The Joy Of Drinking Tea

Tea is only comparable to wine when human culture celebrates the wealth of nature. Tea is a remarkable example of the soil’s generosity and diversity. It has been celebrated for 2,000 years, as a healthy beverage and a symbol of humanity.

This extract from a poem by Lu Tong (790-835), a Chinese poet known as a “tea lover,” celebrates the pleasure brought on by successive tea infusions prepared in a Yixing teapot:

The first bowl sleekly moistened my throat and lips;

The second banished all my loneliness;

The third expelled the dullness from my mind, sharpening inspiration gained from all the books I’ve read.

The fourth brought forth light perspiration, dispersing a lifetime’s troubles through my pores.

The fifth bowl cleansed every atom of my being;

The sixth has made me kin to the Immortals.

The best way to learn about wine is to taste a variety of different wines. The same applies to tea.

You must not limit yourself to tea bags, which are often remainders of the tea production process.

Broaden your range of tastes by visiting tea traders and trying as many bulk teas as possible.

Wines offer a large selection of tastes, depending on the grape variety and the soil. Some people enjoy a Cabernet, others a Merlot, a Tempranillo or a Shiraz.

The same diversity exists in teas. Some are herbaceous, while others are floral, earthy, tannic or spicy. The only way to learn about tea is to try many kinds and note the ones you prefer.

At a price of $5 to $25 per 50g, at 2 g per cup, the best teas in the world cost between 20 cents and $1 a cup, i.e. a small proportion of the cost of a soft drink or a coffee. Don’t hesitate to explore this universe of pleasure offered at a modest cost. Tea names are enough to make you dream: Snow Bud, Precious Dewdrop or Dragon Well. Let yourself be carried away by the scents of an Anji Bai Cha, a Gyokuro, a Tie Kuan Yin or a Da Hong Pao.

There are many ways to enjoy tea, depending on the cultures and the regions of the world. It is, however, in China and Japan that the most refined and elegant methods to savour tea were developed.

The first method uses a cup, called Chung, which is used both to brew and drink the tea. The infusing tea is put in the cup, water is added and the cover is adjusted to let the infusion steep. After four or five minutes, the cover is slightly moved and the tea is drunk straight from the cup, using the cover to keep the leaves inside.

Chung cups are works of art with delicate porcelain and magnificent glazes. The tea leaves can bloom freely and release their scent in an optimal way. The leaves can be infused several times.

The second method, used in China and Japan, makes use of a small clay or ceramic teapot, with a capacity of approximately 150 ml. The best ones, made in stoneware clay, come from a the Jiangsu region of China where the ground offers the best properties to make teapots. They are called Yixing.

They are works of art of superb shapes that show graceful and fluid lines in a variety of colours ranging from yellow to blue, but generally red-brown.

Japanese prefer to use enamelled teapots that are all very elegant, but whose esthetic accent is put on the beauty of the glaze.

Whichever teapot you choose, you must place the tea leaves (2 g) at the bottom, and then pour the water that was brought to a boil, and let it brew five to eight minutes.

The tea is completely poured into a small cup that corresponds to the volume of the teapot. You should appreciate the colour of the tea, the richness of the aroma and the complexity of the taste. Sip tea slowly, while savouring not only the tea, but also the beauty of the cup, the teapot and the tray in which you will have prepared everything.

For the tray, we often use a sober wooden tray, whose veins are visible, without any unnecessary decorations. The tray allows you to easily carry your tea and enjoy it comfortably.

Learn how to create an introspection moment if you drink it alone or enjoy a friendship moment if you share it with a friend. In all the cultures where tea is drunk, it is associated with the hospitality and the warmth of human solidarity.

Here are a few tips to take advantage of tea’s benefits:

- Visit a tea trader, in person or on the Internet. Seek his advice to initiate yourself to this vast world, only comparable to the world of wine.

- Try various teas with different aromas and flavours to establish your preferences. Start with a dozen kinds. You will prefer some, your friends, others. Give those to your friends and keep your favourite ones.

- Brew about one full teaspoon per 250 ml of hot water, for about seven minutes. Customize your tea to your tastes. It is normal to feel a mild bitterness, associated with the polyphenols.

- Schedule tea breaks at home or at work. Choose a relaxing and soothing environment to savour this delicate beverage. Enjoy this introspection moment if you drink it alone or enjoy this friendship moment with the person you share your tea with.

Cherish this moment of culture and humanity with 15 centuries of history.

This article was taken from: edmontonsun.com