Home | Food & Drink | Tea & Coffee
To the Chinese population, tea is an extremely important part of each day. Tea consumption and preparation has a large role in Chinese culture. Having been tea drinkers for many hundreds of years, the Chinese have great experience and knowledge about tea and tea making. There are several steps involved in the proper preparation of tea. The first step is selecting the most appropriate tea set. This is crucial to the process of preparing good tea, and the role that the set plays is more than decorative, as the proper brewing of tea is part of the process. So what elements are most proper in a Chinese tea set? Well, every good set includes tea bowls, a tea tray, tea saucers, and the brewing teapot. There is an art form at play here, and part of the brewing and drinking of tea is the enjoyment of the artistic elements of the various components of the tea set. In fact, the value of some tea sets is astronomical, depending on the design and artistry, as well as the age and other factors. These sets would not be used for everyday consumption, but rather would be considered more like art pieces in the home, and perhaps kept in lovely cabinets on display for most of the year. Only on special occasions would they be brought forth for a special tea ceremony, such as at a wedding. The other tea set in the home would be used for everyday meals and small gatherings, and would also be highly valued and considered part of the family, and part of every meal. Selecting a tea set for everyday use can depend on the type of tea that the user will be drinking. This can vary by region as well, so different regions specialize in different tea sets. For example, floral teas (which are considered herbal teas) are most commonly consumed in the eastern as well as northern regions of China. Since large teapots are commonly employed to boil the tea in water when brewing floral tea, this would be the teapot most commonly selected for everyday use in those regions. These teapots are generally ceramic, and their size varies according to the number of people to be served. Green tea is more popular in the Kangnam region, so ceramic teapots with lids are more likely to be seen here. In other areas, such as Guangdong and Fujian, the favorite tea is oolong, and a regular kettle is often used for brewing. Either a ceramic pot or a regular tea kettle is suitable for brewing Hong or Gongfu teas. However, when drinking some of the high quality teas such as Ton-ting-bilei-chun, Jun-shan-yin-zhen, or Xihu-long-jing, using clear glass cups is considered most proper. Furthermore, when drinking a tea that has fine leaves, the proper Chinese tea set to select would be one that has small teacups. They are more appropriate for these teas than the large cups. The reason for this is that there would be too much water when these types of teas are poured into a large cup. Too much water will brew fine leaves too quickly, discoloring the tealeaves, and negatively impacting both the fragrance and taste of the tea. Some people prefer the use of a thermos to keep green tea warm, which they find influences the color and flavor of the tea positively. It's little wonder then that most of the modern Chinese tea sets now include a thermos. Several other items may or may not be included in a Chinese tea set, including tea set cover cloths, tea plats, and trays. Some sets are rather large, but don't forget that often the more traditional, historical sets were quite simple, and don't assume that more is better. The storied tradition of drinking tea is time honored, so get yourself on the right path to proper tea drinking by buying a Chinese tea set for yourself soon.
Provided by ArticleGOLD: Articles Directory - Article Directory
About the Article Author
Dugan Venfield is a columnist for several established online magazines, on anti aging products and senior health topics. Feel free to grab a unique version of this article from the food & drink Articles Submissions Service
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
