthy or common citizens, they all leave | no stones unturned in getting their hands – on a zisha pot and treasure it as a jewel of dear value. Some even take it with them to their graves. However, in Jiangsu, the production area of the pot, people prefer green tea. As techniques of tea-making improve, there are very few people today who still use zisha pots for making green tea. Rather, they prefer white porcelain cups or glass. Zisha pots are now mostly regarded as an object of art to be appreciated in one’s home. For a top-quality zisha pot, people would rather pass it down the generations within the family, seldom would anyone keep it as a personal funerary object.
China always had the custom of “treating arriving guests with tea.” Some also advocates having tea in place of alcohol. The way of offering tea is really very simple Before making tea, ask for the preference of the guests. The water used to make tea should not be too hot so as to burn the guest. When pouring tea, the rule of “full cup for wine and half cup for tea” should be observed; leaving one fifth of the cup’s capacity unfilled should do the trick. When the host pours tea for the guest, the guest uses the index and middle fingers to lightly knock on the table to show gratitude. It is said that this custom was passed down from the Qing Dynasty and is not only popular in China, but also popular among overseas Chinese of Southeast Asia.
Gongfu tea is a unique custom of the Chaozhou region of Guangdong Province. It has existed since the Tang Dynasty. It is not just the first line of courtesy, as people of Chaozhou who travel or reside overseas use it as a ways of paying respect to the ancestors. Authentic Chaozhou gongfu tea sincerely abides by the old traditions, usually limiting the number of participants including host and guests to four. This is congruent with the older ideas of tea enthusiasts of the Ming and Qing dynasties, where “harmonious thoughts in different hearts” is advocated. One should not think too many ideas. When guests take seats, it must be in the order from senior to junior or from high to low status, starting from the right side of the host and make two rows. After the guests are seated, the host starts to work his magic. Not only is tea ware as fascinating as appreciating antique, the quality of tealeaves, the water and the brewing, pouring and drinking of tea all very interesting areas of study. The teapot used in gongfu tea is small and exquisite, only about as big as a fist. The teacups are even smaller at about half a Ping-Pong ball size. The kind of tea chosen is the oolong, which is complete in terms of color, fragrance and taste. Tealeaves are stuffed tightly into the pot, almost filling it all. It is said that the tighter you push the tealeaves together, the stronger the taste will be. It is best to use water that has been settled to make tea. When making tea, immediately pour boiled water into the pot. The first couple of rounds of tea water are not drinkable as it is for rinsing the tealeaves and the cups. When pouring tea, do not finish pouring into one cup and go on to the next. Rather, one should alternate between the four cups in order, filling each little by little until all cups are about seven-tenths full. When the thickest tea water is left, containing the essence of the tea, one should evenly distribute it into each of the four cups to assure equally strong taste and uniformed fragrance. There exists a rule when drinking gongfu tea. One should not drink the tea immediately, but should rinse one’s mouth with cool water to guarantee tasting the true flavor of the tea. When drinking, one slowly sips and uses the tongue to feel and taste the tea. Gongfu tea is very strong and contains strong base, therefore one would feel bitter and astringent at first. But as one drinks more, the tea becomes more fragrant and rather smooth and sweet, as one starts to feel more energized. While having gongfu tea, people can chat to their hearts’ content, and should feel peace of mind. This is the true meaning of gongfu, and also demonstrates tea art’s uniquely Chinese characteristic of upholding nature and freedom, reflecting a special Chinese kindness that is honest and rich, with long-lasting charm.
From gongfu tea, one can easily connect in mind various types of teahouses. In China, running a teahouse is a very popular service profession. Especially in the Jiangnan area, there are teahouses to be found in every corner of every small village, town and large city. There are teahouses that have kept to the centuries-old traditions, others combined features of cafes and bars. And a rather large percentage of teahouses provide dining services. When looking back in history, teahouses flourished beginning in the Song Dynasty. At that time, there were teahouses for every social class. Upscale places not only have paintings and calligraphy pieces adorning its walls, but also all kinds of fresh flowers, bonsai trees inside, plus background music for an elegant feel. Upon reaching the Qing Dynasty under the reign of emperors Qianlong (1736-1795 A.D.) and Jiaqing (1796-1820), Beijing’s teahouses combined music and folk arts for a real treat. Customers can drink tea while enjoying live entertainment, or can bring their own tea and pay for only water. Therefore, many opera theatres in Beijing were once called “Tea Gardens.” Beijing’s specialty, the Dawan Cha (Large Bowl Tea), is now hard to find. But in the old days, one can have a bowl of Dawan Cha under just about any tree while sitting at a shabby table on a shabby seat with a rough large bowl in hand. People of Sichuan have a long history of tea-drinking, and teahouses are very popular. In the provincial capital, Chengdu, teahouses range from the smallest with three to five tables to the largest with several hundred seats. There, people use gaiivan, a complete set with tea bowl, stand and lid. Using long-mouthed bronze pots to pour tea is an absolute Sichuan specialty; a long jet of tea water enters the bowl and stops just as it fills to the mouth, with not a single drop wasted. Elderly men prefer enjoying tea while watching Chinese opera performances or chatting with friends. Modern white-collared professionals like teahouses for it gives them a chance to relax, socialize or talk business. There is a common saying in China, “Tea can purify the heart.” The peaceful and quiet state of mind that tea represents is different from mundane society, full of blatancy and flippancy. People who like tea can easily find a state of purity and contentment.
END!
