If you have a Chinese friend, and he or she gives you a packet of Chinese tea (Chinese people often give tea as a precious gift to their friends), you may be both happy and sad. You are happy that Chinese tea has a very long history of nearly 2,000 years. It is full of unique charm. You finally have the opportunity to try it. But at the same time, you feel sad because it is completely different from the general tea you have ever seen. And there are no English instructions on the packaging. You do not know how to make it. Luckily, it is easy to enjoy it if you follow these instructions. Generally speaking, there are five steps to enjoy Chinese tea.
The first step in enjoying Chinese tea is to identify the tea and choose the teaware. There are many kinds of Chinese tea, but they can be roughly divided into five categories: white tea, green tea, dark green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. Usually, different kinds of Chinese tea need different teaware to make them. So at the beginning, you need to identify the types of tea. The color of white tea is not really white; it is light green, and the surface of the tea leaves has a layer of white fluff, so it is named white tea. Green tea is green. Black tea is dark brown. Dark green tea is black. Oolong tea has a very special leaf shape. Its leaves are rolled up into a small ball. After determining the type of tea, choose the appropriate teaware to make the tea. Most of the time, white tea and green tea are made in transparent glassware, black tea and dark green tea are made in ceramic tea ware, and oolong tea is made in pottery clay teaware. To begin to enjoy Chinese tea, you should identify which kind of tea, and, according to the tea, choose the right teaware.
The second step in enjoying Chinese tea is to smell it. After selecting the teaware, use a teaspoon to remove the tea from the tea package. Put it under your nose and take a deep breath. The unique fragrance of Chinese tea leaves will make you feel cheerful. Usually, white tea has a delicate fragrance. Green tea has a fresh fragrance. White tea and green tea will remind you of the fields in spring. Black tea has a kind of fruit or smoky aroma, which makes you feel strong and warm. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea, with rich smell. Dark green tea is fermented tea, with a unique aroma. Smelling the tea is the second step in enjoying Chinese tea.
The third step in enjoying Chinese tea is to wash the tea. No matter what kind of tea it is, Chinese tea is usually washed first. At the same time, washing the tea also wakes it up. Put the appropriate amount of tea into the teapot, and pour a small amount of boiling water over it. The amount of water should cover the tea a little. Wait for half a minute and pour out the water. Now, you have woken up the tea by washing it.
The fourth step in enjoying Chinese tea is to soak the tea and appreciate its leaves or liquid. Pour boiling water into the teapot again. Wait for a moment. At this time, you can enjoy the beauty of the shape of the tea leaves or the color of the tea liquid. Good green tea and white tea are usually tender buds. They stretch out and set up in the cup, swaying in a graceful way that is especially beautiful. It is also interesting that oolong tea spreads out from a tiny roll to a large one. For black tea and dark green tea, you can appreciate their liquids. The liquid of black tea is red as a ruby, and the liquid of dark green tea is golden as an amber. Soaking the tea and appreciating the tea leaves or liquid is also a part of enjoying Chinese tea.
The fifth step in enjoying Chinese tea is to serve and drink. Pour the brewed tea into your own cup or your guest's cup, and separate the tea from the water. Then pick up the cup, put it to your mouth, and sip it carefully. Very few Chinese drink tea in one gulp because it is not elegant. Tea should flow slowly from the tip to the back of your tongue, then to the tip of your tongue again, before you swallow it. In this way, your whole mouth will be filled with the fragrance of the tea. After swallowing, you will feel a slight sweetness, which Chinese call “Huigan.” This means sweet aftertaste. Serving the tea and drinking it is the last step to enjoying Chinese tea.
There are five steps to enjoy Chinese tea: identify the type of tea and select the appropriate tea ware; smell the aroma of the tea; wash the tea and wake it up; brew it and appreciate the tea leaves or tea liquid; serve the tea and drink it. Usually, you can brew three times. After three times, if you want to continue drinking, you should throw away the previous tea leaves and use fresh tea again, and repeat the above five steps. If you do it seriously, you will find that Chinese tea is not only a drink, but also a culture, an art, and a lifestyle. It is not only enjoyment for the mouth, eyes, and nose, but also spiritual enjoyment. Hopefully, you fall in love with Chinese tea after enjoying it once.
