Tea Sets & Tradition

While most of us in America who drink tea are used to dipping a little tea bag into our mug of hot water and drinking away, there are families and businessmen in China who take it far more seriously.

Chinese tea culture is something that is very unique and interesting. To prepare and serve tea at a business meeting or other formal occasion requires a little more effort, time and utensils than we’re used to here in the United States.  A traditional Chinese tea set includes:

• Tea Pot – Probably the most important of all the pieces in a tea set.  This is where you put the tea and let it steep. (Note: temperature and length of steeping time varies with different tea types)

• Tea Bowls – Though sometimes people will actually steep tea in a very large bowl, I’m referring to smaller bowls which look like big tea cups without handles.  Oftentimes there is no strainer in the tea pot (they don’t use tea bags very much) so once the tea is steeped, it is poured into the bowl through a strainer. There will still be some tea left in the pot, but that’s fine, they just pour as they drink.

• Narrow Cup – I haven’t seen these in the United States, and they aren’t as common with the younger generation in China, but you still seem them around, especially at very formal occasions. They are just narrow little cups that usually sit within the normal cup.  They are put into a circle and then the tea is poured in one motion around the circle, filling all of them.  The narrow cups are then taken by the drinkers, but they do not drink.  This narrow cup is meant for smelling only.  Smelling the aroma of tea is a very important part of tea drinking, it prepares the body for the experience of ingesting the tea. Once finished smelling, the tea is often dumped out onto the tea table, and then the cups are filled and ready to be drank.  But it is also common to place the regular teacup on top of the narrow cup, flip them over and then gently lift the narrow cup up, emptying the tea into the main cup. Now one can drink regularly.

• Teacup – A small round cup, usually without handles, from which the tea is drank.

• Tea Table (Gongfu)- You don’t see these very much in the United States either, but they are extremely common in China. Most of them are about 3 inches high, 12 inches or so long, and about 8 inches wide, but they can vary greatly in size.  They are wooden and almost always intricately carved with ornate designs. There are slats in the top to allow water to pass through, and there is a hidden pan underneath to catch the water. It is common to pour leftover water or tea over the table to rinse it off and let if fall to the pan below.

• Tea Towel – These are similar to wash clothes, but softer. They are used to wipe down the tea table after tea or water is poured through.

• Tea Pets – These are little statues that personalize a person’s tea set.  They are made of clay and sit along the teacups and pot on the tea table. Many people pour tea over their pets.

• Tongs, Scoops, etc. – There are various tools used for the actual handling of the tea leaves and cups.  If you are pouring for someone, it is customary to use tongs to hand them their cups instead of your hands.

• Tea Caddy – This is a special canister used to store tea leaves. They vary in size and material, but all are meant to keep the tea cool and dry.

As you can see, there is much that goes into a traditional Chinese tea party.  I’ve only scratched the surface of Chinese tea culture, but perhaps later I’ll write a more in-depth article covering the methodology described above.