Tea culture in East Asia is far different from how tea is consumed in the west. In the west, it is usually found in packets, and then dissolved in hot water, or it is served cold.
The culture itself is best defined not by how the tea is harvested or processed, but by how it is made and consumed in ceremonies. There are various ceremonies in Asia, and the tea culture has something to do with the way the people interact, prepare, and use aesthetics involved in the ceremony. In Asia, people drink tea in important social events, and these ceremonies are intricate, to say the least.
Tea culture has a significant importance in China, and this is why teahouses are ever-present in many places. You will find teahouses everywhere. The average Chinese tea house have both hot and cold tea as preferences for their customers. Apart from tea, these stores offer snacks best taken with tea. Most of these tea houses are full in the late afternoon when people have a break, and then again late at night, when people already had dinner and are merely relaxing.
This ceremony is an age-old tradition. In here, a couple about to get married will get together to show respect to the each other’s parents. It is a required ceremony, and is part of the wedding process. It is the bride who prepares the tea. Both the bride and the groom serve it to the elders. The participants have to sit with the bride and the groom, and they have to kneel to get served. It is during this ceremony where the couple will also receive gifts from the guests.
Gong Fu can trace its roots to an old tea preparation method. The Gong Fu ceremony originated either in Guangdong or Fujian. Some people called it Kung Fu Tea Ceremony, and some clam that it originated from the monks who practiced the traditional martial arts. It involves a lot of steps such as picking the right place and space. The table must also be of a suitable size. There are other things you need, such as a drop tray that would hold all the utensils, the water, and other tools used to make tea.
The environment is equally important, as it has to be relaxing and should promote peacefulness. This is why the venue is often decorated with flowers, songbirds, incense, and traditional music. The important aspect of the ceremony is to have peace and quiet.
Different regions in Indonesia have different tea customs. The Sundanese in Western Java drink tea with no sugar, while those that are in the central part of the nation prefer sugar. The reason behind this is that tea is planted in their region, so it is cheaper to serve than in areas where tea is scarce. Since there is a lot of tea, they do not need sugar to save on the tea.
On the other hand, those who live in sugar plantations will certainly add sugar because the sugar is much more accessible.
Japan has a rich tea tradition that is centuries old. The most prominent type of tea in the country is green tea. It is a traditional tea and it is served in special situations such as weddings and birthdays. It is a staple in many companies, and it is also not unusual to see Japanese people drink it in the afternoon during break. It is usually served with snacks and has become a standard drink with sashimi, sushi, and tempura.
In many restaurants, tea is served as a beverage of choice, along with sake or wine.
This ceremony is also called the Way of the Tea. It is a Japanese cultural activity where special presentation is required. The green tea is powdered, and it is called matcha.
Matcha is now a favorite tea flavor in other Asian countries. You can buy the tea in powdered form. The price is affordable, but the real match tea leaves command a higher price.
The art itself is called otemae, and it can trace its influence from Zen Buddhism. There are two typical types of the ceremony, and these are the chakai and the chaji.
In a chakai, there are confections and a light meal. In the chaji ceremony, there is more complication as the ceremony will last for four hours. It also features a full meal, a thin tea, thick tea, and some confections.
The Myanmar tea ceremony is popular because it involves tea that the participants do not drink. They eat the tea from a lahpet. A lahpet is tea that is pickled, and it is usually served with different foods. Tea is commonly dry-roasted, and then mixed with boiling water. The result is green tea, and it is sweetened with milk. Usually, sweetened tea is made with black or sweet dry tea.
In Korea, tea interest has seen growth in the past decades. For manty years, drinking tea has waned in the Korean culture, but it is not seeing a comeback.
This may be attributed to Hyo Dang, who wrote the first book about tea in modern Korea. He called it The Korean Way of Tea. Eventually, he became a teacher of tea ceremonies. Women in Korea hold a value position as tea masters, and one person who embodies this is Chae Won-Hwa, the successor Hyo Dang a master.
The Korean tea ceremony is called darye. It has been practiced for thousands of years. The main aspect of the ceremony has something to do with how it pays close attention to the ease of enjoying the tea in an informal setting, or rather, a semi-formal one.
Today, tea is becoming more and more popular and many Koreans look forward to participating in tea ceremonies. As opposed to Japanese tradition, Korean tea ceremonies are fast-paced.
Taiwan is popular for planting and processing oolong and green tea. It is one of the largest exporters of tea in the world.
It has a great reputation as the origin of the bubble tea. Bubble tea is a combination of milk and tapioca balls, which is a common drink found in many malls. The tapioca balls usually come in black, and is also commonly referred to as pearls.
This type of tea is highly popular in Asia, but it is becoming a trend in European and Western countries, too.
This ceremony is one that promotes no bias. In here, it does not matter what your social status is, or how intelligent you are. The ceremony is held in groups where status is not an issue. This tea ceremony originated in Taiwan, and are sometimes called Wu-Wo Tea Convention or WuWo Tea Party.
In Tibetan culture, a tea ceremony has many rules. It is probably a culture that has the most complicated tea ceremonies.
One of the things that is prominent in the ceremony is the rules that involve the interaction between the guest and the host. There are expected behaviors from the two parties, and failing to do it can be a sing of disrespect or a lack of culture.
There are two main types of tea served. The first one is sweet milk tea, and the other is butter tea. In some areas, black tea is preferred. Those who travel to Tibet often drink tea more than water, the reason being is that there are so many tea shops in the country.
Thai tea comes from this country, and therefore it is the most popular. Thai tea is served with food coloring anise, red tea, and other spices. It is served chilled and in some cases, milk and sugar are added to it. Recently, green tea is gaining popularity, along with lemon green tea, and barley green tea.
Tea is a primary source of export product in Vietnam, and the country is one of the biggest global suppliers of it. Tea is mostly plant in the northern areas. The Vietnamese prefer tea in brewed form, and they like it green. In many restaurants, it is customary to give patrons free tea, and this is usually served once the meal has been ordered. Since tea is affordable, it is almost always served free in restaurants.