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Chinese Tea Ceremony
Tea ceremony itself should include tea of high quality, good mild water, exquisite tea accessories and of course tea master, who knows how to deal with tea ceremony. New ways of brewing tea are very different, because in each province (about 18) there is special method of making tea, but far beyond the China only 3-4 methods are popular. The duration of tea ceremony is from 40 minutes up to 2 o'clock. It is better to have plenty of time to concentrate on your inward life. Before tea ceremony and at the time of it, advisable to refuse from eating, but if you are rally hungry it is also bad, because it leads to discomfort.
All sorts of tea are used in tea ceremony. The peculiarity of Oolong tea is that you can enjoy all four "particular qualities" of tea: aroma, color of infusion, taste of the tea and the shape of the leaves. To provide the interaction with tea deeper and fuller, special ware is used in tea ceremonies. At first tea for brewing put in tea-chest - so that tea drinkers can get accustomed with tea.
There are different kinds of teacups for it:
Firstly, there is the gaibei - or lidded cup.
There is the wen xiang bei - for smelling the fragrance of the tea.
There is also the cha bei, which is the cup for drinking tea from.
And there is the chawan which is the bowl used for drinking tea.
The water for making tea is the most important component of all tea ceremony. It is better to use fresh water and boil it on the open fire and it is important to catch the moment of boiling. Prepare the boiling water, and with the tea tweezers carefully place the tea into the teapot until it is about a third full. Make sure the teapot and cups are now on the tea washing tray. Then pour the hot water into the teapot until it is overflowing and then place the lid on, and continue to pour the hot water over the teapot. This allows the entire teapot to be hot. If this is Pu-erh tea let it brew for three minutes and then pour the tea out into the wash bowl and repeat the process. This is to clean the tea of any fermented taste as a result of the Pu-erh tea being so old (6-35 years) depending on the quality.
Pour the second brewed tea into the tea cups and pouring pitcher allowing the flavor of the tea to penetrate the tea cups and pouring pitcher. The third time, pour the boiling water into the teapot and cover. Place the tea strainer over the pouring pitcher. Wait three minutes for the tea to brew. Pour hot water into the pouring pitcher to assure it is hot, and pour that into the teacups. When the tea is ready empty the tea cups and pouring pitcher of the hot water, and then pour the tea into the pouring pitcher through the tea strainer and then pour the tea into the cups making sure to never fill a cup at a time, but by passing the tea over each cup so they fill equally. The strainer step can be omitted, but it assures the tea will be perfectly clean of any tea leaves and tea pieces.
For each person serves two cups (tea couple): high and thin is for aroma perception and low wide cup for taking pleasure from color and taste of the tea. Usually cups are served on small tea-tray. It is convenient for pouring tea and makes the composition of unity of all cups. From the teapot tea pours in high cups that immediately are covered with wide cups. This construction turns upside-down and gives to the participants of tea ceremony. Lifting a little the high cup - bring it to nose, close the eyes and smell the aroma. Then drink tea, observing feelings. When the tea is finished, the procedure is repeated all over again. It continues up to the time, when tea loses aroma and taste.
English tea ceremony
Regular Englishman drinks about six cups of tea a day. Morning tea - about 6 o'clock, mostly is drinking in bed. During first light breakfast, second tea is served. Englishmen prefer drink tea that even called "English breakfast tea" with stranded leaves - called "broken" that make the drink strong and invigorative that can awake even very sleepy person. In eleven or twelve o'clock is time for launch - second breakfast and also with drinking tea. The fourth time when Englishmen drink tea - is a small break in the middle of the day - tea break. Millions of British drink famous "five -o'clock" tea "English afternoon", usually with milk and cream. After work it is also time for tea - "high tea", rich and aromatic aristocratic tea, such as "Earl Gray". But there is classic tea that is drunk whenever you want - is "English tea #1", the ideal balanced substance. It has tens of the best sorts of tea from Ceylon, India and Kenya and slight aroma of bergamot. It is bergamot that makes "English tea #1" mild and bitter at the same time.
