Proper Tea Sets For Proper Tea |
For hundreds of years Chinese culture has included an important tradition in each day. Tea preparation and consumption are considered a key element to Chinese culture, and proper tea brewing and drinking are important social elements. When considering the process of tea making it is important to recognize that there are important steps involved in tea making. The first of these is the selection of the proper Chinese tea set. It is said that choosing the proper tea set is crucial in the preparation of tea. It plays a particularly vital role in brewing tea. 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. Some Chinese tea sets are so highly crafted that they are extremely valuable, and reflect the storied tea culture in China. There are two main kinds of tea sets. The first is the sets used in everyday life, day in and day out for making tea. The second is the sets with great artistic value, which are generally used only in very special tea ceremonies, such as wedding ceremony. Often, these sets are kept on display in beautiful cabinets, and are only rarely brought out for actual use in a tea ceremony. Both sets, however, are considered part of the family, and even though a set may be used every day, it is still a vital part of the 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, herbal teas and floral teas are consumed more frequently in the northern and eastern regions of China. Because floral teas generally use larger teapots to boil the water, people in these regions usually choose large teapots for daily use. Most commonly, these are ceramic pots, and they can be custom chosen to accommodate the number of people served at each meal. 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. Gongfu or Hong teas are suited to either regular kettles or ceramic pots. But some of the more special teas such as Jun-shan-yin-zhen, Ton-ting-bilei-chun, or Xihu-long-jing, call for clear glass cups instead of the regular tea cups. Small tea cups are most appropriate for fine-leaf teas, rather than large cups. The reason is that large cups allow the ratio of water to tea to change, and the leaves will brew too quickly, discoloring the leaves and changing the fragrance and flavor of the resulting tea. Another interesting element is the addition of a modern thermos to the traditional tea set. Many people enjoy keeping green tea in a thermos, to enhance the flavor and color. You can find thermoses in many of the sets for sale today. Other elements that may be included in a Chinese tea set include trays, tea set cover cloths, and tea plates. Of course, there are always those who prefer the oldest traditions, and stick to the basic sets, without modern extras. Either way, the point is to buy a set for yourself so you can begin enjoying proper tea.
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|