The table is covered with one-colored table-cloth - white(preferable) or blue, tea-cloth in tone with table-cloth and certainly a small vase with flowers - better with fresh and white. The ware Englishmen use should be from one set, only porcelain, white or white-blue color. The table serves with tea kettle, teapot, and a jug with boiling water, milk jug with milk or cream, tea-strainer and saucer for it, sugar bowl with white or brown lump sugar on it, tea spoons and tea-cosy. For each person - dessert-spoon and dessert-fork. On plates for dessert put the snack for tea, which you can take with the help of the fork and knife. To make the drink really English, put in the cup of tea - bergamot. It is considered that tea should be like a kiss: hot, strong and sweet.
Milk - is a permanent element of English tea ceremony. Real connoisseur of all niceties never pours milk into tea - only conversely. It is strong rule of English tea ceremony. Britain gourmets think that only in such way the taste becomes milder and doesn't lose it aroma.
Main secret of tea ceremony is very simple - to brew the tea without adding than boiling water. It is recommended - 1 teaspoon for a person plus a teaspoon in teapot for 5-6 people. The tea should draw 3-5 minutes and then pour in cups.
After the tea is poured in guests cups - add boiling water in teapot and cover it with tea-cosy, to keep it warm. This is one of the peculiarities of English tea ceremony, such simple and nice.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
It is almost 700 years passed when Japanese monks explore this kind of art - tea ceremony. The things that surround people while tea ceremony, gests, ceremonial colloquialism is a tradition and passes through generations. Full ceremony can be only in special tea room in the tea-house, where the hosts receive honorable guests. Usually tea-house is placed in the middle of the garden, a bit far from the house. The sliding door of the tea-house is only thirty six inches high. Thus all who enter must bow their heads and crouch. This door points to the reality that all are equal in tea, irrespective of status or social position. The last person in latches the door.
In the middle of the room there is a square hollow where the charcoal smoulders on ceramics pallet. There is a cauldron over it. The guests sit around it on the soft pillows on their own heels.
The hostess makes tea and bowing - serves the cups to guests. She pours boiling water in porcelain cup with the help of wooden scoop, then rinses it and wipe with napkin. Then she puts a pinch of powder of ceremonial green tea and pours the boiling water and whips with bamboo ladle for whipping tea to thickness of the sour-cream. Scum should rise to the rims. Chawan - is a special bowl that is used through the all tea ceremony it is also used for drinking regular green tea. First tea cup is given to the principal guest and than passes round. If the principal guest likes the tea - he rises the cup before him. Usually principal guest is chosen before tea ceremony.
In tea ceremony can participate no more than five people; the company is carefully sort out. The clothes should be chosen according to the tradition of the ceremony. Before tea ceremony guests take off the shoes and set themselves to high spirit. The atmosphere of the tea house helps with it. While drinking tea over the conversations spends several hours.
Millions of Japanese people want to learn about tea ceremony. They can spend two hours each day with a special teacher in the small group to get know how to conduct the tea ceremony.
Russian Tea Ceremony
Porcelain tea service, teakettle, lemon and Chinese or Ceylon tea - these are the components of Russian tea ceremony.
Tea ceremony usually carries out because of some occasion. Depends on this, the tea ceremony can be over the tea conversations or revels and dances (tea-table is served in the corner of the room). The tea usually prepared away from the place where it will be drinking, usually boiling of water for tea and brewing tea itself is prepared in the kitchen. The ware doesn't depend on the place of the tea ceremony - in the verandah or drawing-room. It is cups with saucers - classic form, maybe a bit waved. The china is preferable and it is better when it is white inside.
For tea ceremony hosts can bake something or serve another tea snacks. Of course, you can buy cakes, cookies, but home made cookies - is the best topic of the conversation. Russian tea ceremony can't be imagining without different sweets and cookies. For this on the table should be special plates for this and dessert spoons. Of course on the table should be such items as - sugar bowl, a plate for lemon (the lemon should be sliced in thin rings, not segments), a fork for lemon and a spoon for sugar and sugar-tongs for lump sugar. The last thing in table appointments is jam dish and special vase for honey. Various kinds of jam should be served on the table. Different additions for tea, which can change the taste and aroma, can be served. Such additions can be herbals, fresh or dry berries and fruits, alcohol drinks.
To brew Russian tea - you should boil water (watch it from boiling over), warm the teapot
(ideal porcelain and round), put the tea and fill up with boiling water, shuffle, close the teapot with cover and put a tea-cloth over it. Draw it about 5 minutes - and drink!
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